Storylines: Vegas' first, new winners, and Daly's return

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

With his win in Wichita, Jhonattan Vegas became the first Venezuelan golfer to win a PGA TOUR co-sanctioned event.

This week the Nationwide Tour travels to Springfield, Mo., for the Price Cutter Charity Championship Presented by Dr Pepper at Highland Springs Country Club. Last year, Justin Bolli won by one stroke over Chad Collins and Derek Lamely.

FIRST VENEZUELAN WINNER ON TOUR: With his win on Sunday in the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open in Kansas, Jhonattan Vegas became the first golfer from Venezuela to win a PGA TOUR co-sanctioned event (PGA TOUR, Nationwide Tour, Champions Tour). Sixty-five international players from 21 countries outside the U.S. have now won 99 titles on the Nationwide Tour.

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VEGAS, BABY!: Vegas shot 64 on Sunday to come from six shots back to win in Wichita. He held the 54-hole lead in the same tournament last year before shooting 74 in the last round to finish T4. He won the Venezuela National Amateur in 2006. When he first came to the U.S. (Houston) in 2002, he spoke very little English. He went on to become a four-year letterman on the University of Texas golf team (2008 graduate), and represented his country in the 2009 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup in China (T12). He advanced to the semi-finals of the 2007 U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in San Francisco, falling to eventual champion and fellow Nationwide Tour member Colt Knost, 4&3. He will turn 26 on Aug. 19th.

MAKING THE MOST OF HIS OPPORTUNITIES: The last two weeks have been very productive for Roberto Castro. A non-member of the Nationwide Tour, he successfully qualified for the Cox Classic in Omaha Presented by Lexus of Omaha two weeks ago. His top-25 finish (T19) there earned him a spot in the following week's event in Wichita, which he almost turned into a victory. The leader after the second and third rounds, Castro shot 71 on Sunday and was overtaken by a hard-charging Vegas, who posted 64 to win by one. It's on to Springfield where he begins the week 57th on the money list and looks to go higher.

Castro comes from a family with plenty of golf roots. His aunt Jenny Lidback played on the LPGA for 15 years, and two of his uncles played golf at LSU. Castro's dad is from Costa Rican and his mother is a native of Peru. A resident of Alpharetta, Ga., Castro enjoyed a stellar career at nearby Georgia Tech where he earned All-American honors and won the 2007 Byron Nelson Award as college golf's top senior.

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT FIRST-TIME WINNER?: Vegas is the 10th first-time winner on the Nationwide Tour this year. Of the ten winners, nine are among the top 12 on the money list (exception -- Steve Pate, No. 27). With 10 events remaining after Springfield, there are a handful of talented players who are strong candidates to get their first win by season's end -- James Hahn (currently 14th on the money list), B.J. Staten (18th), William McGirt (22nd), Keegan Bradley (23rd), Brian Smock (29th), Jin Park (30th), Aaron Watkins (32nd), Joe Affrunti (34th) and Kyle Stanley (35th).

Also be on the lookout for someone to emerge from well down the money list. It was only two years ago that Matt Bettencourt was 77th on the money list in September, then won two tournaments, including the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship, to claim the money title. Three weeks ago, Bettencourt captured his first PGA TOUR title in Reno, Nev.

BACK AND LEADING THE CHARGE: Price Cutter Charity Championship tournament director Jerald Andrews is back at the helm leading the charge at one of the Tour's oldest and most successful events. Six months ago, friends, family and tournament associates feared for Jerald's life after the popular promoter was hospitalized with a very serious viral attack. Fortunately, Andrews fought off the attack and has made a remarkable recovery and ensured the tournament's charities will once again benefit from his leadership. Last year, the Price Cutter Charity Championship generated $751,000 for charity. Since 1990, it has generated more than $7.6 million.

NO. 280: 2008 Nationwide Tour graduate Bill Lunde won his first PGA TOUR event on Sunday, the Turning Stone Resort Championship in upstate New York. It was the 280th Nationwide Tour alumni win on the PGA TOUR and 20th of 2010.

DALY IN KNOXVILLE: Last week John Daly announced his intentions to play in his second Nationwide Tour event of 2010, the Knoxville News Sentinel Open later this month (Aug. 26-29). In June, the two-time major champion (1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open) competed in the Fort Smith Classic in his home state of Arkansas and finished T22. His last Nationwide Tour start prior to Fort Smith came in February, 1991, six months before he won the PGA.

HOLDING FIRM: Despite taking a week off, Jamie Lovemark maintained the same money list margin ($19,439) over No. 2 Tommy Gainey. Gainey was forced to withdraw with a bad back in Wichita after playing three holes in the third round. Vegas leaped 21 spots to No. 7. Lovemark, Gainey and Vegas will be playing in Springfield this week.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP CONNECTIONS: Sixty-two players with Nationwide Tour roots are entered in this week's PGA Championship, including former champions Mark Brooks (1996) and David Toms (2001).

HEADING HOME: Pittsburgh-area native (Greenburgh, Pa.) Rocco Mediate will add spice to the inaugural Mylan Classic presented by CONSOL Energy in early September (2-5) when he returns home to play in both the Monday and Wednesday pro-ams at Southpointe Golf Club. He will also conduct a clinic on Monday.

DID YOU KNOW?: Leading money winner Jamie Lovemark is 144th on the Official World Golf Ranking. In addition to his stellar play on the Nationwide Tour this year, the 2007 college player of the year out of USC was runner-up in last October's Frys.com Open in Arizona on the PGA TOUR.

BIRTHDAY BOYS: Three Nationwide Tour winners will celebrate birthdays this week in Springfield -- Patrick Sheehan (Aug. 9th / turns 41), Ron Whittaker (Aug. 12th / 39) and Tommy Gainey (Aug. 13th / 35).

NEXT WEEK: The Nationwide Tour is off next week before the sprint to the season's end begins. The 21st Knoxville News Sentinel Open will be played Aug. 26-29 at Fox Den Country Club. The Tennessee event is the first 10 straight tournaments.