Daniel Summerhays poses with the trophy after winning the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in July. (WireImage)

In Boyd Summerhays' mind, the week of the National Mining Pete Dye Classic seemed like a logical one to take a break from the grind of the Nationwide Tour.

After all, another built-in off week followed before the tour resumed in the Utah Championship just outside of Salt Lake City, which is practically in Summerhays' backyard. So there would be an extended opportunity to wash off the weary effects of the road and enjoy quality time with the family.

What Summerhays, 27, couldn't have known was his little brother Daniel, who, in June, had become the first amateur to win a tournament in Nationwide Tour history, would finally play a clunker. He missed his first cut in six attempts in West Virginia. It would have given Boyd a chance to finally get the measure of Daniel, 23, in a professional event.

"Yeah, I've been getting my butt kicked,'' Boyd said on the Sunday of the Xerox Classic as he packed his gear and headed for his home in Farmington, Utah.

Boyd was laughing. He can take the ribbing because of his solid relationship with Daniel, whom he has been rooming with on the road when the wives are tending to households. But he did fire back, saying, "he probably heard a lot when I was winning the junior world championships three times.''

Don't go jumping to conclusions about some serious Summerhays sibling rivalry here. There isn't one, but that doesn't mean the brothers don't mind sticking the needle in each other when given an opening. That's only natural. But if truth is told, Boyd couldn't be any prouder of Daniel, an All-American from BYU who has spent a serendipitous summer making a name for himself.

Daniel did plan to enter the PGA TOUR Qualifying tournament in the fall, but as an amateur. That all changed in the middle of July when Summerhays was one of the 10 All-Americans extended an invitation to play in the inaugural Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational at Ohio State's Scarlet Course.

It was easier getting to Columbus than it was garnering the invitation. Summerhays shot a final-round 63 at the NCAA regionals to qualify for the finals as an individual and then finished fourth.

"I got a lot more than I deserved out of that (finish),'' he said.

Then Summerhays moved on to the prestigious Sahalee Invitational, won it with a closing 67 and breezed into his first Nationwide Tour event brimming with confidence and ready to play the toughest course of the 2007 season. He proceeded to shoot a six-under-par total of 278 to win by two over Chris Nallen and Chad Collins, who each collected a first-place check because of Summerhays' amateur status.

"I was just hitting shots and hitting putts,'' Summerhays said. "I was not concerned about the scoreboard.''

Turned out he didn't have to be. The real anxiety of what to do with the rest of his life hit after the trophy presentation. Summerhays hardly slept that night and put in a call to Nationwide Tour Tournament Director Jim Duncan first thing Monday morning. He wanted to know whether it was too late to get into the next event. It was.

So Summerhays took the week. He discussed his options with Boyd, with his wife and his coach at BYU, Bruce Brockbank. He had been on a Mormon mission to Chile and needed just a few hours at school to graduate.

And so . . .

"The course of my life completely changed,'' he said.

Summerhays turned professional.

Boyd immediately took his little bro under his wing, doling out advice, talking course strategy during practice rounds and taking pains to introduce Daniel to his Nationwide Tour peers, where the camaraderie among players is unmatched on any other tour.

"This is what I've always worked for,'' Daniel said. "(Turning pro) always was in my plans. It happened a little sooner than I expected.''

He smiled.

"To be honest, I still feel like an amateur,'' he said. "To me, there is no distinction. I'm just a golfer.''

Actually he is a professional golfer, with status on the Nationwide Tour thanks to his victory. That's something he can fall back on should he not be successful at the qualifying tournament, where he is likely to receive lots more advice from Boyd, who graduated to the PGA TOUR by finishing in a tie for 26th in 2003.

"Our roles are reversed right now,'' Boyd said. "But give Daniel credit. He has been playing great. Good golf is good golf anywhere. He proved that.''

Boyd would love to use the Nationwide Tour as a proving ground as well. He was bitten by the injury bug several times over, with a bad back, a broken finger and a broken toe short-circuiting his PGA TOUR dreams.

Injuries delayed his start on the Nationwide Tour until May, and he's finally beginning to feel like his health is where it should be. Now if his game can come around, too, perhaps the Summerhays brothers will be playing side-by-side on the PGA TOUR in the near future.

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