Nationwide Tour Storylines: Aug. 14, 2007 PGA TOUR STaff TOP FIELD HEADS TO ROCHESTER AS "25" ACTION HEATS UP -- With only ten events remaining and the race to finish inside THE 25 heating up, tournament fields are getting stronger and stronger. Of the top 57 players on the current money list, only six are not entered. 18 of this year's 20 tournament winners are in the field, including multiple winners Nick Flanagan and Roland Thatcher. Flanagan and Thatcher are the only players in position to secure three-win promotions to the PGA TOUR. Thatcher, who finished T6 at Irondequoit last year, also has his sites set on maintaining the top spot on the money list. He currently has a $93,865 lead over Jason Day. ![]() Jason Day NO. 2 JASON DAY RETURNS AFTER WEEK OFF / WILL HIS HOT PLAY CONTINUE? -- The Nationwide Tour's second leading money winner, Jason Day, returns after one week off. The exciting, 19-year-old Australian is well aware of the significance of finishing atop the money list at season's end and has been playing his best golf of the year lately (T9, T15, Win, T5, 2, T13 in his last six starts). Day was named the Nationwide Tour's Player of the Month in July. IRONDEQUOIT, A SHORT BUT TOUGH TEST -- At 6,720 yards, the par-70 Irondequoit CC layout played to an average of 71.06 last year, making it the eighth toughest course on Tour. Much of the difficulty can be attributed to five par-4 holes which ranked among the Tour's 50 toughest last year (7th, 8th, 13th, 17th and 18th). Irondequoit's roots date back to 1916 when Donald Ross completed a nine-hole layout. In 1952, land was purchased from neighboring Oak Hill CC and the current 18-hole course formed. It is a favorite among Nationwide Tour players, as evidenced by the terrific field. ![]() Matthew Jones THE 25 UPDATE -- Two players who probably secured their PGA TOUR cards for 2008 in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic were tournament winner Justin Bolli out of the University of Georgia and runner-up Patrick Sheehan, a New England native. Bolli moved to No. 6 (+11 places) and Sheehan to No. 7 (+7 places). Scranton runner-up Richard Johnson of Wales was the week's big mover, improving 14 spots to No. 22. Last week's No. 25, Matthew Jones, was idle and dropped two spots. Fellow Australian Greg Chalmers assumed the No. 25 spot. SPEAKING OF "THE 25" -- "I joked with my caddie about wearing it (one of the gold caddie bibs signifying a current top-25 spot) out on the town," Bolli said on Sunday after his win. "I tell him he probably sleeps in it at night." HOW TIGHT ARE THINGS? -- Pretty darn tight.....only $14,132 separates Chalmers at No. 25 and Esteban Toledo at No. 30. Another $12,633 separates Toledo and Aron Price at No. 35. LOTS OF GOLF CHANNEL COMING UP -- There are ten events remaining on the 2007 Nationwide Tour schedule and seven will air on Golf Channel. The run begins with this week's Xerox Classic, followed by the next two events in Bridgewater, WV and Salt Lake City, UT. Three more tournaments (Boise, ID, Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Miami, FL) will lead up to the season's finale in early November, the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek outside San Diego, completing the 16-event schedule of Nationwide Tour events on Golf Channel. PRESIDENTS CUP PRESENCE -- Teams for the 2007 Presidents Cup have been announced and the American contingent has a particularly strong Nationwide Tour representation of former players (seven). Included on Jack Nicklaus' U.S. team are Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, David Toms, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, Woody Austin and captain's pick Lucas Glover. Two of Gary Player's International team members are Nationwide Tour alums, Ernie Els and Stuart Appleby. The Presidents Cup will be played Sept. 25-30 at Royal Montreal Golf Club, with Canada hosting the event for the first time. FEDEXCUP STANDINGS -- 17 of last year's 22 Nationwide Tour graduates are inside the No. 144 cutoff mark on the current points list. But several will be looking over their shoulders this week in Greensboro, namely Tripp Isenhour (136), Andrew Buckle (137) and Michael Putnam (140). DID YOU KNOW? The Tour's iron man this year is Keith Nolan. The native of Ireland who now resides in Knoxville, TN near where he went to college (East Tennesse State) has competed in all 22 Nationwide Tour events this year and is expected in Rochester this week. Five players have played in all but one event -- Nicholas Thompson, Patrick Sheehan, Chris Thompson, Michael Sims and Tom Carter. |