Nationwide Tour storylines: Kirk's hot start on TOUR

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Chris Kirk, second on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2010, is 23rd in FedExCup points.

IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE: Through the first third of his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, 2010 Nationwide Tour graduate Chris Kirk is off to a great start. His tie for second Sunday in the Shell Houston Open jumped him 45 spots to 23rd on the FedExCup points list.

In 10 starts, the three-time U. of Georgia All-American has made six cuts and has two top 10s (Bob Hope Classic/T7). A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Kirk is the all-time UGA leader in tournament wins with seven. He finished second on last year's Nationwide Tour money list on the strength of two wins and seven top 10s. Recognized for a strong tee to green game, Kirk, 25, led the Shell Houston Open field in greens hit (63 of 72, 87.5 percent).

NEXT WEEK: Idle this week, the Nationwide Tour is in the San Francisco Bay area next week (April 14-17) for the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif., the Tour's fourth event of 2011.

THE MASTERS: All eyes in the world of golf turn to Augusta, Ga. and the Masters this week. The Nationwide Tour will be well-represented with 36 alums in the field. Nine of the 15 first-time professional contestants are former Nationwide Tour players:Arjun Atwal, Jason Day, Charley Hoffman, Martin Laird, Jeff Overton, D.A. Points, Mark Wilson, Jhonattan Vegas and Gary Woodland, the latter two having played the Tour in 2010 and won PGA TOUR events earlier this year.

STAT SUPPORT: The current FedExCup points list features 85 alumni in the top 125 or 68percent. Of the top 100 (actually top 97), 14 new names appear of players who were regulars on the Nationwide Tour just last year. All but Gary Woodland (14 tournaments) made at least 21 starts, with the average being 24.5. Three players are inside the FedExCup top 30 today and thus eligible for the season-ending TOUR Championship:Woodland (No. 3), Jhonattan Vegas (9th) and Chris Kirk (23rd).

Lee

ONE NEW ZEALANDER ON ANOTHER: 2002 PLAYERS Championship winner Craig Perks can be excused for having taken a little more interest in fellow New Zealander Danny Lee than the rest of the 143 players at the recent Chitimacha Louisiana Open where Perks served as host professional.

As reported by Martin Davidson on stuff.co.nz, Lee is looking at playing 35 events on both the Nationwide Tour and the European Tour this year. "That can take a tremendous toll, even on a kid of that age (20)," Perks said. "I was very impressed with his work ethic. He was one of the first guys to arrive at the golf course each morning and one of the last guys to leave ... As hard as he's working, he just has to be careful he doesn't over train and that he's fresh every Thursday, more mentally than physically. He certainly has talent and I saw it for myself that he has the work ethic. The sky is the limit for Danny."

Lee is off to a sound start on the Nationwide Tour this year, making the cut in his first three events (T38, T49, T7) to sit 22nd on the current money list. His globetrotting takes him to the European Tour's Maybank Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur next week, while his Nationwide Tour colleagues will be in northern California at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae. Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and moved to New Zealand at the age of eight.

Etulain

ARGENTINA'S JULIAN ETULAIN, MAKING PROGRESS: Argentina's Julian Etulain is taking advantage of his starts on the Nationwide Tour. The 21-year-old earned a spot in the Pacific Rubiales Bogotá Open in March as a result of leading the Tour de las Americas money list last year. A T6 in Colombia earned him a spot in the Nationwide Tour's next event, the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, where Etulain finished T13.

That top 25 secured yet another Nationwide Tour start, in next week's Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in the San Francisco Bay area. Etulain is currently 8th on the money list with $36,274 in earnings. If he reaches $48,193 (last year's 100th position on the money list), he becomes a Special Temporary Member and eligible for the Reshuffle. A number of players have used this as a path to improve their status on the Nationwide Tour and play their way onto the PGA TOUR. Etulain has made one cut on the PGA TOUR this year, a T42 in the Puerto Rico Open.

LATER IN APRIL: The Tour heads east (April 28-May 1) for the South Georgia Classic presented by First State and Trust Co. in Valdosta, Ga. where former Major League Baseball pitching star John Smoltz will make his first start in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.