The purse for the Nationwide Tour Championship at The Houstonian has been increased from $700,000 to $750,000 for this year’s tournament it was announced Monday by the PGA TOUR.

The season-ending event on the Nationwide Tour, the tournament is restricted to the top 60 on the money list. Following the conclusion of the tournament, the top 20 on the money list will graduate to the PGA TOUR for the 2007 season.

“We are very pleased to be able to increase the purse at our season finale,” said Bill Calfee, chief of operations for the Nationwide Tour. “This tournament always offers great drama and the purse increase reflects the importance of the event.”

The $750,000 purse will equal the largest purse ever offered domestically in the 17-year history of the Nationwide Tour. The winner will earn $135,000 and will almost certainly finish among the top 20 on the final money list.

The 2006 Nationwide Tour Championship will be held Nov. 6-12 at the Houstonian Golf & Country Club in Richmond, Texas. It will mark the first time the tournament will be held in the state of Texas. It will be contested in San Diego in 2007.

The Houston Golf Association, which also runs the PGA TOUR’s Shell Houston Open, will be the local tournament organizer for the Nationwide Tour Championship at The Houstonian.

“This purse increase will add that much more excitement to the tournament with the additional dollars offering players further down the money list that final chance to jump up and grab a spot in the final Top 20,” said Steve Timms, Tournament Director.

Among the past winners of the Nationwide Tour Championship are PGA TOUR winners David Duval, Stewart Cink, Bob Burns, Steve Flesch, Spike McRoy and Chris Couch, along with current U.S. Senior Open champion Allen Doyle.