Utah Championship News
Nationwide Tour Storylines - Week of May 4th
Monday, 04 May 2009 15:11
courses in Greenville and Spartanburg, SC and Mill Spring, NC
20TH REUNION AT PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP - On Monday evening the Nationwide Tour
hosted its "20th-Year Player Reunion" at TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA TOUR
and this week's PLAYERS Championship. In addition to approximately 35 former
Nationwide Tour players, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, John Aman of
Nationwide, numerous other guests and members of the media were in
attendance. Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee (that's him in the red hat
and white chef's jacket manning the grill) served his Nationwide Tour-famous
pork-chop sandwiches as well as hamburgers. The players signed items that
will be made available for charity auction.
FIRST TIMERS AT THE PLAYERS - Of the 18 first-time participants in this
year's PLAYERS Championship, nine are Nationwide Tour alumni. Three are from
last year's class, Matt Bettencourt, Jeff Klauk and Scott Piercy. They are
joined by Brad Adamonis, Martin Laird, Michael Letzig, Parker McLachlin,
Chez Reavie and Marc Turnesa. Bettencourt secured his spot in the field last
year as a result of being the Nationwide Tour's leading money winner. Klauk
has a particularly interesting connection to THE PLAYERS and the host TPC
Sawgrass. His father, Fred, was the longtime superintendent of the famed
PLAYERS Stadium Course until his retirement last year. The younger Klauk
told ESPN.com he estimates he's played the course more than 1,000 times.
PLAYERS FIELD / 81 ALUMNI of 145 - THE PLAYERS' field includes 81 Nationwide
Tour alumni. The field has a total of 145 players.
ALUM SEAN O'HAIR CLAIMS 245th TOUR WIN - Sunday's Quail Hollow Championship
victory by Sean O'Hair was the 245th PGA TOUR by a former Nationwide Tour
player.
MICHAEL SIM / PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL - It comes as no surprise but
Aussie Michael Sim was named Nationwide Tour Player of the Month for April.
The 24-year-old won the Stonebrae Classic at the TPC San Francisco Bay and
lost a playoff to Patrick Sheehan in the Athens (GA) Regional Foundation
Classic. Congratulations, Michael!
FORMER REDSKIN BRIAN MITCHELL TO SERVE AS MELWOOD TOURNAMENT HOST - Former
Washington Redskin Brian Mitchell will serve as Tournament Host for the 2009
Melwood Prince George's County Open. Mitchell, a 13-year NFL veteran
(Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants) and holder of 13 NFL
records, has been very active in charitable activities in the D.C. area. The
Melwood event will be played June 1-7.
TIM ILEY JOINS NATIONWIDE TOUR STAFF - Tim Iley, executive director of the
Champion's Tour's Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf since 1995, has joined the
Nationwide Tour as Director of Tournament Business Affairs. Iley will be the
day-to-day liaison for nine Nationwide Tour events. He will relocate from
Savannah, GA to PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
NEXT WEEK - BMW Charity Pro-Am at Thornblade Club in Greer, SC, The Carolina
Country Club in Spartanburg, SC and Bright's Creek Golf Club in Mill Spring,
NC.May 14-17. The Golf Channel will televise all four rounds.
20 YEARS / THIS WEEK IN NATIONWIDE TOUR HISTORY - This week's highlights
feature a pair of Golf Channel announcers...
May 7, 1995: Jerry Foltz rallies from four shots back on the final day to
win the South Carolina Classic in Florence by one over Morris Hatalsky, Tim
Simpson and Robert Wrenn.
May 8, 1994: Charlie Rymer birdies the 17th hole of the South Carolina
Classic to win his second Nationwide Tour title.
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