Storylines: Season resumes in two weeks

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The Nationwide Tour resumes its 2008 season in two weeks (March 24-30) with its first domestic event of the year, the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by Dynamic Industries in Lafayette, LA.

SEAN O'HAIR / NATIONWIDE TOUR WIN NO. 223 ON THE PGA TOUR -- Sean O'Hair's PODS Championship victory was the 223rd PGA TOUR win by a Nationwide Tour alumni and sixth in the 11 TOUR events that have been played this year.

MORE ON THE WINNER'S CIRCLE -- 1) With Sean O'Hair's win in the PODS Championship, Nationwide Tour alumni have now won every tournament on the current PGA TOUR schedule with the exception of a pair of tournaments that have only been played once (AT&T National and Frys.com Open)....2) The next Nationwide Tour graduate to win his first PGA TOUR event will be the 100th different player to capture a TOUR event after graduating from the Nationwide Tour.

Arjun Atwal hopes to make "The 25". (Badz/PGA TOUR)

ARJUN ATWAL WINS EUROPEAN TOUR'S MALAYSIAN OPEN -- Nationwide Tour member Arjun Atwal won the European Tour's Malaysian Open on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia for the second time (2003). The native of Asansol, India opened his Nationwide Tour season with a tie for second in the Panama Movistar Championship in January. According to a report on CBSSportsline.com, Atwal's agent indicated Atwal will return to the U.S. and attempt to play his way onto the PGA TOUR again via one of "THE 25" cards that are available to the Nationwide Tour's leading money winners at season's end. In a post-win interview on Sunday Atwal said sharing the same home course in Orlando (Isleworth) with Tiger Woods has been a big benefit to him. "Just practicing with him and watching him work the way he does is a motivation enough for me. For him to come and help me with my swing and more on the fitness factor has been really big for me....He actually hooks his chips or fades his chips. For us, it's get it up and down.....If you get anything from the world number one, you'll take it gladly."

PAUL AZINGER ON HIS RYDER CUP TEAM SELECTIONS -- U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger had an interesting thought last week in Tampa about his team selections...."I think if some guy wins three tournaments in a row on the Nationwide Tour, and his last tournament is the week before the week I pick, I probably pick him. I probably pick him because I'm pretty sure that dude is hot."

FIRST STATE BANK & TRUST NEW PRESENTING SPONSOR IN VALDOSTA -- The South Georgia Classic announced that First State Bank & Trust Company is the event's new presenting sponsor. The tournament also announced that GOLF CHANNEL will televise all four rounds of the South Georgia Classic, with nightly re-airs. "The South Georgia Classic was a very successful first-year tournament last year," said Bill Calfee, president of the Nationwide Tour. "The addition of First State Bank & Trust and the Golf Channel package will enhance the profile and reach of the South Georgia Classic considerably." Added David Durland, First State's President and CEO, "This event is wonderful for the South Georgia community and provides us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our community across the country." The tournament will be played April 28 -- May 4 at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga.

20th ANNIVERSARY -- Last Friday (March 7th) marked the 20th anniversary of the PGA TOUR Policy Board meeting in which the TOUR staff was authorized to explore then-Commissioner Deane Beman's concept for what is now the Nationwide Tour. The meeting took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The Tour was launched two years later in 1990.

CONSISTENCY IN THE NUMBERS -- Two out of three PGA TOUR members played on the Nationwide Tour as did 50 of the 78 players (64 percent) who made the cut at the PODS Championship. Also, five of the top-seven finishers (71 percent) in Tampa have Nationwide Tour roots.