INSIDE THE FIELD: The McGladrey Classic | Inside the course | Power Rankings

By Michael Curet, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

Hunter Hamrick blistered the Brunswick Country Club course with two eagles and six birdies for a 62 (30-32) to earn medalist honors at the Monday qualifier for this week's The McGladrey Classic.

Two-time PGA TOUR winner Paul Stankowski and former Indiana standout Chase Wright both shot 65 to qualify, while Atlanta's Jordan Mitchell got in with a 66 and won a four-way playoff win over Wade Binfield, Bruce McDonald and Bradley Long.

Hamrick, a Montgomery, Ala. native and a former teammate of PGA TOUR member Bud Cauley, has made three of four cuts on the PGA TOUR this year after making his pro debut this summer in this year’s U.S. Open at Olympic, where he finished tied for 46th. He followed up that performance with a T10 in the True South Classic. After earning a Monday qualifier spot into the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, he secured his spot on the weekend and finished 70th. In 2006, a 15-year-old Hamrick was the youngest player in the 2006 U.S. Amateur field.

The 42-year-old Stankowski, a University of Texas-El Paso product in his 21st year as a professional, captured his first career title at the 1996 Bell South Classic in a playoff win over Brandel Chamblee. The following year, Stankowski won the United Airlines Hawaiian Open by topping Jim Furyk and Mike Reid in a playoff. Stankowski has made seven starts on the PGA TOUR in 2012 with four made cuts -- his best outing coming at the True South Classic (T42). He's spent most of his time on the Web.com Tour, where he's made nine cuts in 16 starts.

Wright, a 23-year-old native of Evansville, Ind., finished his collegiate career at Indiana with the fourth-lowest scoring average (73.30) in school history. He is making his PGA TOUR debut this week.

Mitchell, an Atlanta resident who turned professional in 2011, is also making his first PGA TOUR start.

Two-time PGA TOUR winner Paul Stankowski participated in an unique nine-hole challenge Monday set up by a Dallas sports radio station, 1310 The Ticket.

Stankowski, using only a 6-iron, shot a 6-over 42 on the front nine at Bridlewood Golf Club near his home in Flower Mound, Texas. That was four shots higher than former high school player George Dunham, an amateur who was allowed to play with a full set of clubs. Dunham is one of the hosts on the station's morning drive show.

Stankowski had one bad hole, suffering quadruple bogey on the second hole after finding a fairway bunker. Otherwise, he played solid with just the lone club, even making birdie on one par-4 hole after nearly holing out from the fairway for eagle. He said the biggest challenge was on the greens when he used the 6-iron as a putter.

"Every club in my bag worked great except my 6-iron," the good-natured Stankowski joked after the nine holes.

Stankowski will get a chance later this week to play with his full set of clubs when he competes in the Nationwide Tour's United Leasing Championship at Victoria National Golf Club.

With perfect weather for their practice rounds this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, several players have tweeted photos from Pebble Beach. Here’s a sampling:

GEOFF OGILVY

@geoffogilvy "pretty stunning right now"

 

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IAN POULTER

@IanJamesPoulter  11th hole at Monterey it's very pretty, 183 yards pure

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GAVIN COLES

@angryant1910  No15 at mpcc shore course, awesome back drop

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JIMMY WALKER

@JimmyWalkerPGA  @attpbnproam #pgatour #7

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – College football and Game 3 of the World Series were popular topics of conversation for PGA TOUR players in the Twitter world Saturday evening.

Luke Donald, in particular, had a vested interest in Northwestern’s game wit Penn State. After all, the world No. 1 – who will make one last attempt to overtake Webb Simpson for the PGA TOUR money title on Sunday – was supposed to be the honorary captain.

Kevin Chappell, the UCLA product who is tied with Justin Leonard for the lead at 14 under entering the final round of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic, didn’t seem to have a vested interest in any one game.

And Paul Stankowski, who starts the final round at 1 under and 177th on the money list, probably summed up most player’s feelings.

got any good live streaming websites tweeps? Trying to find NU/Penn St. Not showing it in my hotel in Orlando!
@LukeDonald

Got it thanks! Looks like NU needs a strong finish, just like me:)
@LukeDonald

What a great night to watch some football and the WS. Hoping for some good games.
@Kevin_Chappell

@Kevin_Chappell nice playing Kevin. Go get it tomorrow
@ArronOberolser

@ArronOberholser thanks man
@Kevin_Chappell

It's hard 2 believe I've spent 28 of the last 31 days AWAY from my family.Tonight I'll be HOME! #theOtherSideOfTheDREAMJob #ProSportsDilemma
@PaulStankowski

Everybody knows Luke & Webb are paired 2gthr today. 1vs2 on $list. Brain Gay & I are also paired 2gthr. 1vs2 in Sand Saves! Oh it's On!!!
@PaulStankowski

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – With a few exceptions, scoring appears to have become more difficult this windswept Thursday afternoon.

Derek Lamely, who won last year’s Puerto Rico Open, has moved into the logjam at 6 under after getting up-and-down for birdie at the par-4 fourth hole. Lamely, who entered the week ranked 188th on the money list but with a year remaining on his exemption from the win, is playing the more difficult Magnolia Course.

So is Kris Blanks and he’s prospering, too. Blanks, who is playing one group behind Lamely and has completed 16 holes, also birdied the fourth and stands 5 under for the tournament.

Over at the Palm Course, Paul Stankowski is 5 under through 15 holes. He started the week ranked No. 137 on the money list.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Webb Simpson (5 under through 14 holes) is the early leader at the McGladrey Classic, but the guys one shot back may be on the minds of more players in the afternoon wave. Four players -- Richard S. Johnson, Michael Letzig, Scott McCarron and Paul Stankowski -- of the six tied for second are currently outside the top 125 on the money list. Their presence near the top of the leaderboard gives guys like No. 123 David Mathis, No. 125 Matt Jones and No. 127 Paul Casey a little something extra to think about before teeing it up this afternoon. It’s far too early to start predicting what the leaderboard will look like Sunday, but with such a high quantity of players outside the top 125 near the top of the leaderboard, at least a couple can be expected to make major moves this week. This leaves the current bubble boys knowing that they must at least make it to Sunday, or risk being on the outside looking in when the TOUR heads to Disney for next week’s Fall Series finale.

At first it looked like Steve Flesch would go low at TPC Summerlin. Then, if only for a brief couple holes, Billy Mayfair was on 59 watch. With much of the morning wave on its back nine now, the leaderboard is shaping up much like a 2010 Thursday leaderboard that featured five players tied for the 18-hole lead at 7 under and five others one shot off the pace. Currently, there are eight players -- Flesch, John Merrick, Matt Jones, Rod Pampling, Nick Watney, Robert Garrigus, Nathan Green and Paul Stankowski -- tied atop the leaderboard at 5 under with six checking in one shot off the pace at 4 under. Much can, and will, change between now and tonight’s conclusion of play but early indications are that tonight’s leaderboard may be just as packed, if not more crowded, than last year’s.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Patrick Cantlay is on the golf course and still in the lead despite a bogey on the second hole ( click here to follow live with Shot Tracker ), but he now has company with Shane Bertsch and Johnson Wagner also at 12 under.

There’s a group of seven players within two strokes of them, too, including Bo Van Pelt, who just moved to 11 under with a birdie on the fourth hole. Among the group at 10 under are Spencer Levin and Paul Stankowski, both 5 under through 11 and nine holes, respectively.

In other words, there’s plenty of red out there. All week the course has played  under par and that continues here in the third round with a scoring average of 67.837 on the par-70 layout.

Paul Stankowski has had his share of injuries -- right wrist surgery in 2003, a right shoulder injury in 2007 among them. Because of those, only once since 2003 has Stankowski played in more than 20 events in a season (2006 when he made 22 starts).

In other words, bad injuries led to some bad play and Satnkowski has had to fight for his status ever since.

After finishing ninth at q-school last year, though, he’s at least had his opportunities this year. In 12 starts, however, Stankowski has missed the cut seven times and has just two finishes in the top 50 when he has made it to the weekend.

So it goes without saying a good week in Memphis would go a long, long way for the Texan. So far, so good. Through 11 holes, Stankowski is 4 under, bogey-free (and injury free) and tied for the lead.

Can he keep it up? Follow the rest of Stankowski’s round here .