Pulse of the Nationwide Tour

With the FedExCup trophy firmly in Tiger's possession the focus now becomes who will be eligible to compete and possibly upstage him next year on the PGA TOUR.

Look no further than the Nationwide Tour the official "proving grounds" of the PGA TOUR.

The performance of Marc Leishman who finished No. 19 on the Nationwide Tour last year to earn his rookie card to the "Big Show" is "proof positive. Peaking in the Playoffs with a 62 in the second round at the Deutsch Bank and finishing T2 in the BMW Championship he finished the year No. 20 on the FedExCup points list.

From No. 19 on the Nationwide Tour to No. 20 on the PGA TOUR in less than 12 months is moving through the express line which includes a 2010 Masters invitation for the soon to be 26 year old Aussie.

Another guy going through the express line in literally the last two weeks is Jerod Turner who won the inaugural Soboba Classic today by two strokes in San Jacinto, California. His express ticket will take him to the 2010 PGA TOUR and who knows where else given Leishman's example.

With only limited status on tour as the result of a T154 finish in the 2008 Q-School, two weeks ago he had played in only five Nationwide events this year missing the cut in the last four. Having never played in a single PGA TOUR event his only other experience was two Nationwide events in 2008 and on the mini tours.

The general contractor by day opened with a pair of 67s last week in the WNB Golf Classic in Midland, Texas. He held tough over the weekend and the T7 finish gave him a ticket to this week's first $1 million event on tour this year.

The little known 34-year old with only a partial profile on the PGATOUR web site took full advantage of his spot in the inaugural Soboba Classic coming from two strokes behind and passing two guys on a windy and cooler Sunday afternoon in the grandeur of the san Jacinto Mountains.

With his first three rounds in the 60s Turner managed a 2-under par 69 when it counted. The field averaged an amazing three and a half strokes more in the final round versus the third round. The other seven golfers in the last four pairings averaged over 74.   

Turner's winner's check of $180,000 boosted his earning to over $200,000 and moved him from No. 150 to No. 17 on the official money list. As one of the golden Top 25 graduates he will tee it up with the likes of Tiger Woods next year on the PGA TOUR.

There were other exciting story lines this week on the Nationwide Tour in the California desert.

Rickie Fowler, a two time United States Walker Cup Champion and two-time All-American in two years at Oklahoma State shot 65 on Saturday to contend for the lead heading into the weekend. A disappointing 77 on Sunday dampened his breakthrough hopes. With a T31 finish he is outside the automatic Top 25 berth in next week's Chattanooga Classic.

Fowler's presence electrified the galleries as he grew up within 30 miles of the Country Club at Soboba Springs in Marietta, California. His light orange colored shirt is surely to become a staple of the Nationwide Tour and the PGA TOUR within the next few years.

Who knows who the next Tiger Woods will be? Maybe 16-year old Italian Matteo Manassero who played with Tom Watson in the Turnberry Open and finished T13? Or 18-year old phenoms President's cup International Team member Ryo Ishikawa of Japan or American Tadd Fujikawa?

Northern Ireland's 20-year-old Rory McIlroy has certainly proved himself this year with a T10 finish at the Bethpage Black U.S. Open and a T3 finish at the Hazeltine PGA Championship.

Or maybe it will be the 20 year old Rickie Fowler who made an impressive yet limited performance on a golf course revamped since he played there during his high school years.

It feels like playoff season on the Nationwide Tour.

Maybe at the casino the key numbers are seven and 11 though on the golf courses of the Nationwide Tour the two key numbers are 25 and 60.

Make the top 60 on the money list during the next two events- the Chattanooga Classic in Tennessee and the Miccosukee Championship in Miami to get into the season grand finale at the second $1 million event—the Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston, South Carolina.

From there make the Top 25 to earn the golden promotion to PGA TOUR in 2010.

Of course if one does not make it through the Nationwide Tour avenue there is always the Qualifying Tournament a.k.a. Q-School. The compelling nerve-racking finals scheduled for conclusion on Monday, December 7 at Bear Lakes CC in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The pulse of Marc Leishman is calm and steady after a sensational 2009 PGA TORU season where he made over $1.7 million.

After today's performance at the Soboba Classic the pulse of Jerod Turner is beating rapidly after a dramatic Nationwide Tour victory that will take him to where he wants to go.

Keep an eye on the pulse of the Nationwide Tour over the next few weeks as it surely will be exciting to watch!  

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour working for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel.

Wintering in the Ponte Vedra Beach, FL near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass he enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mail to [e-mail]