Nationwide Tour players recharged, ready to play with Kenny G  PGA TOUR Staff The Nationwide Tour is back in action this week at the Mark Christopher Charity Classic presented by The County of San Bernardino after taking its final break of the year. The Classic kicks off the first of four season-ending events that will culminate with the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek, where the field is limited to the top-60 on the money list. Only $29 separates No.60 Kris Blanks and No.61 Joe Daley.  Kenny G during the 3M Celebrity Challenge at Pebble Beach Golf Links . (Martin/WireImage)
With all that on the line in the coming weeks, Nationwide Tour tournament directors should expect stellar fields over the next four weeks. Every current member of THE 25 will be at Empire Lakes Golf Club in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., this week except Omar Uresti (9th) and Franklin Langham (22nd). Nick Flanagan (2nd) has already played his way onto the PGA TOUR. Also in the field for the second time is world-renown saxophonist and scratch golfer Kenny G. (Gorelick), who accepted a sponsor's exemption. He competed in the event in 2005, shooting 82-83--165 to miss the cut. Kenny G. has won multiple club championships at his home course, Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Roland Thatcher, a two-time winner this year who sits atop the money list for the sixth week in a row, is looking to join Flanagan as the second player to earn an instant three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR. The Auburn Tiger has a lead of more than $31,000 on Flanagan in the money race and roughly $70,000 over No. 3 Jason Day. Flanagan has played well in his first two PGA TOUR starts, finishing T18 and T17 in the Turning Stone Resort Championship and Viking Classic, respectively, the last two weeks. The 2003 U.S. Amateur champion has earned $122,029 (200th). He has indicated he may enter the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek in an effort to win the money title as one of the perks is a spot in next year's THE PLAYERS Championship. Kyle Thompson also has two wins on the Nationwide Tour. The University of South Carolina graduate is currently No.10 on the money list despite making just nine cuts.  Jon Mills won the Albertsons Boise Open (Messerschmidt/WireImage) Two players to keep an eye on this week are Canadian Jon Mills and 2002 U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes. Both have made the cut in their last nine events, the most this year. Mills is coming off his second career Nationwide Tour win, having captured the Albertsons Boise Open before last week's break. The win catapulted him from No. 24 to No. 5 on the money list. During the stretch, Mills has finished no worse than 17th. Barnes, one of college golf's top stars when he played at the University of Arizona from 1999-2003, is 79th on the money list and in need of a top finish or win this week. First prize in the $525,000 event is $94,500. Six past winners are in the field this week including Albertsons Boise Open runner-up and 2001 Mark Christopher Charity Classic champion D.A. Points. Points secured a spot in the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek with his stellar play in Boise, moving from 65th on the money list to 29th. The five other past champions in the field are Scott Dunlap (2004), James Oh (2003), Scott Petersen (2000), Brad Elder (1999) and Skip Kendall (1994). Kevin Na won last year's title by three shots over Jeff Quinney and Chris Tidland on his home course in the only wire-to-wire victory of 2006. The GOLF CHANNEL will air exclusive four-round coverage of the Mark Christopher Charity Classic starting Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. |
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