
STONEBRAE NEXT -- The Nationwide Tour takes two weeks off before heading to the San Francisco Bay area for the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae, April 15-18. This will begin a run of 24 tournaments in 29 weeks that will take the Tour to its conclusion on Oct. 31st.
Pro Football Hall of Fame electee and tournament host Jerry Rice will compete as a sponsor exemption alongside 155 others golfers at TPC Stonebrae.
FABIAN GOMEZ RUNS AWAY FROM FIELD IN LOUISIANA -- Strong winds may have affected the rest of the field but not Sunday's Chitimacha Louisiana Open winner Fabian Gomez. The 31-year-old from Argentina snared his first Nationwide Tour win since becoming a member in 2007 by a tournament record six shots thanks to a final-round 7-under-par 64. The next best score was 67 and only ten other players broke 70 on a day when the winds reached 25-30 mph. Gomez, who had two previous runners-up on the Nationwide Tour, became the second player from Argentina to win on Tour, joining Miguel Angel Carballo (2007 Panama CLARO Championship). Gomez' win was the 97th by an international Tour member. He is the Tour's 63rd different international winner. Gomez moved to third on the money list. Last year, he missed earning his PGA TOUR card by two spots (27th).
JAMES HAHN / RISING ROOKIE -- Having never played in a Nationwide Tour event prior to this year, James Hahn of Alameda, Calif. is finding the Tour very much to his liking. The Seoul, South Korea native has played and made the cut in all five events to date (T9, T21, T51, T15 and T5), which puts him 13th on the money list. At 6-1, 180 pounds, Hahn cuts a very athletic figure. A 2003 American Studies graduate of the University of California - Berkeley, he recently joined Jerry Rice at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae media day and became an instant hit with Rice, the media and others in attendance, despite it being his first media day experience. Clearly impressed with Hahn's story, Rice switched name plates at the head table and said "I want to be James!" Hahn, 28, spends time practicing at TPC Stonebrae when not on Tour.
CONSISTENT PERFORMERS -- Of the 49 players who have played in all five tournaments and earned money on the Nationwide Tour this year, six have made every cut. Tag Ridings (U. of Arkansas) tops the list at No. 8, followed by Martin Piller (Texas A&M) at 11, James Hahn (UC-Berkeley) at 13, Kevin Kisner (U. of Georgia) at 19, Ryan Armour (Ohio State U.) at 38 and Keegan Bradley (St. John's U.) at 52. The first four players all have two top 10s.
AARON WATKINS / VIDEO AD BAG -- Technology is everywhere ... and now it's on tour golf bags. Nationwide Tour member Aaron Watkins' bag currently features a built-in video screen that rotates ads and messages similar to what you might see on a highway billboard. "Pro Bag Ads" was started two years ago by some friends of Watkins. The Kansas State University product who now lives in Mesa, Ariz., said technology-minded fans, in particular, are always huddled around his bag. Michael Allen and Michael Bradley of the PGA TOUR also promote the company on their bags. The system's screen and battery pack add five pounds to his 48-pound golf bag.
ADDING ONE MORE -- Ernie Els' 18th PGA TOUR win on Monday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard was his 62nd career win worldwide. It also marked the 270th PGA TOUR victory by a former Nationwide Tour member. Of the 14 TOUR events played in 2010, only four have not been won by players with Nationwide Tour roots.
BIRTHDAY BOYS -- Happy birthday this week to Barrett Jarosch of Edmonton, Canada / U. of Denver (April 1st, turns 27) and Brady Schnell of Phoenix, Ariz. / U. of Nebraska (April 3rd, 25).