Golf: WNB Classic tees off Thursday in Midland

MIDLAND When the Nationwide Tour’s WNB Classic finished last year, winner Marc Leishman had demolished the field by a tour-record 11 shots, handling the West Texas winds and quick greens as easily as a walk in the park.

Leishman now toils on the PGA Tour and is in Georgia this weekend for the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs — and the spot that all the current Nationwide Tour players would love to be in at this time next year.

They’ll get their chance to begin taking that step today as play gets underway at the 2009 WNB Classic at Midland Country Club, with 44 of the top 60 money winners this season entered in the contest.

“This is a great tournament and I love coming back to Midland,” said Chris Tidland, who sits third on the money list, having won earlier this season at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open in August.

“The course is in great shape and is very demanding and the people running the tournament do a great job. And with just a few tournaments left in the season, it’s a time to get my game ready for the Tour Championship.”

The Tour Championship will be held in Charleston, S.C. this season, inviting the top 60 money winners for one last shot to crack the Top 25, thereby earning a spot on the 2010 PGA Tour.

Currently, Michael Sim sits No. 1 on the money list, but won’t be in the Permian Basin this week. That’s because, with three victories this season, he’s earned the “battlefield” promotion to the PGA Tour and is preparing to take part in some of the Fall Tour events beginning next week.

That leaves Tidland and others, including second-place Blake Adams, looking to chase down Sim before the end of the season to take over the top spot. Because not only is their the prestige of leading the money list at the end of the season, but the No. 1 guy gets an automatic entry into the Players Championship next year.

“No. 1 is my goal,” said Adams, who finished second last week at the Albertson’s Boise Open. He trails Sim by $157,432 ($527,029 to $369,499) and with $94,500 up for grabs to the winner this week, could begin to make a serious run at the top spot.

“I didn’t have a good day on Sunday last week and it cost me,” Adams added. “But I played well the first three days and putted well, which is something you have to do here because the greens are in great shape and you have a chance to make some putts.”

Adams won’t have to contend with just the Nationwide Tour regulars this week, either. Last week in Boise, Idaho, 31 players with PGA Tour status played in the event, trying to get some work in during the FedEx Cup Playoffs that concludes this week after five weeks.

This week, Billy Mayfair will make his Nationwide Tour debut and Joe Durant will play at this level for the first time since 1996. Also entered are Bob May, who finished runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 2000 PGA Championship, Andrew Magee and long-time announcer Bobby Clampett, who won the 1982 Southern Open during a 15-year career on the PGA Tour.

“The competition always is tough out here and with it getting tougher to get into some of the events in the PGA Tour, you see those guys coming down here to play,” Tidland said. “That just makes the Nationwide Tour stronger.”

Nationwide Tour WNB Classic

Tee Times

Thursday

First Tee

7:50 a.m.—Jim Herman, Paul Gow, Steven Alker

7:59 a.m.—Willie Wood, Jeff Gove, Andrew Magee

8:08 a.m.—Hunter Haas, D.J. Brigman, Tom Gillis

8:17 a.m.—Tom Carter, John Riegger, Brenden Pappas

8:26 a.m.—Darron Stiles, Kyle Reifers, Jim McGovern

8:35 a.m.—Alistair Presnell, Jason Schultz, Bob Burns

8:44 a.m.—Craig Bowden, Ryan Armour, Phil Tataurangi

8:53 a.m.—Kevin Johnson, Steve Wheatcroft, Todd Demsey

9:02 a.m.—Ryan Hietala, Martin Piller, Brian Stuard

9:11 a.m.—Tom Johnson, Brendan Steele, Sal Spallone

9:20 a.m.—Stuart Deane, Joey Lamielle, Adam Bland

9:29 a.m.—Scott Gardiner, Michael Sims, Alex Aragon

9:38 a.m.—Mike Lavery, David D. Schultz, Jeffery Barton

12:35 p.m.—Ben Bates, Paul Claxton, Garrett Willis

12:44 p.m.—Brennan Webb, Omar Uresti, Tommy Gainey

12:53 p.m.—Len Mattiace, Won Joon Lee, Vance Veazy

1:02 p.m.—Brian Vranesh, Patrick Sheehan, Craig Lile

1:11 p.m.—Garth Mulroy, Joe Daley, David Morland IV

1:20 p.m.—Scott Dunlap, Fran Quinn, Chris Tidland

1:29 p.m.—John Adams, Craig Kanada, David Hearn

1:38 p.m.—Justin Hicks, Eric Axley, Geoffry Sisk

1:47 p.m.—Robert Damron, Kris Cox, Michael Clark II

1:56 p.m.—Miguel Angel Carballo, Scott Parel, Matt Hansen

2:05 p.m.—Matthew Richardson, Fabian Gomez, Koeke Cotner

2:14 p.m.—Brent Delahoussaye, Lucas Lee, Will Dodson

2:23 p.m.—Jeff Burns, Connie Pierce, Vince Jewell.

Tenth Tee

7:50 a.m.—Troy Kelly, Drew Laning, Mathias Gronberg

7:59 a.m.—Jim Carter, Tom Scherrer, Joe Durant

8:08 a.m.—Bubba Dickerson, Tom Byrum, David McKenzie

8:17 a.m.—Bryan DeCorso, Oksar Bergman, Chad Collins

8:26 a.m.—Rich Barcelo, Josh Broadaway, Bobby Clampett

8:35 a.m.—Jason Enloe, Trevor Dodds, Kyle Thompson

8:44 a.m.—Chad Ginn, J.J. Killeen, Craig Barlow

8:53 a.m.—Alex Prugh, Andrew Buckle, Cameron Percy

9:02 a.m.—Daniel Summerhays, Billy Mayfair, Seung-su Han

9:11 a.m.—Dustin Bray, John Kimbell, Dave Schultz

9:20 a.m.—Brad Fritsch, Martin Flores, Jesse Mueller

9:29 a.m.—Bradley Iles, Steve Bowditch, Andrew Johnson

9:38 a.m.—Brian Dwyer, Leroux Ferreira, Steven Young

12:35 p.m.—Guy Boros, Matt Every, Dustin Ridson

12:44 p.m.—Mark Brooks, Blake Adams, J.L. Lewis

12:53 p.m.—Matthew Borchert, Joseph Sykora, Bob May

1:02 p.m.—Arjun Atwal, Tjaart van der Walt, Marco Dawson

1:11 p.m.—Michael Putnam, Paul Stankowski, Grant Waite

1:20 p.m.—Gary Christian, Derek Lamely, Garrett Osborn

1:29 p.m.—Skip Kendall, Tyler Aldridge, B.J. Staten

1:38 p.m.—Chris Nallen, Esteban Toledo, Ian Leggatt

1:47 p.m.—Ron Whittaker, Dustin White, Doug LaBelle II

1:56 p.m.—Andrew Dresser, Steve Taylor, Bret Guetz

2:05 p.m.—Jin Park, Bob Sowards, Chris Kirk

2:14 p.m.—Rhein Gibson, Randy Lowry, Larry Bryan

2:23 p.m.—Ryan Nelson, Gabe Reynolds, Adam Rubinson