Insider: Money list matters never far from players' minds

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All it takes is one great week to change one's place and perspective on the money list. Just ask Scott Gardiner.

If there's one thing Nationwide Tour rookie Roberto Castro has figured out this season, it's that the money list can be a valuable tool for self-evaluation. The trick is to not stare at the money list too long.

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"You do that and your mind starts wandering," Castro said.

All season players are grinding for every dollar to put them in better position on the money list. And Castro, who has played in just 11 tournaments, is no different.

"Everybody knows where they are," said Castro, a former Georgia Tech star who sits at No. 61 heading into the season's final full-field event. "Every single guy is chasing some sort of threshold either the top 40, the top 60 or even the top 70.

"And it's no different for the guys near the top who would all like to be No. 1 on the money list when the season is over. We're all kind of in the same boat."

Whether that boat is sinking or staying afloat is a matter of perspective.

For Castro, his expectation level this season wasn't that high. The 25-year-old was content to play well enough to earn his Nationwide Tour card for next season. But as the season went on and he had more and more success, the goals changed.

With a good week at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters at the TPC Sawgrass he could jump inside the top 60 and qualify for the year-ending Nationwide Tour championship at Daniel Island. Then another good week there and he might jump inside the top 25, which would earn his 2011 PGA TOUR card.

Castro, who won the 2007 Byron Nelson Award as the nation's top collegiate golfer, didn't do himself any favors by missing the cut on Miami. In retrospect, though, he says the early exit did give him a couple of days off to rest and time to reflect on the task at hand.

"I had played nine tournaments in a row with four of those out west, so I'm hoping to have my batteries kind of recharged," Castro said.

Five to watch at the Winn-Dixie

There are two magic numbers to pay attention to this week during the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, the penultimate event on the Nationwide Tour this year. The first, as always, is 25. Only two weeks remain for players to fight their way into the top 25 on the money list to earn their 2011 PGA TOUR cards. The second one is 60. Again, it's based on the money list. Those are the players who advance to next week's Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island where the purse is $1 million and the winner's share is $180,000. Any of the 60 players in the field can make "The 25" with a victory next week. John Dell takes a look below at five players who have a lot to gain this week. 1. Patrick Sheehan Sits No. 60 on the money list and needs to have a good week at TPC Sawgrass to stay there. Finished in a tie for fifth two weeks ago in Chattanooga. 2. Rob Oppenheim Rookie has quietly stayed around the No. 60 threshold and right now is 59th. Can't afford a missed cut if he wants to play in the Nationwide Tour Championship next week. 3. Roberto Castro In just 11 tournaments has made mark on Tour with a second in Wichita and five other top-25 finishes. He missed the cut in Miami, so needs to play well at TPC Sawgrass to qualify to play next week. 4. Aaron Watkins Sits at No. 62 on the money list and has missed the last seven cuts. Will have to halt that streak or wont be playing in the Nationwide Tour Championship. 5. David Hearn In the middle of September was 21st on the money list, now 26th. He's in the Nationwide Tour Championship but still needs a good week to get back inside the top 25.

Just a couple of weeks ago Australian Scott Gardiner was ranked 62nd on the money list, and like Castro, he was on the outside looking in. But he picked up a big victory, winning in a playoff at the Chattanooga Classic presented by Black Creek, and then followed that up with a tie for 13th on Sunday in Miami. This pushed him all way up to 20th on the money list.

"This is my sixth year on the Nationwide Tour and to have a win like that was pretty awesome because my goal was just to get into the top 60," Gardiner said. "Like everybody out there you want to finish as high up as you can. There's a mindset that everybody kind of knows where they need to get to, and we are running out of weeks to get there."

Gardiner admits he can play a little more relaxed this week knowing that he's definitely inside the top 60 and will tee it up again next week in the Nationwide Tour Championship.

"It's more fun and I guess it's that way because I've got a little job security and I didn't have that about three weeks ago," Gardiner said.

While the battle to get into the top 60 will be watched closely, the other storyline revolves around the top 25. That is something that's been playing out like a long novel this season, but because it's so late in the season, it has a lot of players on edge.

James Hahn is one of those sitting just outside at No. 27 on the money list. He was "the bubble boy" last week at No. 25, but he tied for 23rd in Miami and fell back two spots.

In his last seven tournaments Hahn has missed four cuts, but he is keeping an optimistic view of the final two Nationwide Tour tournaments.

"There are a couple of ways to look at," Hahn said. "I want to stay patient and not try to force things and the other thing is you really don't want to change your approach. If you start looking at everything that's going on it can wear on you mentally."

Hahn has come a long way since a major disappointment last fall at the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament. He was playing the 108th and final hole of the grueling final stage and needed a par to earn his PGA TOUR card but ended up four-putting from 70 feet.

Instead of lamenting the missed chance, though, he's gone about his business on the Nationwide Tour. He's learned a lot about how to pace himself over a long season and says that staying positive has helped him cope.

"The thing I'm grateful for is I played pretty well early in the season with some top-20 finishes," Hahn said. "And no matter what happens it has helped my confidence and I'm very thankful for that."

Hahn says players don't talk too much about about the money list.

"We don't talk about it unless somebody has pretty much secured their card for next season, but otherwise we kind of all just go about our business and finish as high as we can," Hahn said.

As Castro continues his pursuit of the top 60 he realizes what a bonus it would be if he got into that field at the Nationwide Tour Championship.

"It's the easiest tournament to win because there are only 60 players," Castro said. "It's a great opportunity and it's a huge deal for me to get in."

Let the money-list watching commence.

John Dell has covered golf for the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina for the last 17 years. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.