Big five-event stretch to impact No. 1 and "The 25" races in big way

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PONDE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Nationwide Tour enters the second half of its season this week and immediately begins a critical stretch of five events that are sure to have a significant impact on the all-important money title and "The 25" players who will earn their PGA TOUR cards for 2009.

The money title race likely will come down to season's end, says Darron Stiles. (Martin/Getty Images)

From June 23 to Aug. 3, Nationwide Tour players will compete for more money than ever before in a five-tournament stretch that includes the Tour's first $1 million event, the Nationwide Tour Players Cup in West Virginia. Players who perform well during this stretch will find themselves in good position for the run-up to the Tour's other key $1 million tournament, the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch (Nov. 6-9) where No. 1 will be decided and the top 25 money winners will receive their 2009 cards.

As the season drives toward November and the Championship, players will be focused on a few things depending on where they are on the money list:

1. making the top 60, which ensures a spot in the TPC Craig Ranch field,
2. making "The 25" to secure their place on the PGA TOUR in 2009, and
3. being No. 1 on the money list, which provides fully-exempt PGA TOUR status next year and an invitation to THE PLAYERS Championship.

Last year every player who was in the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek field near San Diego had a shot at making "The 25" and earning a card.

By way of comparison, last year's cutoff for making "The 25" was Jimmy Walker with $196,896. The winner's check at this year's two $1 million events is $180,000.

The next five events will go a long way toward setting the table for the rest of the Nationwide Tour season, and the players are well aware of it.

Darron Stiles, No. 3 on the money list, previewed the weeks ahead. "I'm very aware of what the purses are coming up. Everyone looks to these events as a jump start to the next half of the season. Staying as high as I can (on the money list) is important. The race for No. 1 will come down to probably the last five or six weeks. We've seen it before and I'm sure we'll see something spectacular again this year."

D.J. Brigman, who last week in Knoxville jumped from the man on the bubble at No. 25 to 17th, said "I definitely want to be peaking the next month. One good week out here can mean a lot. If you take advantage of the bigger purses, then it will make it a lot easier to get your card."

Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship runner-up J.J. Killeen echoed Brigman's perspective. "I'm in a good position right now where if I play well the next five weeks I like my chances of getting my TOUR card in November. If you're hot during that time it's going to be real important." The Texas Christian graduate is in the thick of "The 25" race at No. 28 on the money list.

At No. 98, Texan Kelly Grunewald has a lot of room to make up but sees the opportunity ahead. "If you win one of these big events, especially West Virginia, that would pretty much lock up my card at this point. I've been looking forward to this stretch and I know how important it is money-wise."

The June/July stretch begins this Thursday in Canada:

Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung / June 26-29
This first-year event hosted by hockey's greatest player of all time in his native Canada offers the unique purse of US$800,099 in recognition of "the Great One's" retired No. 99 sweater. The Gretzky event will feature a pro-celebrity/amateur format with many of Wayne's friends from the worlds of sports and entertainment participating, including Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Brett Hull and John Elway. The Georgian Bay Club in Clarksburg, Ontario, and the nearby Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay are the venues. They are located about 90 miles north of Toronto off Georgian Bay.

Nationwide Tour Players Cup / July 10-13
West Virginia's Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport is the site of the first Nationwide Tour Players Cup and the Tour's first $1 million tournament. The champion will take home $180,000, the largest paycheck in Tour history and a trophy specially designed by West Virginia glassmaker Fred Wilkerson, Jr. The event features a unique format of the 144 leading money winners based on the money list that precedes it (June 29th). West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin and course architect Pete Dye will be among those in attendance.

Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper / July 17-20
One of four tournaments on the Nationwide Tour schedule since its inception in 1990, the Price Cutter Charity Championship's past champions' list includes Sunday's PGA TOUR winner in Hartford, Conn., Stewart Cink, as well as Chris DiMarco. Since 1990 the Springfield, Mo., event has donated almost $6.4 million to charity. Last year's contribution was a tournament-record $650,000. This year's purse is $600,000. Tom Scherrer won the 2007 event, paving his return to the PGA TOUR.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational / July 24-27
The unique second-year event is played at the nation's top-rated collegiate golf course (Golf Digest ranking), the Ohio State University Scarlet Course in Nationwide's hometown of Columbus, Ohio. In addition to one of the strongest lineups of Nationwide Tour players, the 10 members of the Golf Coaches Association of America's Division I Ping All-America First Team are invited to participate. Among the invitees are Kevin Chappell of UCLA, Ricky Fowler of Oklahoma State, Jamie Lovemark of USC, Webb Simpson of Wake Forest and Michael Thompson of Alabama. Last year's inaugural winner was one of their own -- Brigham Young's Daniel Summerhays, who became the first amateur to win a Nationwide Tour title. He is now a full-time member of the Nationwide Tour. The Invitational offers another big purse of $750,000.

Cox Classic presented by Chevrolet / July 31-Aug. 3
One of the Tour's most popular events, its last four winners have been Roland Thatcher, Johnson Wagner, Jason Gore and Charles Warren, all current members of the PGA TOUR. Last year 49 of the top 50 money winners on the Nationwide Tour played in the Omaha, Neb., event. The purse is $700,000.

All of the events except the Price Cutter Charity Championship will air on Golf Channel.