Chattanooga Classic

Paul Gow was crowned the victor at the inaugural Athens Regional Foundation Classic in Athens, Georgia on Sunday.  The $500, 000 event was played at the Jennings Mill Country Club.

Gow played his way to victory after starting the final day tied with Craig Lile.  Lile was not able to match Gow's three-under-par 69 for the day and finished three strokes behind for a solo second.  Tom Gillis and Zoran Zorkic finished five strokes behind Gow to tie for third place.  Justin Bolli, the 2004 Chattanooga Classic champion,  finished the tournament tied for fifth, marking his best finish since the Classic.

This marked Gow's first victory on the tour since 2000 at the Hershey Open.  Gow was happy to finish with a comfortable three-stroke victory after a record tying three playoff loses in 2004.  He also tied for second in 2005 at the LaSalle Bank Open. 

Gow finished the weekend at a 21-under-par 267, marking the lowest score thus far this season on the Nationwide. Furthermore, with his third tour victory, Gow ties the record for the most by an Australian on the Nationwide.

The top four money leaders from last week retain their positions this week with Tripp Isenhour still on top.  Paul Sheehan, Jim Rutledge, and Johnson Wagner round out the top four with Paul Gow moving up from 31st to take fifth on the list.

The Tour Moves to The Cliffs in South Carolina.

This week, the tour moves to the BMW Charity Pro-Am at the Cliffs.  The event takes place at The Cliffs Valley, The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards, and The Cliffs at Walnut Grove.  The Pro-Am event will be held in Greenville, South Carolina on April 27 through the 30th.

Participating in this year's event are a host of athletes and celebrities.  Former professional hockey stars Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Brett Hull along with former football star John Elway have agreed to play.  Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, and Catherine Bell round out the celebrities participating. 

The BMW Charity Pro-Am is the only event that takes place in two different states.  The Cliffs at Walnut Grove Course is actually in North Carolina.  The Walnut Grove course was also the hardest course on the tour last year with a stroke average of 73.425, which is a +2.4.