Nationwide grads ready for first full-field event of 2011

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Tommy Gainey heads out for his second stint on the PGA TOUR in 2011.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- As the PGA TOUR's first full-field event of 2011, this week's Sony Open in Hawaii will feature the debut of the Nationwide Tour class of 2010. Twenty-three of last year's 25 graduates who earned their PGA TOUR cards based on their finish on the Nationwide Tour money list will be at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu for the $5.5 million tournament.

• Thirteen of the 23 players are first-year members of the PGA TOUR (denoted by "R" next to their name above). Player of the Year Jamie Lovemark, 22, is the youngest member of the class of 2010. Seven players are age 25 or under and 14 are under 30.

• Peter Tomasulo and Justin Hicks, who earned TOUR cards via their 23rd-and 25th- place finishes on the Nationwide Tour money list, are the second and fifth alternates, respectively, at the time this release is being issued. Hicks is the 14th rookie member of the Class of 2010.

• No. 24 Michael Putnam earned a higher eligibility spot based on his T6 finish in December's PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

• The Sony Open in Hawaii field features a 144-player field, of which 101 are Nationwide Tour alumni.

• The 2011 Nationwide Tour season begins next month with events in Latin America -- the Panama Claro Championship (Feb. 21-27), followed by the Pacific Rubiales Bogotá Open presented by Samsung (March 3-6).