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Go see Nationwide players Sunday, May 4, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - This is an unabashed, fact-supported sales pitch for the Nationwide Tour in general and the Fort Smith Classic in particular. Brandt Snedeker referenced the Nationwide Tour on consecutive days at The Masters, but I didn't have any idea how many of the participants in the first major of the year had played the Nationwide until breaking down the 45 players who made the 36-hole cut at Augusta National. Successful immediately, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are exceptions. Masters champion Trevor Immelman and 22 others cut their teeth on the European tour. K.J. Choi came from the Korean Tour, Todd Hamilton the Japanese Tour and Mike Weir the Canadian Tour. The remainder are top-heavy with Nationwide experience and some of the names on the list might surprise: -Former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk played 25 events in 1993. -Former PGA champion David Toms played a total of 32 events in 1990-91. -An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, Stuart Appleby won twice on the Nationwide in 1995. -A four-time winner on the PGA Tour, Stewart Cink won three times on the Nationwide in 1996. -Another four-time winner, Steve Flesch played 27 events on the Nationwide in 1997. Not always are the stars-of-the-future so easily identifiable. Brian Bateman played 110 Nationwide events from 1997-2001, Johnson Wagner participated in 105 from 2003-06, and recent repeat winner at Hilton Head, Boo Weekley, competed in 89 Nationwide tournaments during the same time. Both Bubba Watson and Snedeker played in more than 60 Nationwide tournaments. Nick Watney, Aaron Oberholser and Heath Slocum each played in more than 20 Nationwide tournaments. Zach Johnson, 2007 Masters champion, speaks fondly of his Nationwide stops in Fort Smith and Hot Springs Village in 2003. The players and their accomplishments are cited as a reminder that for $10, you can walk an up-close 18 holes with a future PGA Tour winner this week at Hardscrabble Country Club. Everybody in the field can play, so there is no way you can go wrong with any threesome. For those seeking guidance, here are some candidates, all in their 20s: -Jarrod Lyle, 18th on the Nationwide money list in 2006, finished No. 164 on the PGA Tour money list in 2007, and is No. 1 on the Nationwide this year. -Bubba Dickerson, barely missed keeping his PGA card in 2006. Had an off year in '07, but has reunited with the coach he was working with when he won the U.S. Amateur in 2001 and is No. 16 on the Nationwide money list. -Matt Every, a Nationwide rookie with a swagger who is No. 7 on the money list. He turned down a scholarship to the University of North Florida and walked on at Florida where he was a three-year All-American and the top college player in the country in 2006. -Casey Wittenberg, shot even par as an amateur in The 2004 Masters, but has been on The Hooters Tour, ala Johnson. Made eight cuts in eight events this year on the Nationwide and is No. 14 on the money list. -Brendon Todd, a Nationwide rookie who has only been able to get into two events. But, he was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2004 while at Georgia. In the interview room at Augusta, Snedeker explained that the Nationwide is more than mastering a new chipping technique. "I learned a lot about myself," said Snedeker, who missed the cut at Fort Smith in 2005 and tied for 27th in 2006. "I learned a lot about me as a professional golfer, more than anything else on how to spend my time, how to manage my time, on how to prepare for a golf tournament and how to travel." A promotion on The Golf Channel's says that 65 percent of the players on the PGA Tour competed on the Nationwide. Go watch 'em. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
