Notes: Dickerson ready to fight for his TOUR card

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Dickerson is currently ranked No. 42 on the Nationwide Tour money list.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Fernandina Beach's Bubba Dickerson feels like an "old pro" at 30 and he finally is seeing results that he hopes will help him get back on the PGA TOUR.

Dickerson, who first played professionally in 2002 at age 21, lost his PGA TOUR card at the end of the 2007 season after finishing 219 on the money list and hasn't been back. He's completing his fourth straight season on the Nationwide Tour and, at No. 42 coming into this week on the money list, could save himself another trip to q-school with a strong finish over the next two weeks -- starting with this week's Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open on his home course.

Even if he does have to return to q-school again, Dickerson feels as rejuvenated career-wise as he has in a long, long time.

"I'm just one good week away from getting my TOUR card locked up," said Dickerson, who has one career win on the Nationwide Tour (2009 Chitimacha Louisiana Open) and three top 10s in 2011 (T3 -- Chitimacha Louisiana Open, T5 -- Stadion Classic at UGA, T8 -- Pacific Rubiales Open). I'll play here and in Charleston and hopefully get it done. I've been playing solid the last three or four weeks and feel like it's just a matter of time before I get the putter going."

It's a comfortable week for Dickerson, as he's reunited with old friends who come out to see him. "Most of the week, I'll sleep in my own bed," said Dickerson. "Later in the week, if I'm in the hunt, I might stay a little closer to the course."

In 2006, the former Florida Gator golfer earned $650,314 in his first complete season on the PGA TOUR to rank just outside the top 125 at 127, which included a T5 finish at the Buick Invitational. In 2007, he played 19 events on the PGA TOUR and only managed to make six of 19 cuts and earn $87,430.

"I was playing pretty poorly and a lot of it was mental," admits Dickerson, who said he was clearly distracted by an off-course lawsuit against a former agency that represented him early in his career. "That was finally settled after almost eight years and a lot of positives came out of that. I think that's one of the reasons I played so bad. When you have other things going on, off the golf course, it's distracting. It was pretty tough. Now I'm back to just playing golf."

Dickerson said early this season he began feeling a renewed sense of confidence, adding, "I would come out to the course and feel like I could play with anybody on both TOURS. I hadn't felt that in a long time."

Now, he's just hoping the feeling stays with him.

NEW LOCALS: TPC Sawgrass feels like home to a lot of golfers, but, for Jonas Blixt and Chris Baker, it is home now.

The Swedish Blixt, a former FSU golf standout who will be a member of the PGA TOUR in 2012, and Baker, an Indiana native who played collegiate golf at Iowa State and a Nationwide Tour member, both have moved to the Ponte Vedra Beach area in recent months.

Both are ecstatic about their new home course at TPC Sawgrass.

"The golf course and facilities are great," says Blixt, currently No. 9 on the Nationwide money list and a lock to finish in the top 25 and earn his card. "There are a lot of guys out here to compete and get advice from. They really take care of us out here."

Baker, ranked 100 on the money list this week, will likely go the first stage of q-school next week after playing in the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. "I've only been coming out here about three weeks," said Baker. "They treat us like kings. It's an awesome place and a good place to call home. The airport is close and the city is good. I've met a few of the guys and Fred Funk was the first guy to come up to me in a cart the first day I was out here. It's unbelievable."

OPTIONS AVAILABLE: Veteran Kirk Triplett, a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and winner of the 2011 News Sentinel Open on the Nationwide Tour, might have some decisions to make if he should play well enough in the final two weeks of the Nationwide season to finish inside the top 25.

Triplett, who turns 50 in March 2012, is not too concerned about his options and is preparing to play on the Champions Tour.

"I do know there will be no q-school for me," says Triplett. "I need to have two real good weeks out here and try to sneak up in that top 25. I would have the opportunity to pick and choose in that case. Long term, I know my bread is buttered on the Champions Tour."

Triplett, who played in last year's Winn-Dixie and hasn't played THE PLAYERS since 2007, loves coming to Ponte Vedra Beach. "It's a real treat to come here and play. It's great being back and seeing this fantastic facility."

He admits being energized by the younger players on the Nationwide Tour and hopes to feed off of that this week.

"The enthusiasm of those guys helps me," he said. "That's one of the areas I tend to lack in if I'm not playing well. It's hard to hang in there and keep going some weeks, but seeing these guys working hard at their games with the tremendous skills they have is fun to watch. All it takes is that right feeling to turn it on. So, I'll be looking for that this week."

DUKE INSPIRED: Ken Duke has a lot to smile about this week. Not only, at No. 38 on the money list, is he already locked in to play in next week's Nationwide Tour Championship, but he'll have the support of fellow Arkansas native and friend Matt Hubbard.

Hubbard, born without a right hand, came up through the ranks as a junior golfer and eventually earned a scholarship to play at Arkansas State. Now he works as a Graphic Coordinator for The Golf Channel.

"I first met him a few years ago out on the Tour," said Duke. "We got to be friends. I'm from Arkansas and we had a connection. We text and talk here and there. He doesn't let this hold him back. It's remarkable. He texted me and told me he would be here."

The 25-year-old Hubbard, a former resident on the First Coast who has played both the Stadium and Dye's Valley many times, spent a little time on the driving range Monday, averaging around 270 off the tee.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" said Duke. "He inspires me. That's for sure."

CARDINALS FAN: Don't be surprised if you see Jason Schultz wearing his St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap this week on Dye's Valley. The University of Missouri graduate, who spent most of his life living in Columbia -- less than 90 minutes from Busch Memorial Stadium -- is honoring his favorite major league baseball team as the Cardinals begin their quest for a World Series title this week against the Texas Rangers.

As a child, the longtime Cardinal fan attended a number of games in St. Louis, including the 1982 World Series featuring his favorite all-time Cardinal player Ozzie Smith.

"My golf game has been a lot like the Cardinals -- slumping and getting ready to get hot," said Schultz. "I'm more happy when the Cardinals win. I quit on them in September. I think everybody did. A couple of years ago, I'd watch every game I could on the computer. I'm always aware, but just haven't been as much of a diehard fan this year -- until now."

Schultz, ranked No. 84 on this week's Nationwide money list, will certainly try to put together a strong week at the Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston He hopes his Cardinals have a strong week as well.