Section
1 Introduction
In the 17 cuts he made in 2008, Jeff Klauk finished in the top 25 12 times and was one of three players to earn more than $400,000.
W
Timothy W. Finchem Commissioner
Section
1
Introduction
A Message to the Media
Bill Calfee
President Nationwide Tour
elcome to a very special year in Nationwide Tour history—our 20th-anniversary season. Launched in 1990 with the backing of the great Ben Hogan, the Nationwide Tour has grown into the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR. In 2009 the Tour will celebrate its rich history, which features the likes of Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, Camilo Villegas and Boo Weekley, all of whom have gone on to enjoy much success on the PGA TOUR. The Nationwide Tour has had an undeniable impact. Its alumni account for two out of three PGA TOUR members and 237 TOUR titles, including 11 majors and three PLAYERS Championships, through 2008. When Mr. Hogan participated in the announcement of the Tour in 1989, he said “Had there been a similar opportunity when I was starting out, maybe my career would have gotten off to a faster start.” As a result of the Nationwide Tour, hundreds of golfers have developed a competitive edge early in their careers that he was not afforded. The Tour has never been stronger as Nationwide enters the second year of a five-year umbrella sponsorship extension that carries through 2012. We thank Nationwide for their partnership and the strong working relationship we have developed with them. The Nationwide Tour is coming off a dynamic 2008 campaign that featured its first $1-million events and concluded in exciting fashion when Matt Bettencourt rammed home a 6-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch to not only secure the victory but the money title and the fully-exempt PGA TOUR privileges that come with it. Arguably more dramatic was the finish in the preceding event, the Miccosukee Championship, which saw D.A. Points hole a wedge for eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Bettencourt and then prevail with a birdie on the first extra hole. The Nationwide Tour’s year certainly ended on a very high note. “The 25” program continues to evolve into one of sport’s most-intriguing, season-long dramas. Nobody knows this better than Ricky Barnes, who spent a nail-biting Sunday afternoon in the Craig Ranch clubhouse last November awaiting his fate. He was in, he was out…until one of the last putts dropped and he had secured the 25th and final spot, sending him on his way to the PGA TOUR for the first time. It is this kind of action that defines the Nationwide Tour and makes it a very real and very special place. The 2009 season-long quest for “The 25” PGA TOUR cards begins again in Panama in February and will conclude two weeks earlier in October at Daniel Island, SC, the new home of the Nationwide Tour Championship. The schedule includes 29 events in 18 states and five countries outside the U.S. and prize money reaching $19 million, with individual purses averaging $655,000, both record figures. Four tournaments worthy of special recognition this year are those in Boise, ID, Knoxville, TN, Springfield, MO, and Wichita, KS. As they celebrate their own 20th anniversaries, we congratulate them on being on the schedule every year since 1990 and serving as a backbone for the Tour. There are three new domestic stops on the schedule—the Stonebrae Classic near San Francisco, the Christmas In October Classic outside Kansas City and the $1-million Soboba Classic in Southern California. The Tour has also added a second New Zealand event. The Nationwide Tour will have three $1-million purses in 2009, up from two last year. The Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia and the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island join the Soboba Classic in offering the Tour’s top prize money. GOLF CHANNEL will help tell the Nationwide Tour’s unique story through its 17 telecasts and many hours of support programming, including “Quest for the Card: Inside the Nationwide Tour,” as will PGATOUR.COM. The Nationwide Tour continues to play its part in supporting the thousands of organizations that are benefiting from the PGA TOUR’s drive toward its second billion dollars in charitable fundraising. In 2008, charity efforts were led by the Albertsons Boise Open ($1,026,000), followed by the BMW Charity Pro-Am ($906,000) and the Price Cutter Charity Championship ($689,000), and 2009 promises to carry on this great tradition of giving back. The communications team has great passion for the Nationwide Tour and looks forward once again to serving your coverage needs with interest and enthusiasm as we celebrate 20 years of the Nationwide Tour. See you on Tour in 2009. Sincerely,
Timothy W. Finchem Bill Calfee Commissioner, PGA TOUR President, Nationwide Tour
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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PGA TOUR Overview
Events: 47 (Official Money) Prize Money: Approximately $278 million Membership: 74 international players, 19 countries, led by Australia with 24. Tournament Sites: 22 states, 4 countries (outside U.S.) TV: CBS, NBC, GOLF CHANNEL, ABC, ESPN, TNT
Competition Awards: FedExCup (Season-long points), Jack Nicklaus Trophy (Player of the Year), Arnold Palmer Award (Leading money winner), Byron Nelson Award (Scoring average), Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year.
The Champions Tour continues to combine extremely competitive golf for champions of the game age 50 and older with a fan-friendly platform that promotes “inside the ropes” and game-improvement for its fans. The Charles Schwab Cup, a season-long, points-based competition, enters its ninth season.
The Nationwide Tour is the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR. It celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2009. Through 2008, 237 PGA TOUR titles have been won by former Nationwide Tour players. Two out of every three PGA TOUR members in 2009 have Nationwide Tour roots.“The 25” (top-25 money winners) earn PGA TOUR cards for the following season:
Events: 26 (Official Money) Prize Money: Approximately $51.4 million Membership: 29 international players, 18 countries. Tournament Sites: 15 states, 2 countries (outside U.S.) TV: CBS, NBC, GOLF CHANNEL, ABC, ESPN, TNT
Events: 29 (Official Money) Prize Money: $19 million Membership: 67 international players, 17 countries, led by Australia with 22. Tournament Sites: 18 states, 5 countries (outside U.S.)
Competition Awards: Charles Schwab Cup (Season-long points), Jack Nicklaus Trophy (Player of the Year), Arnold Palmer Award (Leading money winner), Byron Nelson Award (Scoring average), Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year.
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
Introduction
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The PGA TOUR is the world’s foremost golf Tour, with official money events from January through November. This year is the third in a new era for the PGA TOUR with the continuation of the FedExCup, a season-long points competition culminating with the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.
away to form the Tournament Players Division and gain more control of their finances and tournament schedule. The Tournament Players Division was renamed the PGA TOUR in 1975. Two other American golf organizations are involved in men’s professional tournament play, independent of the TOUR but with their marquee events included on the TOUR schedule as non-TOUR co-sponsored tournaments. The United States Golf Association, with headquarters in Far Hills, NJ, oversees the national championships (U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, etc.) and administers the Rules of Golf, among other duties. The Augusta (GA) National Golf Club plays host to the Masters Tournament. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland oversees the British Open and administers the world’s golf rules jointly with the USGA.
Section
The name of our organization is the PGA TOUR, a tax-exempt membership group of professional golfers that plays more than 100 official money tournaments on three Tours – the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. Our headquarters are located in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, southeast of Jacksonville. We should be referred to as the PGA TOUR or TOUR (on second reference), but not the PGA, as we are a different organization than the PGA of America. The PGA is the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, a membership organization for the nation’s club professionals. The PGA runs the PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and Ryder Cup Matches, among other championships. The PGA headquarters are located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. The PGA TOUR and PGA of America were affiliated until 1968, when the tournament players, a small subset of the total PGA membership, broke
TV: GOLF CHANNEL Competition Awards: Jack Nicklaus Trophy (Player of the Year)
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Section
1
Introduction
Table of Contents SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Message to the Media.........................................................................................................1-2 PGA TOUR Overview ...........................................................................................................1-3 2008 Nationwide Tour Tournament Schedule ............................................................... 1-5/7 Events / Prize Money . .........................................................................................................1-7 The 25 / Nationwide Tour Class of 2007........................................................................ 1-8/9 Nationwide Company Profile ............................................................................................1-10 History of the Nationwide Tour .................................................................................. 1-11/12 Board of Directors . ............................................................................................................1-13 Fact Sheet .................................................................................................................... 1-14/15 20 Years ....................................................................................................................... 1-16/17 About the Commissioner ...................................................................................................1-18 SECTION 2: PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES Nationwide Tour Eligibility Requirements...........................................................................2-2 Biographies of Fully Exempt Members . ....................................................................... 2-3/74 Biographies of Nonexempt Members . ..................................................................... 2-75/122 Nationwide Tour International Players . .........................................................................2-123 SECTION 3: TOURNAMENT SUMMARIES Tournament Summaries................................................................................................. 3-2/38 Qualifying Tournament................................................................................................. 3-39/41 Results of Tournaments No Longer on Schedule ...................................................... 3-42/48 SECTION 4: 2008 NATIONWIDE TOUR RECORDS 2008 Nationwide Tour Money List ................................................................................. 4-2/3 2008 Nationwide Tour Tournament Summary ............................................................... 4-4/5 2008 Nationwide Tour Facts and Figures . ..................................................................... 4-5/7 2008 Nationwide Tour Statistical Leaders . .......................................................................4-8 2008 Nationwide Tour Scoring Average by Event .............................................................4-9 Glossary of Statistics............................................................................................................4-9 Toughest Holes on the 2008 Nationwide Tour ................................................................4-10 Toughest Courses on the 2008 Nationwide Tour ............................................................4-11 SECTION 5: ALL-TIME NATIONWIDE TOUR RECORDS All-Time Records . ............................................................................................................ 5-2/9 All-Time No. 1 Money-List Leaders ............................................................................ 5-10/14 The Last Time . ............................................................................................................. 5-15/16 Past Players Gaining Exempt PGA TOUR Status . ...................................................... 5-16/17 Individual Playoff Records ........................................................................................... 5-18/21 Current Tournament Playoff Records . ..............................................................................5-22 All-Time Facts and Figures (1990-2008) ..................................................................... 5-23/29 All-Time Nationwide Tour Winners . .......................................................................... 5-30/39
All-Time Statistical Records . ............................................................................................5-40 PGA TOUR/Champions Tour Victories by Former Nationwide Tour Players.............. 5-41/42 Most Career Wins/PGA TOUR, Champions Tour ....................................................... 5-43/44 Awards Won by Former Nationwide Tour Players............................................................5-45 Former Nationwide Tour Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup Team Members......................5-45 Nationwide Tour All-Time Players of the Month . ...........................................................5-46 2008 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year.........................................................................5-47 Nationwide Tour Graduates...............................................................................................5-48 All-Time Nationwide Tour Roster ............................................................................... 5-49/53 Nationwide Tour Tournament Chronology ................................................................. 5-54/66 SECTION 6: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Charity: Giving Back..............................................................................................................6-2 Nationwide Tour Volunteer and Charity of the Year .........................................................6-3 The First Tee ........................................................................................................................6-4 New Media/PGATOUR.COM ..............................................................................................6-5 PGA TOUR Links....................................................................................................................6-6 PGATOURIMAGES.COM . ....................................................................................................6-6 PGA TOUR Productions . ......................................................................................................6-7 Tournament Advisory Council .............................................................................................6-7 GOLF 20/20 ..........................................................................................................................6-8 Nationwide Tour Prize Money Distribution Charts ............................................................6-9 Media Regulations ...................................................................................................... 6-10/12 TPC Network ................................................................................................................ 6-13/14 ShotLink . ............................................................................................................................6-15 PGA Tour Wives Association ............................................................................................6-15 Weather Guidelines . .........................................................................................................6-16 World Golf Foundation ......................................................................................................6-16 PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Program ......................................................................................6-17 World Golf Hall of Fame . ..................................................................................................6-18 World Golf Hall of Fame Members ............................................................................ 6-19/25 World Golf Village .............................................................................................................6-26 SECTION 7: PGA TOUR/NATIONWIDE TOUR STAFF Office of the Commissioner ................................................................................................7-2 Executive Committee ...........................................................................................................7-3 Communications/Public Realtions/Brand............................................................................7-4 Operations/Competitions and Rules ...................................................................................7-5 Three TOUR Schedules.........................................................................................................7-6 Alphabetical Index ........................................................................................................... 7-7/9 Frequently Used Telephone Numbers ..............................................................................7/10
On the cover: Brendon de Jonge (left) earned 2008 Player of the Year honors, with Matt Bettencourt taking home the money title.
PGA TOUR • 112 PGA TOUR BLVD. • PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL 32082 • 904-285-3700
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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2009 Nationwide Tour Tournament Schedule Date Tournament
Location/Par/Yardage/Architects
Prize Money/First Place
TV
2007 Winner
$600,000/$108,000
Scott Dunlap
Feb 23- Moonah Classic Moonah Links (72/7,469) Mar 1 Andrew Langford-Jones 55 Peter Thomson Drive 011-61-2-9956-0000 Fingal, Victoria 3939 pgatour@pgatour.com.au Australia Peter Thomson/2001
$700,000/$126,000 GOLF
Ewan Porter
HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship Bob Tuohy 011-61-8-8373-2021 bobtuohy@tagolf.com.au
Clearwater Golf Club (72/7,122) Clearwater Resort Clearwater Avenue Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand 8051 Bob Charles/2001
$600,000/$108,000 GOLF
Darron Stiles
Mar 9-15
Michael Hill New Zealand Open The Hills Golf Club (72/7,243) Bob Tuohy Rapid 164 McDonnell Road 011-61-8-8373-2021 Arrowtown, Queenstown, New Zealand 935 bobtuohy@tagolf.com.au John Darby/2007
$600,000/$108,000 GOLF
New Event
Mar 23-29
Chitimacha Louisiana Open Le Triomphe Country Club (71/7,006) presented by Dynamic Industries 100 Club Boulevard Danny Jones Broussard, LA 70518 337-593-8000 Robert Trent Jones, Jr./1985 djones@laopen.com
$550,000/$99,000 Gavin Coles
Apr 13-19
Athens Regional Foundation Classic Jennings Mill Country Club (72/7,004) Cutts Benedict 1500 Chambers Court 706-475-7025 Bogart, GA 30622 cuttsb@arfcgolf.org Robert Cupp/1986
Apr South Georgia Classic Kinderlou Forest Golf Club (72/7,781) 20-26 presented by First State Bank 4005 Bear Lake Road and Trust Company Valdosta, GA 31601 Stan Fillion Davis Love III/2004 229-242-8455 stan@kinderlou.com May BMW Charity Pro-Am Thornblade Club (Host Course) 11-17 Darin MacDonald (71/6,707) 864-297-1831 1275 Thornblade Boulevard dmacdonald@sccharities.org Greer, SC 29650 Tom Fazio/1990 Bright’s Creek Golf Club (72/7,435) Mill Spring, NC Tom Fazio/2006 The Carolina Country Club (72/6,877) Spartanburg, SC Tom Jackson/1984
$600,000/$108,000 GOLF
New Event
$550,000/$99,000 Robert Damron
$625,000/$112,500 GOLF
Bryan DeCorso
$700,000/$126,000 GOLF
David Mathis
May 18-24
Mexico Open El Bosque Golf Club (71/7,568) presented by Corona Av. Country Club Gran Jardin No. 104 Fernando Horgan Colonia Country Club Gran Jardin 005411-4311-3134 Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico C.P. 37000 fhorgan@og-m.com.ar
$650,000/$117,000
Jarrod Lyle
May 25-31
The Rex Hospital Open TPC Wakefield Plantation (71/7,257) Bob Scott 2201 Wakefield Plantation Drive 919-784-4498 Raleigh, NC 27614 bob.scott@rexhealth.com Hale Irwin/2000
$525,000/$94,500
Scott Gutschewski
June Melwood Prince George’s The Country Club at Woodmore (72/7,059) 1-7 County Open 12320 Pleasant Prospect Teo Sodeman Mitchellville, MD 29721 301-599-2732 Arnold Palmer/1981 teo_sodeman@hotmail.com
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Introduction
Mar 30- Stonebrae Classic TPC San Francisco Bay Apr 5 Monica Smith at Stonebrae (71/7,188) 510-728-7919 222 Country Club Drive msmith@stonebrae.com Hayward, CA 94542 David McLay Kidd/2007
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Mar 2-8
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Feb Panama Championship Panama Golf Club (70/7,102) 2-8 Roberto Duran, Jr. Club de Golf de Panama 011-507-270-4111 Arpartado 911, Zona 9A-R.P. rduran@consultenos.net Zona 7, Panama, Republica De Panama Jay Reviere/1976
$675,000/$121,500 GOLF
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
Jeff Klauk
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2009 Nationwide Tour Tournament Schedule (cont.)
Section
1
Introduction
Date Tournament June 8-14
Location/Par/Yardage/Architects
Knoxville Open presented by Food City Matt Wright 865-824-1308 mwright@kagconline.org
Fox Den Country Club (72/7,110) 12284 North Fox Den Drive Knoxville, TN 37922 William Byrd/1969
June Fort Smith Classic Hardscrabble Country Club (70/6,783) 15-21 presented by Stephens, Inc. 5211 South Cliff Drive Patricia Brown Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-782-3410 Perry Maxwell/1927 pbrown@fortsmithclassic.com June Nationwide Tour Players Cup Pete Dye Golf Club (72/7,308) 22-28 Tim McNeely 801 Aaron Smith Drive 304-848-2027 Bridgeport, WV 26330 tmcneely@mcneelysports.com Pete Dye/1995 July Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic The Georgian Bay Club (Host Course) 6-12 presented by Samsung (71/7,139) 516689 7th Line Glen Gretzky Clarksburg, ON, Canada N0H 1J0 519-752-7199 Dr. Michael Hurdzan/2004 glen@gretzky.com Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay (72/7,105) Thornbury, Ontario, Canada N0H 2P0 Tom Lehman/2006 July Cox Classic Champions Run (71/7,145) 20-26 presented by Lexus of Omaha 13800 Eagle Run Drive Chad Mardesen Omaha, NE 68164 402-399-1800 Jeffrey Brauer/1992 cmardesen@coxclassic.com July 27- Nationwide Children’s Ohio State University Golf Club Aug 2 Hospital Invitational (Scarlet) (71/7,455) Kip McBride 3605 Tremont Road 614-764-4653 Columbus, OH 43221 kipm@hnssports.com Dr. Alister MacKenzie/1938 Redesign: Jack Nicklaus/2005 Aug Preferred Health Systems Crestview Country Club (71/6,886) 3-9 Wichita Open 1000 North 127th Street East Roy Turner Wichita, KS 67206 316-219-9046 Robert Trent Jones, Sr., golf@phswichitaopen.com Robert Trent Jones, Jr./1969 Aug Price Cutter Charity Championship Highland Springs Country Club (72/7,115) 10-16 presented by Dr Pepper 5400 Highland Springs Boulevard Jerald Andrews Springfield, MO 65809 417-887-3400 Robert Trent Jones, Jr./1987 jerald@mosportshalloffame.com
TV
2007 Winner
$525,000/$94,500
Jarrod Lyle
$550,000/$99,000
Colt Knost
$1,000,000/$180,000 GOLF Rick Price
$800,099/$144,018 GOLF
Justin Hicks
$725,000/$130,500 GOLF Ryan Hietala
$775,000/$139,500 GOLF
Bill Lunde
$550,000/$99,000
Scott Piercy
$625,000/$112,500
Colt Knost
Aug Christmas In October Classic Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate (72/7,251) 17-23 Gene Barlow 14225 Dearborn Avenue 816-531-6443 Overland Park, KS 66223 gene@christmasinoctober.org Jack Nicklaus/2001
$625,000/$112,500
New Event
Aug Northeast Pennsylvania Classic 24-30 Paul Taramelli 570-348-2900 golfcanes@aol.com
Elmhurst Country Club (71/6,690) 319 Gardner Road Moscow, PA 18444 Donald Ross/1914
$525,000/$94,500
Scott Piercy
Willow Creek Country Club (71/7,013) 8505 Willow Creek Drive Sandy, UT 84093 William Howard Neff/1981
$550,000/$99,000 GOLF
Brendon Todd
$725,000/$130,500 GOLF
Chris Tidland
Sep 7-13
Utah Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission Mike Smith 801-495-4653 mike@utahchampionship.com
Sep Albertsons Boise Open Hillcrest Country Club (71/6,801) 14-20 presented by Kraft 4610 Hillcrest Drive Patrick Siver Boise, ID 83705 503-644-6057 A. Vernon Macan/1940 patrick@jspgolf.com Redesign: Robert Muir Graves/1968 Sep 21-27
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Prize Money/First Place
WNB Golf Classic Midland Country Club (72/7,380) Scotty Niemann 6101 North Highway 349 432-620-0149 Midland, TX 79705 swn49@sbcglobal.net Ralph Plummer/1954
$525,000/$94,500
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
Marc Leishman
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2009 Nationwide Tour Tournament Schedule (cont.) Date Tournament
Location/Par/Yardage/Architects
Prize Money/First Place
Sep 28/ Soboba Classic The Country Club Oct 4 Doug Hoffort at Soboba Springs (71/7,075) 951-654-4300 1020 Soboba Road doug@sobobaspringscc.com San Jacinto, CA 92583 Desmond Muirhead/1996 Redesign: Cary Bichter/2006
TV
$1,000,000/$180,000 GOLF
2007 Winner New Event
Black Creek Club (72/7,149) 4700 Cummings Cove Drive Chattanooga, TN 37419 Brian Silva/2000
$500,000/$90,000 Arjun Atwal
Oct 12-18
Miccosukee Championship Don Strock 305-382-3930 dstrock@miccosukeegolf.com
Miccosukee Golf & Country Club (71/7,200) 6401 Kendale Lakes Drive Miami, FL 33183 Mark Mahannah/1969
$625,000/$112,500 GOLF
D.A. Points
Oct 19-25
Nationwide Tour Championship Daniel Island Club At Daniel Island (Ralston Creek) (72/7,446) Kevin Canning 600 Island Park Drive 843-377-8950 Charleston, SC 29492 Kevin@goalmarketingllc.com Rees Jones/2006
$1,000,000/$180,000 GOLF
Matt Bettencourt
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Chattanooga Classic presented by Black Creek Chip Baker 423-756-2212 chip@riverbendfestival.com
Section
Oct 5-11
Introduction
Notes: Par/Yardage are 2008 figures. One additional GOLF CHANNEL telecast TBD.
Events / Prize Money Year Total Events Official Prize Money
Average Purse
Year Total Events Official Prize Money
Average Purse
1990
30
$3,050,000
$101,667
2001
28
$12,556,000
$448,429
1991
30
3,450,000
115,000
2002
28
12,775,000
456,250
1992
30
4,300,000
143,333
2003
30
14,700,000
490,000
1993
30
4,975,000
165,833
2004
31
15,976,792
515,380
1994
28
5,300,000
189,286
2005
30
15,713,918
523,797
1995
30
6,125,000
204,167
2006
31
16,893,240
544,943
1996
29
6,025,000
207,759
2007
32
18,081,000
565,031
1997
29
6,225,000
214,655
2008
30
18,991,094
633,036
1998
30
7,175,000
239,167
2009
29
19,000,099*
655,175*
1999
30
7,625,000
254,167
Total
596
2000
31
13,180,000
425,161
$212,117,143 * subject to change
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Nationwide  Tour 2009 Guide
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Section
1
Introduction
The 25 THE 25 Founded, owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, its impact on the PGA TOUR is undeniable. Two out of every three PGA TOUR players have Nationwide Tour roots. Through 2008, Nationwide Tour alumni had amassed 237 PGA TOUR titles, including 11 major championships and three PLAYERS Championships. As the Tour’s tagline implies, the Nationwide Tour, its tournaments and players are “PGA TOUR Driven.” The essence of the Nationwide Tour is “The 25” program, the season-long quest to earn a PGA TOUR card. Each year, the chase provides some of the most compelling drama in sports. “The 25” tracks the 25 PGA TOUR cards that are at stake and the weekly player movement in and out of those coveted positions. Fans follow the action throughout the year as the caddies of “The 25” players wear gold bibs designating their current position on the money list. In 2009, the program will build to its conclusion at the seasonending Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, where 60 contenders with one shared dream will lay it all on the line for a PGA TOUR card. Media and fans can follow “The 25” and the season-long card quest on GOLF CHANNEL and PGATOUR.COM.
FINAL 2008 STANDINGS Pos. Name 1. Matt Bettencourt 2. Brendon de Jonge 3. Jeff Klauk 4. Jarrod Lyle 5. Bill Lunde 6. Colt Knost 7. Darron Stiles 8. Greg Chalmers 9. Scott Piercy 10. Greg Owen 11. Peter Tomasulo 12. Rick Price 13. Kris Blanks 14. David Mathis 15. Casey Wittenberg 16. D.A. Points 17. Arjun Atwal 18. Aron Price 19. Marc Leishman 20. Brendon Todd 21. Scott Gutschewski 22. Spencer Levin 23. Bryce Molder 24. Matt Weibring 25. Ricky Barnes
Money Residence $447,863 Greenville, SC $437,035 Charlotte, NC (Zimbabwe) $407,418 St. Augustine, FL $382,738 Shepparton, Victoria, Australia $341,446 Las Vegas, NV $329,509 Dallas, TX $324,627 Pinehurst, NC $321,930 Colleyville, TX (Australia) $320,187 Las Vegas, NV $309,805 Windermere, FL (England) $296,704 Long Beach, CA $284,922 Jupiter, FL $280,588 Bluffton, SC $276,412 Raleigh, NC $271,919 Memphis, TN $266,696 Ocoee, FL $259,186 Windermere, FL (India) $249,144 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Australia) $244,224 Warrnambool, Australia $244,224 Atlanta, GA $238,215 Prosper, TX $236,185 Elk Grove, CA $234,651 Scottsdale, AZ $228,155 Dallas, TX $218,902 Scottsdale, AZ
Note: Native country in parentheses if not born in U.S.
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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The 25 / Nationwide Tour Class of 2008
Section
1 Introduction
16 4
3 12
17 19 9
15 6
See “Final 2008 Standings” on opposite page for name/number identification.
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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25
10
8 18
1
11 24 7
14
13 20 2
5 21
22
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Introduction
Nationwide Company Profile
Nationwide Has Built Strong Foundation with Golf Fans Nationwide Insurance is honored to serve as umbrella sponsor for the Nationwide Tour’s 20th season of PGA TOUR-driven golf. Over the past 19 years we have seen many great players emerge from the Nationwide Tour. The caliber of play on this Tour is world-class, and the Nationwide Tour has earned its status as the official proving ground of future PGA TOUR champions. As the longest-running title sponsor in Nationwide Tour history, Nationwide Insurance has seen its brand awareness among golf fans continue to grow. Golf fans know Nationwide is passionate about golf, and we will continue demonstrating that this season. Nationwide is equally passionate about the opportunity to provide golf fans with outstanding, personalized service for their insurance and financialservice needs. Nationwide is very excited to help celebrate the Nationwide Tour’s 20th anniversary. We look forward to watching another year of PGA TOUR-driven golf and seeing a talented group of golfers chase their dreams as they compete for one of the 25 coveted PGA TOUR cards.
Contact Nationwide: You can arrange to speak with a local Nationwide executive about the company’s involvement with the Tour by contacting a media specialist in the media room at any Nationwide Tour event. For more information about Nationwide, the company’s sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour, or other Nationwide sponsorships, please contact: Mike Switzer 614-249-4092 switzem1@nationwide.com Lisa Cox 614-677-2296 coxl15@nationwide.com About Nationwide: Nationwide, based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $161 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks No. 108 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, longterm savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit nationwide.com. Allied Insurance, based in Des Moines, IA, is a member of the Nationwide family of companies. At some Nationwide Tour events you will see Allied Insurance-branded tournament signage reflecting a strong local presence of Allied Insurance operations. Nationwide, Allied Insurance the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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History of the Nationwide Tour (1990-2009)
Introduction
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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Open. During the second round of the 1994 Shreveport Open, Omar Uresti set a record with nine consecutive birdies, setting a standard not only for the Nationwide Tour but the the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and European Tour. In May, Vic Wilk became the first left-hander to win an event, the Knoxville Open. Jerry Kelly continued the trend of the leading money-winner setting an earnings record in 1995 when he collected $188,878 to better Perry’s year-old mark. Besides winning twice, Kelly posted 15 top-10 finishes. Stewart Cink was the top story in 1996. The 1995 College Player of the Year became the first player in Nationwide Tour history to earn more than $200,000 in a single season with $251,699. He won three times, including the season-ending Tour Championship, and collected 14 top-10 finishes in only 21 events. The 1997 season marked the first year of the three-win promotion, which grants immediate PGA TOUR access to any player who wins three Nationwide Tour events in a season. Chris Smith was the first to do so winning that year’s Upstate Classic as well as the Dakota Dunes Open and Omaha Classic in back-to-back weeks. In October, Steve Flesch joined Wilk as the only left-handed champions. Flesch won the season-ending Tour Championship. That victory vaulted him from 24th on the money list to fourth, earning him 1998 PGA TOUR membership. The 1998 season saw more of the kind of action for which the Nationwide Tour has become known. During a three-week period late in the spring, Notah Begay III and Doug Dunakey caught the attention of the golf world when each posted 59. Begay’s 13-underpar 59 came in the second round of the Dominion Open. Dunakey could have had the record all to himself were it not for a three-putt bogey on his final hole. Bob Burns was named 1998 Player of the Year after leading in earnings with $178,664 and winning the Dominion Open and Tour Championship. The 1999 season saw Carl Paulson establish a new record for consecutive starts with 83. The 83rd was particularly significant as Paulson recorded his first-ever Nationwide Tour victory at the Utah Classic. That win, and another two weeks later in Boise, ID, vaulted Paulson to the top of the money list. His peers would later vote him Player of the Year. Seven players won twice on the Tour in 1999, and a record 22 earned more than $100,000. The season-ending Tour Championship featured a thrilling finale at the Robert Trent Jones Trail Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, AL. Bob Heintz won his second event of the season defeating Marco Dawson in a playoff to take home the largest check in Tour history—$72,000. In late October, internet superstore Buy.com was announced as the new umbrella sponsor of the Tour. With Buy.com’s financial commitment, purses rose to a record $13.1 million in 2000, with the minimum purse jumping from $225,000 to $400,000. On the course, the 2000 season saw Spike McRoy earn Player of the Year honors after winning twice and earning a record $300,638. He was one of 53 players to earn $100,000 or more. Tim Clark made history of his own in 2000 when he collected the first $100,000 payday on Tour by winning the Boise Open. The 2000 season was also notable for the emergence of international players who captured nine titles and claimed four of the top-15 spots on the money list. The 2001 season was memorable when, for the second time, three players earned three-win promotions in one season. Heath Slocum was the first to do so, followed by Chad Campbell and Pat Bates, who won back-to-back tournaments to end the year. Todd Barranger tied the scoring mark by winning the Dayton Open with a 26-under-par effort, while Campbell set a single-season earnings record with $394,552 to capture Player of the Year. He also finished second at the PGA TOUR’s season-ending Southern Farm Bureau Classic. In 2002, the Tour added tournaments in Australia and New Zealand for the first time. In addition, tournaments were allowed to sell individual title sponsorships for the first time. Patrick Moore won three times and was named Player of the Year. A
Section
Even the most optimistic person couldn’t have foreseen the success the Nationwide Tour would have when it kicked off its inaugural season on Thursday, Feb. 2, 1990 at 7:30 a.m. PST at Bakersfield Country Club in Bakersfield, CA. The Nationwide Tour began under corporate sponsorship of the Ben Hogan Company as the Ben Hogan Tour. The idea of former PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane R. Beman, the Nationwide Tour was designed as a proving ground for up-andcoming golfers, as well as a place for PGA TOUR veterans to hone their skills as they prepared for the Champions Tour. It has become so much more than that. For the first two years of the Tour, the top-five money winners were awarded PGA TOUR membership. Beginning in 1992, the PGA TOUR Policy Board voted that, due to the success graduating players were having on the PGA TOUR, the number of cards available would be increased to 10; and in 1997 the number was increased to 15. In 2003, 20 players earned their 2004 TOUR cards, and that number increased to 25 in 2007. That first event in 1990 was won by Mike Springer, who went on to win two more times that year and finish fourth on the money list. He was joined in the first graduating class by Jim McGovern, Dick Mast, Ed Humenik and Jeff Maggert, who was leading money winner and Player of the Year. However, the player who made the biggest impact on the PGA TOUR from the 1990 Tour was John Daly, winner of the only Ben Hogan Tour Qualifying Tournament. Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship as a rookie It’s been 20 years since Mike Springer won the Bakersfield Open, the first and went on to finish 17th on the Nationwide Tour event. PGA TOUR money list. Since then, he has added four more victories, including another major championship, the 1995 British Open. Tom Lehman first established himself as a top-flight player on the Tour in 1991. After two nondescript years on the PGA TOUR in the early 1980s, Lehman won a tournament on Tour in 1990. But 1991 was the breakthrough season in his comeback. He won three times and was the circuit’s leading money-winner. Californian John Flannery was the Player of the Year in 1992, winning three times and leading the Tour in earnings with $164,114. On August 26, 1992 Nike, Inc., took over sponsorship of the Tour, beginning with the 1993 season. Sean Murphy was the star that year, setting records for wins in a season with four, career victories with five, and single-season earnings with $166,293. He added a sixth title in 1995. While Murphy was busy setting records, his fellow Tour alumni were busy making names for themselves on the PGA TOUR. Daly collected his second career win in the 1992 B.C. Open, and others were beginning to earn their own hardware. McGovern, Mike Standly and Maggert all collected PGA TOUR titles in 1993, while Springer and Greg Kraft grabbed unofficial wins. The Tour Championship also was established in 1993 as a climax to the season. Rookie David Duval won the first Tour Championship, which featured only the year’s top-50 money winners. In 1994, Chris Perry showed that consistency has its own rewards. Although six players collected multiple victories that year, Perry’s lone title in the Utah Classic, 10 top-10 finishes and no missed cuts earned him Player of the Year honors. He set a single-season earnings record with $167,148. There were a number of firsts in 1994. In June, Tommy Armour III became the first player to win back-to-back tournaments—the Miami Valley Open and Cleveland
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Section
1
Introduction
History of the Nationwide Tour (cont.) record 12 players earned $200,000 or more, and alums continued to excel winning a single-season record 21 times on the PGA TOUR. The season ended on a high note with the announcement of a new umbrella sponsor in Nationwide Insurance. The five-year agreement would start with the 2003 season and coincided with an increase in PGA TOUR cards awarded to 20. The 2003 season featured 30 events, with purses exceeding $14.7 million. Tom Carter became only the sixth player to earn a three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR, yet did not win Player of the Year. That honor went to Zach Johnson, who set a Tour record for earnings with $494,882. He had two wins and nine top-three finishes in 20 starts while setting a new Tour scoring record of 68.97. Jimmy Walker was the 2004 Player of the Year and leading money winner, as well as one of five multiple winners during the season. Alums continued to excel, winning a record 22 PGA TOUR titles, while the Class of 2003 made history with five members winning on TOUR, with seven earning at least $1 million and eight finishing in the top 125. In May, Daniel Chopra set a Tour record when he shot 30-under at the Henrico County Open. Tyler Williamson and Chris Nallen each fired 60s during the year, one shot off the Tour record. Jason Gore was the lead story in 2005 when he captured the hearts of golf fans everywhere at the U.S. Open. He followed that performance with a record-setting three straight wins on the Nationwide Tour and shot 59 in capturing the last one. He completed his season with a September victory on the PGA TOUR and was named Nationwide Tour Player of the Year. Any other year, Troy Matteson would have walked off with that honor as he won twice, finished in the top 10 a dozen times and set a new single-season earnings record of $495,009. The 2006 season featured a slate of 31 tournaments and $17 million. Ken Duke and Johnson Wagner battled throughout the year for top honors, with Duke emerging as the leading money winner and Player of the Year. Five players won twice—Wagner, Tripp Isenhour, Craig Kanada, Brandt
Snedeker and Kevin Stadler—with a record 10 players earning more than $300,000 and 22 collecting $200,000 or more. The Class of 2005 made its mark on the PGA TOUR in 2006 with 12 of the 21 graduates finishing among the top 125 on the money list. Chris Couch, Eric Axley and Troy Matteson each won on TOUR. They were among among eight 2005 graduates whose earnings exceeded $1 million. On-course success was exceeded only by the good news that Nationwide and the PGA TOUR had reached a new five-year extension of Nationwide’s umbrella sponsorship of the Tour through 2012. In 2007, the Tour played for a record $18 million in prize money and a record 25 PGA TOUR cards were awarded at season’s end. Australia’s Nick Flanagan earned a three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR in August and later earned Player of the Year honors. Richard Johnson won the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek to capture the money title. Another Aussie, Jason Day, 19, became the youngest winner in Nationwide Tour history when he won in Cleveland in July. Five of the top-seven money winners were international members, and eight players surpassed $300,000 in earnings. Brandt Snedeker, a 2006 graduate, was voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. Zach Johnson, the 2003 Player of the Year, won the Masters. The 2008 season featured record prize money of nearly $19 million. Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe earned Player of the Year honors. Matt Bettencourt finished the year with a flurry, to capture the money title. Bettencourt and three other players, Jarrod Lyle, Scott Piercy and Colt Knost, won two events. The Tour added an event in Mexico and one in Canada featuring hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, and played its first two $1-million events, the Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia and the Nationwide Tour Championship. Tour alumni racked up another 20 titles on the PGA TOUR, bringing the win total to 237 since the Tour’s inception. The Nationwide Tour celebrates its 20th year in 2009 with a 29-event schedule and another record-breaking purse total of $19,000,099.
Nationwide CEO Jerry Jurgensen (left) and Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee (right) congratulate 2008 Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch winner Matt Bettencourt.
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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Board of Directors independent D irectors – pga tour policy Board, Champions Tour Division Board Victor Ganzi Chairman New York, NY
John McCoy Columbus, OH
Charlotte, NC
Ed Whitacre San Antonio, TX
player Directors - Champions Tour Division Board
Stewart Cink
Brad Faxon
Peter Jacobsen
Jay Haas
Zach Johnson
David Toms
Mike Reid
Jeff Sluman
Duluth, GA
Barrington, RI
Bonita Springs, FL
Greer, SC
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playe r D i r e ct ors - pga t o ur p o l ic y B o ard
Ken Thompson
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Shreveport, LA
PGA of A m e r i ca D i r e c t o r - pga t o ur p o l ic y Board
Provo, UT
Hinsdale, IL
Introduction
Lake Mary, FL
PGA of America Director - Champions Tour Division Board Brian Whitcomb
Jim Remy
Bend, OR
Ludlow, VT
G olf C ourse Properties Advisory Board Ed Brown
Jim Clark
Wayne Doran
Wayne Huizenga
Jim McGlothlin
Carl Ware
Chairman Charlotte, NC
Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Bethesda, MD
Bristol, VA
Dearborn, MI
Bill Goodwin Richmond, VA
Atlanta, GA
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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Fact Sheet Name
Membership
Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour members hail from around the globe. In 2009, there are 67 international players with full or partial Tour exemptions, representing 17 countries outside the United States: Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Colombia, England, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Venezuela. See page 2-123 for a country-by-country breakdown of the membership.
Section
1
Introduction
Headquarters PGA TOUR 112 PGA TOUR Boulevard Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Phone: 904-285-3700
2008 Graduates Twenty-five players earned 2009 PGA TOUR cards based on their final position on the 2008 money list (they are in order of finish): 1-Matt Bettencourt, 2-Brendon de Jonge, 3-Jeff Klauk, 4-Jarrod Lyle, 5-Bill Lunde, 6-Colt Knost, 7-Darron Stiles, 8-Greg Chalmers, 9-Scott Piercy, 10-Greg Owen, 11-Peter Tomasulo, 12-Rick Price, 13-Kris Blanks, 14-David Mathis, 15-Casey Wittenberg, 16-D.A. Points, 17-Arjun Atwal, 18-Aron Price, 19-Marc Leishman, 20-Brendon Todd, 21-Scott Gutschewski, 22-Spencer Levin, 23-Bryce Molder, 24-Matt Weibring and 25-Ricky Barnes.
Commissioner Timothy W. Finchem (since June 1, 1994)
President/Nationwide Tour Bill Calfee (since 1999)
Web Site PGATOUR.COM
Bettencourt was the leading money winner, with $447,863, which earned him an exemption into the 2009 PLAYERS Championship.
Nationwide Tour Official Tagline “PGA TOUR Driven”
“The 25” Program
Overview Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, two-thirds of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour. Through 2008, Tour alumni had won 237 PGA TOUR titles, including 11 majors and three PLAYERS Championships. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and a record purse of $19 million will be at stake over the course of 29 events in 2009. Recognizing the Tour’s growing stature, Nationwide Insurance has renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1 billion in charitable giving. To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit PGATOUR.COM.
History 1990 – 2009. The Tour celebrates its 20th season in 2009.
Charity The Nationwide Tour and its tournaments are committed to supporting charities in the communities in which the events are played. The three Tours of the PGA TOUR and their tournaments have reached the $1 billion milestone in charitable giving dating back to the first recorded donation in 1938. In 2008, charity efforts on the Nationwide Tour were led by the Albertsons Boise Open ($1,026,000), BMW Charity Pro-Am ($906,000) and Price Cutter Charity Championship ($689,000). Annually, the Tour honors its Charity of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
2009 Schedule Features 29 events played in 18 states and five countries outside the U.S. (Panama, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Canada).
Prize Money $19,000,099 (29 events); the average purse is $655,175. Both are record figures. The Nationwide Tour will play for $1 million three times in 2009 (Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia, Soboba Classic in California and Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in South Carolina).
Eligibility
Introduced in 2007, “The 25” program highlights the season-long quest to finish in the top 25 on the money list and earn a PGA TOUR card for the following season. A caddie bib program is one element of a broader marketing campaign that tells the story of “The 25” and spotlights the Nationwide Tour’s ongoing connection and contributions to the PGA TOUR. Each week caddies of the top-25 players wear a gold caddie bib designating their player’s current position on the money list.
PGA TOUR Impact Every year, the impact of the Nationwide Tour on the PGA TOUR grows. Since 1990, 237 PGA TOUR tournaments have been won by players with Nationwide Tour roots, including all four major championships and three PLAYERS Championships (through the 2008 season); of the 48 official events on the 2009 PGA TOUR schedule, all but one (AT&T National) has been won by former Nationwide Tour players; two out of three current PGA TOUR members, and nine who played in the 2007 U.S. Presidents Cup and five members of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team, are Nationwide Tour alumni. In recognition of the Tour’s growing stature and competitive impact, beginning in 2007 the PGA TOUR Policy Board increased the number of PGA TOUR cards available from 20 to 25.
TV GOLF CHANNEL, available in more than 120 million homes worldwide, is the exclusive cable television home of the Nationwide Tour and will provide coverage of 17 events in 2009.
Awards The Nationwide Tour Player of the Year receives the Jack Nicklaus Trophy. The Nationwide Tour recognizes its Player of the Month (February through October).
Nationwide Nationwide, based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $161 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks No. 108 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit nationwide.com.
Each Nationwide Tour player has a position on the priority ranking system that is used to determine full-field open tournaments. The complete priority ranking system may be found at the beginning of Section 2 (page 2-2) of this book or in the Nationwide Tour area of PGATOUR.COM. The majority of Nationwide Tour events have 144- or 156-player fields.
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Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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Nationwide Tour Fact Sheet (cont.) Nationwide Tour Communications Contacts Ty Votaw, Executive Vice President, Communications and International Affairs, PGA TOUR 904-280-4774 Ana Leaird, Senior Vice President, Communications, PGA TOUR 904-273-3681 James Cramer, Vice President, Communications, PGA TOUR 904-273-3293
Jeff Adams, Director of Communications, Nationwide Tour 904-273-3397 Joe Chemycz, Media Official, Nationwide Tour 904-273-3305 Kin Lo, Media Official, Nationwide Tour 904-280-5031 Adam Wallace, Media Relations Assistant, Nationwide Tour 904-543-7405
• As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, two out of three current PGA TOUR members played on the Nationwide Tour. • There are 67 international members from 17 countries outside the U.S. on Tour this year. • Ryan Palmer’s win at the final PGA TOUR event of 2008, the Ginn sur Mer Classic, was the 237th TOUR victory by a former Nationwide Tour player. • Nationwide Tour players have won 11 major championships—each at least once, most recently Zach Johnson in the 2007 Masters. Alums have also won three PLAYERS Championships (David Duval, Craig Perks and Stephen Ames).
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• Nine Nationwide Tour grads played in the 2007 Presidents Cup for either the U.S. or International teams. • Five members of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team are Nationwide Tour grads.
Introduction
• Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards for 2010 will be awarded at the end of the 2009 season.
• Of the 136 players who qualified and competed in the 2008 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, 89 (two-thirds of the field) are former Nationwide Tour members.
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• The Nationwide Tour is owned and operated by the PGA TOUR.
Section
A Few Facts You May Not Know About the Nationwide Tour
• The total prize money in 2009 is a record of $19,000,099 over 29 tournaments; the average purse is a record $655,175. • The Tour will play three $1-million events in 2009—the Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia, the Soboba Classic in California and the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in South Carolina. • GOLF CHANNEL will televise 17 Nationwide Tour events this year. • Nationwide Insurance has extended its umbrella sponsorship agreement with the TOUR through 2012.
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Section
1
Introduction
Nationwide Tour Celebrates 20 Years
When former PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman and the legendary Ben Hogan participated in a press conference on October 9, 1989 to announce the then Ben Hogan Tour, they spoke of providing fledgling young golfers who lacked competitive opportunities a place to make a name for themselves in professional golf. “I assure you there are many,” Hogan said that day. “In fact, somewhere out there is a talented young man like I was battling to stay in competition long enough to get a break. I want to help him.” Twenty years later there is little doubt Hogan and Beman accomplished exactly what they set out to do. In the Nationwide Tour’s first year, 1990, there were 30 tournaments. At the end of that inaugural season, five PGA TOUR cards for the 1991 season were awarded to Mike Springer, Ed Humenik, Jim McGovern, Jeff Maggert and Dick Mast (see photo on next page). In the nearly two decades that followed, the Nationwide Tour has truly evolved into the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, with the number of cards
available having increased fivefold, to 25, and two out of three TOUR members having Nationwide Tour roots. Many great names have passed through the Nationwide Tour doors, including major champions Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Ernie Els, David Toms, John Daly, David Duval and Zach Johnson, as well as other current PGA TOUR stars Stewart Cink, Chad Campbell, Camilo Villegas and Boo Weekley. Total prize money has grown from just over $3 million that first year to $19 million in 2009, with the Tour visiting 18 states in the U.S., plus five countries abroad. Four of the original 30 host cities remain on the schedule to this day— Boise, ID, Knoxville, TN, Springfield, MO, and Wichita, KS. When Nationwide Tour graduates make it to the PGA TOUR, their impact is undeniable as evidenced by the 237 PGA TOUR titles they claimed through 2008, which includes 11 major championships and three PLAYERS Championships. The future of the Tour remains strong, too, with Nationwide signed on through 2012 as umbrella sponsor.
As the Nationwide Tour celebrates its 20th year in 2009, there are many highlights to look back on. A few of the most memorable are featured below and on the next page:
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February 1990 Deane Beman hits the ceremonial first tee shot and Mike Springer captures the Nationwide Tour’s first event in Bakersfield, CA.
October 1990 The first Nationwide Tour graduating class of five players receives its PGA TOUR cards for 1991.
August 1991 John Daly becomes the first Nationwide Tour alumni to win a major championship when he captures the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick in Indiana.
August 1997 The Nationwide Tour introduces the “three-win promotion” to the PGA TOUR. Chris Smith becomes the first to do so in record-breaking fashion at the Cox Classic in Omaha, NE.
May 1998 Notah Begay III becomes the first player in Nationwide Tour history to shoot 59, doing so at the Dominion Open near Richmond, VA.
May 2003 Jack Nicklaus and his four sons tee off in the 2003 BMW Charity Pro-Am marking the first and only time they have played in the same TOUR-sanctioned event.
July/August 2005 Jason Gore becomes the first player to win three consecutive tournaments. He shoots a second-round 59 in the third event, the Cox Classic in Omaha, NE, two months after capturing the golf world’s imagination by contending in the final round at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
April 2007 2003 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year Zach Johnson wins the Masters, completing a Nationwide Tour alumni majors grand slam.
July 2007 Jason Day becomes the youngest player to capture a Nationwide Tour title, winning the Legend Financial Group Classic near Cleveland at age 19 years, 7 months, 26 days.
November/December 2007 Nationwide Tour officials announce plans for the Tour’s first two $1-million events in 2008, the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas and the Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia.
In celebration of the Nationwide Tour’s 20th season, a series of promotional activities will be implemented throughout 2009, including a countdown of the Tour’s top-20 moments. Fans will be able to follow these activities on PGATOUR.COM and GOLF CHANNEL, among other media outlets.
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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20 Years
Section
1 Introduction
May 2003 / Jack Nicklaus and four sons compete in BMW Charity Pro-Am
April 2007 / Phil Mickelson places green jacket on Zach Johnson
July 2007 / Jason Day becomes youngest Tour winner at 19
October 1990 / First Nationwide Tour class
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Nationwide  Tour 2009 Guide
July, August 2005 / Jason Gore en route to three-win promotion
August 1991 / John Daly wins PGA Championship
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1
Introduction
About the Commissioner
Section
Tim Finchem PGA TOUR Commissioner
Tim Finchem began his 15th year as commissioner of the PGA TOUR in June 2008. From the time Finchem joined the TOUR management team, he has played a key role in strengthening the PGA TOUR’s position as one of the most successful, well-respected sports organizations in the world, and his leadership has helped foster the growth of the game, both domestically and internationally. During his tenure, Finchem has greatly expanded the earnings opportunities for PGA TOUR players. The TOUR, through its tournaments and sponsors, has dramatically escalated tournament purses and grown total revenues at an unprecedented rate. Since Finchem became commissioner in 1994, the PGA TOUR and its tournaments have raised $1 billion for charitable organizations. Under Finchem’s leadership, The Presidents Cup was created in 1994, bringing together the world’s best non-European players in team, matchplay competition against their American counterparts. After seven stagings, The Presidents Cup has grown to be one of the most highly anticipated events on golf’s calendar, and the 2009 event is scheduled for Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco. Finchem has also been instrumental in the formation of the International Federation of PGA Tours and the World Golf Foundation. His personal dedication to the success of the World Golf Foundation’s The First Tee initiative has meant that in just more than 10 years, The First Tee has grown to include more than 200 chapters that reach more than 2.2 million young people. An additional accomplishment during Finchem’s tenure has been the development and introduction of the FedExCup, a season-long points com-
petition that culminates with the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. In 2007 and 2008, the FedExCup brought an unparalleled level of late-season focus to and interest in the TOUR, as indicated by significant increases in television and online audiences, tournament attendance, sponsor activation and media coverage. Born in Ottawa, IL, on April 19, 1947, Finchem graduated from Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, VA. He attended the University of Richmond on a debate scholarship, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973. After practicing law in Virginia Beach for three years, Finchem served in the White House as Deputy Advisor to the President in the Office of Economic Affairs in 1978 and 1979. In the early 1980s, Finchem co-founded the National Strategies and Marketing Group in Washington, D.C. Finchem is the recipient of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Old Tom Morris Award for 2001 and the PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award for 2002. He was awarded the Dick Schaap Lifetime Achievement in Sports Award in 2005. Finchem is the third commissioner of the PGA TOUR, succeeding Deane Beman. Beman had served for 20 years, replacing the late Joe Dey, who had been the TOUR’s commissioner in its first five years, 1969-74. Prior to becoming commissioner on June 1, 1994, Finchem was deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of the TOUR. He joined the TOUR as vice president of business affairs in 1987. Finchem and his wife, the former Holly Bachand, have four children and live in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
P G A TO U R C o mm i ss i o n e rs
Joe Dey Deane Beman Tim Finchem
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1969-1974 1974-1994 1994-Present
Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide
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