Insider: Finding the next Fall Series winner-in-waiting

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A week ago Kevin Na finally got to the big pay window.

People have been waiting for it to happen since Na turned 17 and became a professional. He's steadily improved his game, placed himself in contention on numerous occasions, and finally brought it home on his 211th start on the PGA TOUR.

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"I told everybody, once I get my first win, the wins are going to start rolling in," Na said. "I think it's like that for a lot of the guys. Once they get that first win, it seems like a lot of guys go on and win a bunch of tournaments."

Na had come close before. He lost in a playoff in Tucson in 2005. Little did he know it would be another half-dozen years before he would be able to close the deal.

"I always think, would I be in a different position if I'd won then," Na said. "I don't know. The answer is I don't know, but you know what, eight years was worth the wait."

There are a number of other players who, like Na a week ago, have been biding their time and waiting to knock down the door. The Fall Series is a good time for that to happen and several of players in this week's field are in a position to end their personal winless droughts and stand in the winner's circle.

Here are six winners-in-waiting to watch this week:

Bryce Molder: The former Georgia Tech star will be making his 132nd career start on the PGA TOUR and is still looking for his first win. Molder has come close; he was second at the St. Jude Classic in 2009 and was in contention this year at Pebble Beach and the Travelers Championship before struggling on the last day.

Molder is one of the best putters on the TOUR, something he tried to run away from for years. He used to have a misguided notion that guys who made a lot of putts were lucky and somehow less skilled than the crowd that kills the ball. But Molder is a smart guy -- you don't get a degree from Georgia Tech for learning to use a lathe -- and figured out that most players would trade for his putting stroke almost any day.

Molder returned to action last week and tied for 10th at the Justin Timberlake Shriners event, his fifth top-10 of the season.

Greg Chalmers: Another great putter (he's statistically one of the best on TOUR every year), the left-hander has played in 283 PGA TOUR events without a win. He tied for second at the 2009 Buick Open, so he has experience knocking on the door. Chalmers has had two top-10s this season. He tied for eighth at the Shell Houston Open and at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Ricky Barnes: Another college golden boy who is seeking his first TOUR win. Barnes will be making his 98th career start this week and has shown he can compete; he was second at the 2009 U.S. Open. People have been waiting for the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion to seal the deal.

The University of Arizona product played well early in the 2011 season. He was fourth at the Honda Classic and tied for four at the Heritage. Since then his best was a tie for 18th at the Memorial. He reached the second round of the playoffs and returned last week with a tie for 64th at the Timberlake.

Charlie Wi: The former Cal-Berkeley star has come close, but hasn't won in 157 previous PGA TOUR starts. He has four runner-up showings, one in four of the last five seasons. He was second this spring at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, where he lost to David Toms. Since 2007 he's posted five straight seasons where he's won $1.1 million or more, largely because of his outstanding ability on the greens.

John Merrick: The UCLA graduate has been a consistent performer on the PGA TOUR since 2008, but has made 136 starts without a victory. His closest call came at the 2009 Bob Hope Classic, where 30-under wasn't quite good enough to beat Pat Perez. Merrick hasn't been in contention quite as often this season; his only top-10 was a tie for ninth at the Travelers Championship. But his driving ability -- he's first in total driving, 16th in driving accuracy percentage -- has enabled Merrick to remain a factor.

Briny Baird: The veteran will be making his 348th start this week and is still looking for his first win. Baird, 39, has four second-place showings in his lengthy career, the most recent coming at the 2009 Verizon Heritage. He is the current player with the most career earnings ($11.9 million) without a victory. Who knows? This could be his week.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.