Golf writer Andy Reistetter was on site at the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina last week. He helped cover the action for The Golf Channel and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing in person the crowning tournament of the Nationwide Tour where 25 golden golfers earned their 2010 PGA TOUR cards.
To top that experience he was invited by Greg Keating, Vice President of Club Operations and Bobby Donnellan, Director of Golf to play the Rees Jones designed Ralston Creek Course on Monday morning. From the tips and with Sunday hole locations this devoted amateur golfer tells the story of the Nationwide Tour Championship and his "Monday Morning Golf" outing in his own words.
I have always wanted to go to Charleston, South Carolina so it was a no-brainer to drive up from Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Thursday morning to catch all the action of the Nationwide Tour Championship at the Daniel Island Club.
My connection with Charleston was through the movie The Prince of Tides. You know the one nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1991 with Barbara Streisand and Nick Nolte. I loved it when Nolte drove over the picturesque bridge in a convertible. So my dream was always to go to Charleston and drive over that bridge with the top down.
The Daniel Island Club is a couple of miles off the interstate highway. It’s a Wizard of Oz Munchkin like moment. It is that dramatic of an entrance into an enchanted land of Low country natural oaks, beautiful palms and saltwater marshes.
What is the quickest way to paradise from Interstate 526 around Charleston, South Carolina? Take Exit 24- Daniel Island and proceed to the Daniel Island Club.
Sixty of the best golfers on the Nationwide Tour did exactly that for their championship event- the culmination of the landmark 20th season of PGA TOUR Driven excellence. There is no question that the skill, desire and work ethic of these golfers mirror that of the big tour.
In fact the PGA TOUR is simply the grown up version of its younger brother. Nationwide Tour graduates account for 258 PGA TOUR wins including 13 Major and 3 PLAYERS Championships.
Make that 259 PGA TOUR wins with Nationwide Tour alumni Troy Matteson winning the Frys.com Open last week.
You do the math on that one- 20 years, about 40 PGA events a year is about 800 events… so about one in three come from the Nationwide Tour. With Tiger Woods with 71 victories and players coming directly from the European Tour being the key exceptions.
Matt Every who came in at No. 49 shot 63 in Friday's second round and a pair of 67s on the weekend to overcome the tour's best golfer Michael Sim who came out firing on all cylinders with a 64 on Thursday.
The 25-year old Every would make his first win on the Nationwide Tour his biggest and hopefully his last. His stellar performance vaulted him to No. 10 on the money list. That gold status earned him his playing card on the PGA TOUR in 2010.
The heart pounding and heartwarming story of the week on Daniel Island was 44-year old Fran Quinn. Turning pro in 1988 he made it to the PGA TOUR for the first and only time in 1992 when he finished T8 at Q-School.
First and only time until now.
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