Nationwide Tour returns this week with Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae
After a break of almost two weeks, the Nationwide Tour returns with the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae which will kick off from Thursday this week. This will be first of the four events in the coming five weeks which will be played in Hayward California
sponsored by Salinas, Fresh Express, which has been sponsoring the event since last year.
The Nationwide Tour players have been lying low due to the unpredictable nature of the Nationwide Tour and there have been just three tournaments on the Tour since the start of the year. Kevin Chappell won the last year’s episode by one shot, when he defeated
Canadian David Hearn. Australian Michael Sim won the 2009 event.
One of the shining stars of the Nationwide Tour, Jason day was seen last week, blasting his way through the leaderboard of the Masters. The 2007 graduate of the tour posted a 3-under, 68 in the final round, finishing for the second place behind eventual
winner Charl Schwartzel. Day has participated in three majors until now and has made all the cuts.
Fresh Express Classic will be the fourth tournament on the tour and the first one to be played in US for this year. Brett Wetterich won the Chitimacha Louisiana Open last month while Brenden Pappas won the Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open and Mathew Goggin won
the opening tournament of the year, the Panama Claro Championship. Pappas is currently on top of the money list followed by Goggin and Wetterich.
Professional Hall of Fame footballer, Jerry Rice, who was the host and participant of the tournament last year, will again be participating in the event. Rice’s interest has given the Tour considerable impetus with the fan club increasing every day. Rice
scored 83-76 and missed the cut last year. The celebrated footballer also runs his own foundation which will be the major beneficiary of the earnings.
“My main goal was to help the tournament be successful (last year) and I am happy that we are able to do that again this year. I love working with the Nationwide Tour, the players and all the people here at Stonebrae,” he said.
A 20-man contingent of Australasians will be featuring in the tournament including Steve Alker, Adam Blyth, Gavin Coles, Stephen Dartnall, Nick Flanagan, Scott Gardiner, Matthew Giles, Mathew Goggin, Mark Hensby, Brad Iles, Won Joon Lee, Peter Lonard, David
Lutterus, James Nitties, Cameron Percy, Ewan Porter, Alistair Presnell, Aron Price, Tim Wilkinson and Jake Younan-Wise.
The course is a par-70, 7,100 yards, David McLay Kidd layout, with the scenic San Francisco bay in the backdrop. The TPC Stonebrae is famous for its luxurious amenities and stylish premier clubs.
The tour will take a break next week to head straight into South Georgia Classic Pres'd by First State Bank and Trust Company starting from April 28 at the Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, Georgia.
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