Golf Update: Three players leading the Nationwide Tour Championship
The Nationwide Tour Championship is currently taking place at Daniel Island in South Carolina and has three players tied for the lead. James Hahn, Brendan Steele and Joe Affrunti are all on the top of the leader board with a six-under 66 after the first
round. This event is a crucial for all those Nationwide players hoping to attain a PGA Tour card for 2011. Only the top sixty in the money list qualified for the final and the top 25 at the end of the championship will receive their PGA cards on Sunday.
The current leaders of the championship really need to struggle if they want to attain their playing card. Hahn is number 29th on the money list whereas Steele and Affrunti are 20th and 34th respectively.
During an interview, Joe said that in total there are 72 holes in the course and one should always try to post as many birdies as he can. He hopes to come out playing well. Affrunti gave two birdies in the first six holes and that was all he could score
in the front nine. Posting a birdie on the par-4 10th, he hit a seven-footer for a birdie in the twelfth hole. On a role, Affrunti shot another birdie on the par-3 15th and then another on the 17th to secure lead for the day.
The other leader of the championship, Hahn also grabbed two birdies in the first six holes he played. Following that, he fired consecutive birdies at the tenth and eleventh hole and then shot a five-footer to achieve a birdie on the 14th hole.
This also ended as two in the row, as Hahn posted a birdie on the 15th hole. If James isn’t able to consistently give this performance, he could at least be satisfied to know that he is prepping well for another tournament. Hahn was even telling
his caddie that he took this tournament as prep for Q school. He said it has a Q School feel to it. Even though he might not be playing for the PGA next year, he is still happy to be exempt for the 2011 Nationwide Tour. The player beamed that he’s financially
secure and healthy and Sunday’s decision will not bring him down.
Brendan Steele led the first round thanks to his performance in the back nine holes. Even though Steele had two birdies on the front nine, he posted four birdies in a six-hole span on the second side. Brendan said that the ability to focus was what drove
him to the top of the leader board. He said he didn’t feel that great during the first round but sometimes surprisingly you do well then. Steele thinks he played smart and had good targets.
Hahn and Steele are not only back-to-back on the money list but also play together as well.
"Brendan and I are really good friends," Hahn said. "I don't think we've played a competitive round together, but we've played practice rounds together. I've never played with Fred Couples, but I can imagine he's very much like that, easygoing,
easy to play with, the same routine. It's amazing how easy it was today. I was riding his coattails, he was riding my coattails."
Currently, Jamie Lovemark is leading the money list and Chris Kirk is following at number two. Lovemark finished the day with a 3-under 69 and Kirk didn’t participate due to a fractured bone in his left thumb. Jamie is sharing the eight place with Jason
Gore, Rob Oppenheim, John Riegger, Kevin Chappell, David Hearn, Scott Gutschewski, Tag Ridings and Justin Hicks.
William McGirt and Hunter Haas carded five-under 67s and are tied for fourth place. Colt Knost And Scoot Gardiner share the sixth place with a 4-under 68.
Overall, the finale of the Nationwide Tour is as exciting as it sounds. This event will open PGA doors for some and for others it will just give them the motivation to try harder next year.
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