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By Adam Wallace
PGA TOUR staff

MIDLAND, Texas -- It wasn't too long ago that a pair of international members of the Nationwide Tour -- Richard Johnson of Wales and Matthew Jones of Australia -- were on the outside of THE 25 looking to get back in. What a difference a few weeks makes as both now find themselves not only well inside THE 25 but with a shot at winning the all-important money title as the Tour heads to Texas and this week's WNB Golf Classic.

With his hot play of late Matthew Jones has joined the chase for the Nationwide Tour's top spot. (Feldman/WireImage)

On August 26, Johnson, Sundays' sudden-death playoff winner in the Mark Christopher Charity Classic, was 26th on the money list and on the wrong side of the cutoff to earn a 2008 PGA TOUR card. Jones, who along with Jeremy Anderson, was a playoff victim to Johnson, sat at No. 30 on August 19th. Over the course of their next nine combined starts, they collected one win and four runners-up. Johnson is now fourth among the money leaders, with Jones a little more than $14,000 behind him in seventh.

Last week, Johnson ended a seven-year winless drought with his third Nationwide Tour title. In the process, he exercised a few demons as he'd been in the final group four other times this year, only to come up empty.

In September, the former Augusta (GA) State All-American had a second place and a tie for sixth to go along with a missed cut in Boise the week before the Mark Christopher. In his first start in Midland since 2002, Johnson finished tied for 14th there last year.

As good as Johnson's play has been of late, Jones has played better. The former Arizona State All-American has finished tied for second, tied for 30th, tied for second, tied for fifth and tied for second, losing in two playoffs. The 27-year-old is the highest-ranked player on the money list without a win at No. 7.

"I know I'm going to win at some point because I'm playing so well," Jones said.

In Jones' three starts at Midland Country Club he has finished tied for 14th (2004), tied for 50th (2005) and tied for sixth (2006).

Roland Thatcher continues to enjoy the view from the top of the money list. Despite some uninspired play of late (three missed cuts in his last four outings), Thatcher retains the lead over a pair of Australians, Nick Flanagan ($31,681) and 19-year-old Jason Day ($70,090). Flanagan is now on the PGA TOUR following his three-win promotion in August. Day is idle this week.

There are three Nationwide Tour events left, including the rich Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek (CA), which offers the Tour's top first prize of $139,500. Johnson, Jones and a few others are still in a position to take a run at Thatcher, who has $401,632 in earnings. Johnson trails No. 1 by about $96,000, with Jones $110,000 behind. Nicholas Thompson at No. 5 and Canada's Jon Mills at No. 6 round out the current top-seven money earners.

Three of the six previous winners of the WNB Golf Classic have won on the PGA TOUR this year. Chad Campbell (2001) won the Viking Classic, Charley Hoffman (2004) the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and last year's winner, Brandt Snedeker, the Wyndham Championship.

Last year, Snedeker defeated second-year Tour member, Aron Price of Australia, with a 15-footer on the first playoff hole. Price is currently 36th on the money list and has seven top-25 finishes.

Ricky Barnes and Mills will look to keep their streaks alive another week. After a pair of tie for ninth finishes at the Mark Christopher Charity Classic, each has made the last 10 cuts. Mills, another hot player of late, has finished 16th or better in his last six starts. Barnes enjoyed his best finish of the year last week to move 12 spots up the money list to No. 67 and a lot closer to a place in the Barona Creek field.

The Nationwide Tour will be in Chattanooga, Tenn. next week for the Chattanooga Classic presented by Black Creek, followed by the final full-field event of the year, the Miccosukee Championship in Miami, Fla.