Golf report: Kirk aims for Nationwide money title
Former Georgia star Chris Kirk hopes the injured wrist that forced him to withdraw from last week's Nationwide event in Jacksonville won't be an issue at this week's Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, S.C.
Kirk, who grew up in Woodstock and now lives at Sea Island, is No. 2 on the Nationwide money list and has already secured his PGA Tour card for 2011. But leading the Nationwide Tour in earnings also comes with a bonus: an invitation to the Players Championship. The top 25 money winners on the Nationwide Tour earn exemptions for the PGA Tour, with the next 35 exempt for the 2011 Nationwide Tour.
Kirk enters the season's final event trailing former Southern Cal standout Jamie Lovemark by only $10,578 in earnings. Lovemark wasn't able to take advantage of Kirk's absence last week, tying for 59th at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. Kirk has won $411,206 and won two events.
Also locked in to earn his PGA card for the first time is Kevin Kisner, another member of Georgia's 2005 national championship team. Kisner has one victory and is 11th in earnings, leaving him easily inside the top 25 and ready for his first trip to the PGA Tour.
Paul Claxton of Sea Island is No. 50 and needs a top-three finish to earn a return trip to the PGA Tour.
Former Georgia Tech All-American Roberto Castro, who played his way into 12 Nationwide events after starting the season with no status, nearly got into the Nationwide Tour Championship. Castro climbed all the way to No. 62, which earned him an exemption into the second stage of Q-School.
PGA Tour
A field of 40 players will compete this week in first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia. The CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Kuala Lumpur includes headliners Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Rickie Fowler, D.J. Trahan and Milton resident Heath Slocum. Asian players in the field include T.C. Chen, Y.E. Yang and three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.
Etc.
Ray Cutright, the director of golf at the Idle Hour Club in Macon, is one of six candidates for secretary of the PGA of America. The election will be held at the annual meeting in Boston, Nov. 4-6. ... Atlanta transplant Inez Muhleman, now of Houston, has been named the 2010 winner of the USGA's Joe Dey Award for devotion to the game. Muhleman belonged to the Atlanta Country Club and Riverbend Country Club before moving to Texas and eventually becoming president of the Women's Texas Golf Association. ...
Alex Hamilton won the eGolf Tour's Callaway Gardens Championship. Three weeks ago, he qualified for the PGA Tour's McGladrey Classic and tied for 45th. Brian Harman of Sea Island and David Robinson of Sandersville tied for eighth at Callaway Gardens.
