With seven full-field events remaining on the 2005 Nationwide Tour calendar, there is still plenty of time for players to earn their PGA Tour cards for next season.
The top 20 on the money list by years end will graduate to the primary circuit, and there will be plenty of shuffling on and around this exempt number over the next two months.
Entering this weeks Envirocare Utah Classic, Charley Hoffman is the man on the bubble with $145,908. To show how tenuous his position is, he is only $53 clear of No. 21 Bill Haas.
A total of $450,000 is up for grabs in Sandy, Utah, with $81,000 going to the winner. Peter Tomasula earned that same amount in his victory at last weeks Alberta Classic and vaulted from 163rd to 45th in earnings. Hes not in the field this week, but plenty of others in attendance are hoping to make a similar major move.
Winning this event is no guarantee for professional advancement, but recent champions have been able to move forward.
Each of the last three Utah Classic winners has gone on to earn his PGA Tour card for the following season. That includes 2002 winner Arron Oberholser, 2003 champ Zach Johnson and 2004 victor Brett Wetterich.
Last year, the top three finishers in this event all ended in the top 20 on the money list.
The Willow Creek Country Club has hosted this tournament since its inception in 1999. Carl Paulsons 22-under 266 performance in the inaugural event is still the 72-hole scoring record.
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