RICHMOND, Texas -- In terms of places to play professionally, the PGA TOUR is galaxies removed from the Canadian Tour or Gateway Tour or Northern Texas PGA Tour, all places where Craig Kanada struggled to make a living recently.

Obscure pit stops like the Idaho Open and the Utah Open, where Kanada admitted to performing poorly in the past, can’t hold a candle to, say, the FBR Open and the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Kanada put those cash-and-carry mini-tours and state opens in his rearview mirror on Sunday, though, making a quantum leap from anonymity to golf’s Greatest Show on Earth in spectacular fashion.

Saving his best for last, Kanada chipped in twice -- for a crucial par on the 71st hole and a mind-boggling birdie on the 72nd -- to not only gain his 2007 PGA TOUR playing privileges, but also win the Nationwide Tour Championship at The Houstonian Golf and Country Club.

“To chip in twice in a row. .. I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before,’’ said Kanada, whose closing six-under-par 66 was good for a one-shot victory over 54-hole leader Matt Kuchar and Australian rookie Andrew Buckle. “But to do it on 17 and 18 to get my card and win this tournament. .. It’s almost too much to handle.’’

Kanada, who entered the elite-field season finale in 32nd place on the money list, won $135,000 and jumped to 11th, the largest such move in the 14-year history of this event. He had a 72-hole aggregate of 13-under-par 276. Ricky Barnes closed with a 65 to finish solo fourth, while Doug LaBelle(67) was alone in fifth.

The champion, who lives across town in The Woodlands, had to sweat out Kuchar’s 7-foot birdie try on the 18th hole before he could celebrate with his wife, three children, parents and in-laws. But Kuchar made a poor read and admitted he did not hit his “best putt’’ to make Kanada a winner.

“That is a memory that will last a lifetime,’’ Kanada said.

Kuchar doffed his golf cap to the surprise champion, who put himself into contention with a manufactured 8-under 64 in Friday’s second round, even though he was dog tired and couldn’t groove his swing.

“What a cool story for Craig to win in his hometown by chipping in on the last two holes,’’ said Kuchar, a former U.S. Amateur champion who won the 2002 Honda Classic in his first tour of duty on the PGA TOUR.

But if truth is told, while Kanada walked off with the first-place check and the hardware at the Nationwide Tour Championship, he certainly wasn’t the only winner as dusk settled in Texas on Sunday.

Matter of fact, there were 21 other Nationwide Tour players who felt like they grabbed a significant prize. And those would be the men whose performance over the course of the 31-tournament season merited promotions to the PGA TOUR in 2007.

“This is a reason to party,’’ Kuchar said at the awards ceremonies where 20 of the 22 graaduates -- Kevin Stadler and Paul Sheehan did not compete here this week -- were awarded their coveted player’s card for next season. “I mean we’re all going to the PGA TOUR next year.’’

Not all were pleased, however, as Kanada’s major move knocked Jess Daley from the 22nd spot and held off hard-charging Ricky Barnes who posted a final-round 65 but finished 23rd. But at least Bryce Molder, who fell from 21st to 22nd was relieved. Had Barnes’ 35-foot birdie putt fallen on the 18th Sunday, he would have jumped ahead of the former Georgia Tech All-American.

It’s no surprise nerves were on edge with so much at stake, especially in the final round. Brendan Pappas, who began the week in 23rd position, admitted he had trouble keeping it together.

“It’s sad to see a grown man shaking like a 14-year-old going on his first date, but that’s the way I was out there today,’’ said Pappas, who dropped to 24th with a final-round 72 and is headed to the finals of the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament in December.

Kanada was a bundle of nerves as well, but he was able to channel the jitters into positive energy at the right time. He did the math prior to the final round and was aware he needed a solo fourth to bank enough to secure his card. He was alone in sixth place, six strokes behind Kuchar, when the day began but immediately put himself into a positive frame of mind by making birdies on the first three holes. He thrust himself into title contention by turning in 31, while Kuchar was struggling.

Kanada offset stumbles at Nos. 11 and 13 with birdies on Nos. 10 and 12, but still trailed Kuchar by a stroke when he let a little 8-foot birdie putt get away on the 16th.

“I decided not to use my putter any more,” said Kanada, who got an assist when Kuchar three-putted the 17th for bogey.

And Kanada didn’t, holing from about 25 feet for par after he came up with a gnarly downhill lie in a greenside bunker on the 17th and with a 9-iron from 48 feet for the winning birdie on the 18th. His last stroke seemed to stun him.

“It was quite a rush,” he said. “I could barely get the ball out of the hole.”

He did the most important thing seconds earlier though. He got the ball into the hole and paved his way back onto the PGA TOUR with 21 others of his nearest and dearest Nationwide Tour fraternity.