Nationwide Tour In Town
Tournament Could Produce Next StarBy MATTHEW WAKEFIELD
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6/24/2007 - FINDLEY LAKE — Advertisements for the Peek'n Peak Classic show two pictures of professional golfer Zach Johnson: one from 2003, when he was a member of the Nationwide Tour, and another from earlier this year, when he won The Masters, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world.
The caption reads: ''Then. Now. Who's Next?''
Only time will tell who is next to take the leap from the somewhat anonymous ranks of the Nationwide Tour to the top of the golfing world. But whoever it is, there's a good chance he could be walking the fairways and prowling the greens of the Peek'n Peak's Upper Course this week as the Nationwide Tour returns to the Findley Lake resort for its sixth year.
While Johnson — who played at Peek'n Peak in 2003, finishing seventh in what was then called the Lake Erie Charity Classic — has made perhaps the biggest splash on the PGA Tour, plenty of other recent Nationwide Tour graduates have made ripples of their own.
''If you look at the PGA Tour leaderboard, every week you repeatedly see former Nationwide Tour members up there,'' said Linda Warshuis, Peek'n Peak Classic tournament director, this weekend as final preparations were being made for the tournament. ''We always get asked, 'Who's coming?' The answer is the stars of tomorrow, the people who you don't know who might go on the PGA Tour and light it up.
The caliber of golf is phenomenal.''
It only figures to get better this year. The purse has been increased from $540,000 to $600,000, putting it in the top third of all tournaments on the tour. Since the primary goal of Nationwide Tour members is to finish in the top 25 on the season's final money list so they can graduate to the PGA Tour next year, most of the top players can be expected this week.
''We're going to have a good showing,'' said Brad Gravink, Peek'n Peak Resort general manager. ''If somebody wins this tournament and the $108,000 for first place, it pretty much guarantees their card for the big tour next year.''
Tournament week gets under way tomorrow morning with the qualifier on the Lower Course and practice rounds on the Upper Course. The Junior Pro-Am is at 1 p.m. Monday Tuesday has a full day of practice rounds and Wednesday is Pro-Am day, with players teeing off for the morning round at 7 a.m. and for the afternoon round at noon.
The first two rounds of the tournament are Thursday and Friday, with tee times starting at 7 a.m. After the second round is completed, the field will be cut from 156 to the top 60 plus ties for the final two rounds, which will be played Saturday and Sunday. The trophy presentation for the champion will take place on the 18th green following the conclusion of the tournament.
Tickets can be purchased at any area Wegman's or at the resort's Annex Office through Wednesday. Once the tournament gets under way on Thursday, the Ticket Booth as well as Will Call will move to the Upper Course rather than remain at the Annex Office as in previous years. Those without tickets or with tickets at Will Call can take one of the shuttles to the top of the mountain and take care of their ticketing needs right at the course rather than having to make a pit-stop at the office.
Spectators are welcome throughout the week. Monday through Wednesday is free, Thursday through Sunday is $10 a day, or a weekly pass can be purchased for $30. Children 16 years old and under do not need a ticket when accompanied by an adult.
All of the proceeds from ticket sales go to the tournament's charity, which is again the American Cancer Society.
Additionally, money raised through a silent auction and from the King of the Hill competition also go directly to the charity.
The King of the Hill, which made its debut last year, is a competition for fans in which they pay for the chance to hit golf balls onto a green located down one of the ski slopes. Those who hit it closest to the pin each day qualify to take a shot at $1 million by trying to hole out from a specified spot on the 18th fairway. That shootout will take place following the trophy presentation, weather permitting.
The weather didn't permit the shootout in 2006 and it had to take place on the first hole while the tournament was still being played on other parts of the course. Due to several delays due to lightning and rain, the tournament didn't finish until near-darkness, when John Merrick beat Gavin Coles on the third playoff hole.
''Hopefully we'll have better weather than last year,'' Gravink said. ''We'd never had to evacuate the course for lightning in the four previous years and last year we had to do it five times. Mother Nature, she can do to us whatever she wants and she wasn't real cooperative last year.''
The caption reads: ''Then. Now. Who's Next?''
Only time will tell who is next to take the leap from the somewhat anonymous ranks of the Nationwide Tour to the top of the golfing world. But whoever it is, there's a good chance he could be walking the fairways and prowling the greens of the Peek'n Peak's Upper Course this week as the Nationwide Tour returns to the Findley Lake resort for its sixth year.
While Johnson — who played at Peek'n Peak in 2003, finishing seventh in what was then called the Lake Erie Charity Classic — has made perhaps the biggest splash on the PGA Tour, plenty of other recent Nationwide Tour graduates have made ripples of their own.
''If you look at the PGA Tour leaderboard, every week you repeatedly see former Nationwide Tour members up there,'' said Linda Warshuis, Peek'n Peak Classic tournament director, this weekend as final preparations were being made for the tournament. ''We always get asked, 'Who's coming?' The answer is the stars of tomorrow, the people who you don't know who might go on the PGA Tour and light it up.
The caliber of golf is phenomenal.''
It only figures to get better this year. The purse has been increased from $540,000 to $600,000, putting it in the top third of all tournaments on the tour. Since the primary goal of Nationwide Tour members is to finish in the top 25 on the season's final money list so they can graduate to the PGA Tour next year, most of the top players can be expected this week.
''We're going to have a good showing,'' said Brad Gravink, Peek'n Peak Resort general manager. ''If somebody wins this tournament and the $108,000 for first place, it pretty much guarantees their card for the big tour next year.''
Tournament week gets under way tomorrow morning with the qualifier on the Lower Course and practice rounds on the Upper Course. The Junior Pro-Am is at 1 p.m. Monday Tuesday has a full day of practice rounds and Wednesday is Pro-Am day, with players teeing off for the morning round at 7 a.m. and for the afternoon round at noon.
The first two rounds of the tournament are Thursday and Friday, with tee times starting at 7 a.m. After the second round is completed, the field will be cut from 156 to the top 60 plus ties for the final two rounds, which will be played Saturday and Sunday. The trophy presentation for the champion will take place on the 18th green following the conclusion of the tournament.
Tickets can be purchased at any area Wegman's or at the resort's Annex Office through Wednesday. Once the tournament gets under way on Thursday, the Ticket Booth as well as Will Call will move to the Upper Course rather than remain at the Annex Office as in previous years. Those without tickets or with tickets at Will Call can take one of the shuttles to the top of the mountain and take care of their ticketing needs right at the course rather than having to make a pit-stop at the office.
Spectators are welcome throughout the week. Monday through Wednesday is free, Thursday through Sunday is $10 a day, or a weekly pass can be purchased for $30. Children 16 years old and under do not need a ticket when accompanied by an adult.
All of the proceeds from ticket sales go to the tournament's charity, which is again the American Cancer Society.
Additionally, money raised through a silent auction and from the King of the Hill competition also go directly to the charity.
The King of the Hill, which made its debut last year, is a competition for fans in which they pay for the chance to hit golf balls onto a green located down one of the ski slopes. Those who hit it closest to the pin each day qualify to take a shot at $1 million by trying to hole out from a specified spot on the 18th fairway. That shootout will take place following the trophy presentation, weather permitting.
The weather didn't permit the shootout in 2006 and it had to take place on the first hole while the tournament was still being played on other parts of the course. Due to several delays due to lightning and rain, the tournament didn't finish until near-darkness, when John Merrick beat Gavin Coles on the third playoff hole.
''Hopefully we'll have better weather than last year,'' Gravink said. ''We'd never had to evacuate the course for lightning in the four previous years and last year we had to do it five times. Mother Nature, she can do to us whatever she wants and she wasn't real cooperative last year.''
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com
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