Storylines: Gates climbs to the top on and off the course

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Photos courtesy of Louisa Patterson

Robert Gates, Michael Hill, Martin Piller and others hit golf balls from the top of a mountain on Monday.

A NEW FACE EMERGES -- Robert Gates would not have been on anyone's pre-tournament pick list but come Sunday evening, he had a legion of golf fans in New Zealand. His unassuming, likeable demeanor and the appeal of having his girlfriend Lauren Johnson "on the bag" were capped by a well-delivered victory speech. Fellow competitors expressed pleasure in meeting and playing with him. Said runner-up Andrew Dodt, who played with Gates the last two days, "He's a great guy and I'm happy for him -- I wish him all the best.'' Gates became only the 13th Nationwide Tour player to enter the winner's circle in his debut. On Monday morning, prior to leaving Queenstown, Gates, Johnson and Gates' former Texas A&M roommate Martin Piller were invited to go on a helicopter ride to the top of the 6,000-foot Remarkables mountain range near Queenstown as guests of tournament sponsor and watch maker Michael Hill. All members of the group drove golf balls from atop the mountain.

JAMIE LOVEMARK / NO JET LAG HERE -- So much for jet lag getting in the way. Former college player of the year Jamie Lovemark shot 70-69-69-68 -- 276 (-12) to finish third in New Zealand. His final-round 68 matched the day's best score on a wind-blown afternoon at The Hills. Having played and made the cut in the Bob Hope Classic on a sponsor's exemption, the 22-year-old out of the University of Southern California drove three hours to LAX, then flew 14 hours to get to Queenstown in time for his Wednesday afternoon pro-am time. Lovemark will play the majority of his golf this year on the Nationwide Tour in search of his PGA TOUR card.

ALUMNI ABOUND AT TORREY PINES / BEN CRANE CAPTURES WIN NO. 263 -- It was yet another good week for the Nationwide Tour on the PGA TOUR. Not only did Ben Crane win the title in San Diego, upping the alumni TOUR win count to 263, 10 of the top-14 finishers were Nationwide Tour alumni. Last year's Player of the Year Michael Sim, 2008 graduate / 2009 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Marc Leishman and 2007 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year and Nationwide Tour alum Brandt Snedeker shared second place. Alumni have now won the first three full-field events of 2010 (Ryan Palmer/Sony Open in Hawaii, Bill Haas/Bob Hope Classic).

A LOOK BACK AT LAST YEAR'S VISIT TO MOONAH -- The Nationwide Tour pays its third visit to Moonah Links, which is south of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. Alistair Presnell birdied the final hole while playing with fellow Aussie Peter O'Malley, who missed a 15-footer to force a playoff. Another Aussie Ewan Porter won the inaugural event in 2008 which, like the Michael Hill New Zealand Open, is co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.

TOUGH TEST IN MOONAH -- Moonah Links was the fourth toughest course on the Nationwide Tour in 2009. Though not one hole ranked in the top 50 on Tour, it played almost a full stroke above par at 72.916. For the week, only three holes (all par-5s) had scoring averages below par. The 609-yard 4th hole was the third toughest par-5 in 2009, playing to an average of 5.068, one of only five par-5s with an over-par average.

SEEKING RETURN TO THE PGA TOUR -- The 156-player Moonah Classic field includes several familiar Aussie champions, including seven-time PGA Tour of Australasia winner Peter Lonard, three-time Australian Masters champion Craig Parry and 2005 President Cup team member Mark Hensby. Lonard and Hensby are seeking to regain their PGA TOUR cards via the Nationwide Tour this year.

PRIME MINISTER VISITS THE HILLS -- New Zealand's prime minister John Key spent part of the final round of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open visiting with host Michael Hill, tournament officials and players before following the leaders for a few holes. A golfer himself, the prime minister participated in a ceremony earlier in the morning at the nearby Millbrook Resort golf course that included nine-time New Zealand Open winner Peter Thomson, Peter Alliss and the course's architect, Bob Charles, a four-time Open winner.

ROBERT GATES / LIFE CHANGES -- Life changes when you win your first professional golf tournament, as Michael Hill New Zealand Open winner Robert Gates found out on Sunday night. In addition to cashing a check for $108,000 and securing an exempt spot on the Nationwide Tour through 2011, he also has the option to accept membership on the PGA Tour of Australasia, which is good through 2012. The 6-ft., 6-inch Texas A&M graduate out of Gainesville, Fla. has two weeks to contemplate the decision. He has indicated his fondness for playing "down under", while entertaining the prospect of competing in some late-year events in Australia. Gates is clearly committed to earning his PGA TOUR card via "The 25" on the Nationwide Tour this year.

NEXT WEEK -- The Nationwide Tour is off for two weeks before heading to Panama City, Panama for the Panama CLARO Championship (Feb. 25-28), which will be followed by the debut of the Pacific Rubiales Bogotá Open presented by Samsung (March 4-7) in Bogotá, Colombia.