The Web.com Tour plays its final event of 2012 when a 60 strong field takes to the fairways of the TPC Craig s Ranch in McKinney near Dallas for this week s Tour Championship. The final full field event of the season was played last week in Ponte Vedra Beach in north eastern Florida and was won by Russell Henley who defeated D.J. Staten in a playoff to win the Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open. The conclusion of the event brought to an end the money list race for a place amongst the top 60 players to advance to the Tour Championship. Only four Australians have made it to Dallas, namely Cameron Percy, Scott Gardiner, Alistair Presnell and Nick Flanagan. In the chase for the all important top 25 to secure a PGA Tour card in 2013, Percy and Gardiner are locks and it would appear that Alistair Presnell in 19th position is almost in the same category. Presnell missed the cut last week but fortunately for him he did not lose any ground and with US$19,000 between him and the number 25 position it would appear his job is done. All players earn a cheque this week as there is no cut in the US$1 million event so Presnell appears as if he has played his way to the PGA Tour for the first occasion. Gardiner will also be playing the PGA Tour for the first occasion while Percy who has been three times runner-up in 2012 is returning to the PGA Tour after initially playing there in 2010 and for some of 2011. Flanagan is currently in 40th position and it would seem that for him to claw his way inside the top 25 and return to the PGA Tour for the second occasion he probably needs at least another US$55,000 which equates to a top three finish. New Zealander Tim Wilkinson, at number 56, is also in the field having finished 56th on the money list following last week s event.
Author: Bruce Young / iseekgolf.com