Year in Review: The best of 2010 on Nationwide TOUR

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Jhonattan Vegas finished seventh on the money list and showcased a colorful personalty to match his power-packed game.

OTHER YEARS IN REVIEW: PGA TOUR | Champions Tour

Winning on the PGA TOUR is hard because there are so many good players in a talent pool that is very deep. Well, the same can be said about the Nationwide Tour.

The 2010 season proved that with 25 different winners in 29 tournaments. The only two-time winners on the Nationwide Tour this season were Chris Kirk, Hunter Haas and Tommy Gainey -- who finished second, third and fourth, respectively, on the money list -- and Martin Piller.

The talent was spread out all over the Tour, and it showed.

"Everything has to go right to win because wins don't come easy out there," Kirk said.

Brendan Steele was the final winner of the season as he won the Nationwide Tour Championship and jumped from 30th on the money list to sixth to earn his PGA Tour card for 2011.

"It's really hard to win anywhere," said Steele, who will be a rookie on the PGA TOUR next season. "There are so many good players on the Nationwide Tour and every week somebody is going to be hot and a lot of times it's more than one player.

"I can't tell you how many times I thought I was played great and three or four guys would have better scores, so it's just a really tough place to win."

The tough competition was a constant in 2010. Here's a look at some of the other highlights.

Top player: One of the youngest players on Tour, 22-year-old Jamie Lovemark, was also the most consistent and wound up as the top money winner. He had one victory in 22 tournaments but also had 11 top-25 showings. Don't be surprised when he wins in his rookie year on the PGA TOUR in 2011.

Meet the 25 grads

Twenty-five players, twenty-five players. From Jamie Lovemark to Justin Hicks, take a look at the players who will graduate to the 2011 PGA TOUR. Meet the 25

Key shot: Jamie Lovemark's second shot, a 6-iron from 235 yards out, to the 567-yard, par-5 18th hole in the Mexico Open Bicentenary in late June. The shot put him within 3 feet for an eagle and he made the putt to beat B.J. Staten on the first hole of sudden death to win for the first time on the Nationwide Tour.

Biggest surprise: Daniel Summerhays failing to find the winner's circle was a surprise to many. He's too talented to not have won as he finished second three times and also had a tie for third. He did plenty to earn his PGA TOUR card for next season, though -- not bad for somebody who started out the season missing five of his first six cuts.

Most improved: Chris Kirk gets the nod after finishing 178th on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2009 and moving all the way up to No. 2 this season. Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey also merits consideration. He picked up his first two victories but wasn't about to slow down and at the end of the season made six straight cuts to secure his place on the money list.

Best moment: The card ceremony at the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island for the 25 players who graduated to the PGA TOUR for next season. It's never a bad moment when PGA TOUR commissioner Tim Finchem is there to congratulate you.

Best finish: Jhonattan Vegas fired a 7-under 64 to win the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open in August. He had to wait around more than 90 minutes after his round to see if he won after making seven birdies and no bogeys in what turned out to be his low round of the season.

Steele

Most impressive win: Brendan Steele needed four extra holes in a playoff but he did enough to win the year-ending Nationwide Tour Championship. With all the pressure on to make it into the top 25 to secure his card Steele proved up to the task.

Best round: Kevin Chappell's 61 in the first round of the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic in July would have to win. He threatened the magical 59 but missed two birdie putts on his last four holes.

Best interview: James Hahn not only was accommodating to reporters but he didn't mind helping the Golf Channel as an analyst from time to time. Hahn had the best season of his career in finishing 29th on the money list and tied for seventh at the Nationwide Tour Championship.

Best quote: Frank Lickliter was asked if having to jump between the Nationwide Tour and the PGA TOUR this season was a grind. "Dude, all we're doing is playing golf," he said.

Best quote II: NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was asked which sport is harder, football or golf. "Going across the middle was a lot easier," said Rice, who played on a sponsor's exemption at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in April. "Golf is a lot harder than football. With football, that came easy to me but this game of golf doesn't."

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.