Notes: Knox's good results earn him temporary status

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Off this week, the Nationwide Tour will be in the Peach State for back-to-back events beginning next week. The first stop is the South Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank & Trust Co. in Valdosta (April 28-May 1) where eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher John Smoltz will compete as a professional in his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. The Tour heads north to Athens the following week (May 5-8) for the Stadion Classic at UGA where former Bulldogs Bubba Watson and Chip Beck will serve as honorary chairmen.

FLIRTING WITH 59 Daniel Chopra flirted with history on Saturday. The Swede was 10-under through 16 holes on the par-70 TPC Stonebrae layout, needing only one more birdie to join an elite list of golfers in the record book. A 45-foot birdie putt missed by inches on 17 and an errant 9-iron approach on the 18th led to his lone bogey of the day and a round of 61. "I was on the doorstep," he said. "The difference between 59 and 60 is only one stroke but it might as well be 100." Chopra's consolation, however, wasn't bad. On Sunday, he was named the tournament champion when a persistent fog forced the Fresh Express Classic to be curtailed to 54 holes. A two-time PGA TOUR winner, Chopra was already in the Nationwide Tour record book. His victory was his third on Tour and he holds the 72-hole scoring record (258, along with Chris Smith). His 30-under performance that week in Richmond, Va. in 2004 still stands as the best score relative to par in Tour history.

SCOTSMAN FROM JACKSONVILLE MOVES UP Former Jacksonville University golfer Russell Knox made a big leap in his golf career on Sunday when he finished T2 in the fog-shortened Fresh Express Classic at the TPC Stonebrae. Knox, who began the week as a non-member of the Nationwide Tour, played his way into the field via the Monday qualifer. The 25-year-old from Scotland who lives in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. was making only his fourth Nationwide Tour start. By finishing second, Knox earned $52,800 and Special Temporary Membership for the rest of the 2011 season. His top-25 finish gets him in next week's South Georgia Classic and also means he will likely be able to play all or most of the tournaments he wants to the rest of the year. Note: Special Temporary Membership is based on a non-member earning the same or more money than last year's 100th player on the money list ($48,193).

MARK THAT DATE Texas Valero Open runner-up Kevin Chappell apparently has a thing about playing golf in the middle of April. The former UCLA All-American and 2008 NCAA Championship medalist was seeking his first PGA TOUR victory on Sunday, which happened to be the same weekend he won on the Nationwide Tour last year. Admittedly off to a slow rookie start on the PGA TOUR -- his best finish in eight previous starts was T42 in the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii -- the 24-year-old jumped to 63rd on the FedExCup list, positioning himself for a much better second half of the year.

CLASSY CLASS The 2011 PGA TOUR season continues to be impacted by players who competed on the Nationwide Tour last year. Brendan Steele was the third player from last year's roster to win on TOUR through the first 17 events, joining Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland in the winner's circle. Seven of the top-22 finishers in the Valero Texas Open and 18 of the current top-125 players on the FedExCup points list were on the Nationwide Tour last year. Steele's win was alumni title No. 301.

CONSISTENT COMPTON Erik Compton continued his solid play of late at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae. The two-time heart transplant recipient has finished T4, T19 and T4 in three Nationwide Tour starts this year and is 10th on the money list. He has also competed in four PGA TOUR events, making all four cuts. The former University of Georgia All-American's next start will be next week in Valdosta on the Nationwide Tour.

WILL HE BE THE FIRST? Speaking of Valdosta, John Smoltz makes his first appearance competing as a professional in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. The 44-year-old former MLB pitching star is seeking to become the first former professional athlete to make the cut in a Nationwide Tour event. Nine other players have tried -- Al Del Greco, Grant Fuhr, Brett Hull, Ivan Lendl, Dan Quinn, Jerry Rice, Mark Rypien, Ralph Terry andBilly Joe Tolliver. Quinn came the closest (six shots) at the 1990 Quicksilver Open in Pennsylvania.

ON A GOOD RIDE University of Florida senior captain Andres Echavarria had a spot reserved for him in the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae field thanks to his runner-up finish in the Nationwide Tour's recent Chitmacha Louisiana Open. But he had a deal with UF coach Buddy Alexander that ensured the Colombia native would be with his teammates at the SEC Championship in St. Simons Island, Ga. last weekend. The good ride continued for Echavarria as he won the individual title in a playoff and UF captured the team title.

CONGRATULATIONS, ED...AND LARRY AND SHARYN It's been a good couple of months for the Soboba Golf Classic, too. In December, Executive Director Ed Winiecki was named Southern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year and this week Classic volunteer Larry Froehlich was named co-recipient of the Nationwide Tour's 2010 Volunteer of the Year award, along with Sharyn Wagoner of the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Ill. Congratulations, everyone!

DID YOU KNOW? There have been 421 aces made on the Nationwide Tour in 629 tournaments since its inception in 1990. The Utah Championship has surrendered the most (23), all at Willow Creek Country Club. Individually, Brendon de Jonge and Bob May have recorded the most (four).

BIRTHDAY BOY Happy birthday to Sweden's Jonas Blixt who turns 27 on Sunday, April 24th.