Lovemark named Nationwide Tour's Player of Year

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Jamie Lovemark had nine top-10s, including a win, on the Nationwide Tour this season.

Jamie Lovemark was named the Nationwide Tour's Player of the Year on Saturday night.

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Lovemark, 22, is the youngest-ever winner of the Nationwide Tour Player of the Year, first awarded in 1990. He surpassed Stewart Cink (1996) and Nick Flanagan (1997), who both turned 23 in the spring of the year they won the award.

Competing in 22 events on the Nationwide Tour this year, Lovemark won one event (Mexico Open Bicentenary), had three runners-ups and two third-place finishes, totaling nine top-10s on the season. He was also the leading money winner ($452,951).

Joining Lovemark on the Player of the Year ballot was a trio of two-time winners in 2010, Tommy Gainey, Hunter Haas and Chris Kirk.

Meanwhile, Jim Furyk was named the PGA TOUR's Player of the Year, while Rickie Fowler was named the TOUR's Rookie of the Year.

Lovemark's 2010 Nationwide Tour Highlights:

• Was a rookie on the Nationwide Tour in 2010 based on his position on the "PGA TOUR Extended Money List (151-200)" as a non-member in 2009

• At 22, is both the youngest Player of the Year and youngest Leading Money Winner in Nationwide Tour history; was the Tour's third-youngest member in 2010 and youngest among those who played a full schedule

• Earned $452,951 in 2010, the fourth-highest single-season total in Tour history

• Earned an average of $20,588 per start

• Earned an average of $28,309 per cut made

• Made the cut in 16 of 22 starts

• Was No. 1 on the money list for a season-high 11 weeks total

• Was No. 1 on the money list for two periods during the year, including the final seven weeks

• Tied for the most top-10 finishes on Tour with nine

• Finished with 11 top-25 finishes

• Defeated B.J. Staten in a playoff to win the Mexico Open Bicentenary in June and earn his first professional title

• Tied for second at the BMW Charity Pro-Am and the Price Cutter Charity Championship and was solo second at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational

• Also finished third at the season-opening Michael Hill New Zealand Open and tied for third at the Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open

• Was No. 1 in Sand Save Percentage (67.19)

• Finished the year No. 4 in Final Round Scoring Average; No. 5 in Scoring Average and All-Around Ranking; No. 6 in Scoring Average Before the Cut, Birdie Average, Par Breakers, Par 3 Birdie or Better Average; No. 7 in Scrambling and No. 12 in Driving Distance.

• Posted par-or-better scores in the opening round in 20 of 22 starts

• Shot 64 in the final round at the Albertsons Boise Open and posted 65 in the final round five times

• As leading money winner is fully exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2011 and receives an invite to play in THE PLAYERS Championship.

• Is ranked 128th in the Official World Golf Ranking

College/Amateur Highlights:

• Prepped at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego

• Won 2005 Western Amateur at age 17

• Two-time first-team All-American at USC as a freshman and sophomore

• Won both Pac-10 and NCAA Championship individual titles as a freshman in spring, 2007

• Named Jack Nicklaus Award and Fred Haskins Award winner as best college player for 2006-2007 season

• Played on 2007 U.S. Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams

• Was finalist for Jack Nicklaus Award and Ben Hogan Award after sophomore year in spring, 2008

• Junior year was slowed by broken finger

• Was a playoff runner-up while at USC at the 2007 Rochester (Minn.) Area Charities Showdown which at the time was the best amateur showing ever in a Nationwide Tour event

• Has played in 17 PGA TOUR events since 2006, the first eight as an amateur; made nine cuts and earned $499,272

• Best PGA TOUR finish is a playoff runner-up in the 2009 Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.