Nationwide Tour Storylines: Mustache mettle in Utah

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Last Friday in Columbus, Ohio, it was announced that Nationwide Insurance is the new presenting sponsor of the Memorial Tournament on the PGA TOUR. It was also announced that Nationwide will honor its umbrella sponsorship commitment to the Nationwide Tour through 2012 but that it will not extend its sponsorship beyond that. The following are relevant quotes regarding the news:

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Bill Calfee / President, Nationwide Tour -- "Nationwide Insurance has been a wonderful partner since 2003 and played a major role in the growth and increased stature the Nationwide Tour and all of its tournaments have enjoyed the last several years. The work to find a new umbrella sponsor has already begun. We are confident the ever-growing and strong reputation our Tour continues to experience will attract a number of potential umbrella sponsors and that one will partner with us, allowing the Tour to attain even greater heights in the future."

Tim Finchem / Commissioner, PGA TOUR -- "The Nationwide Tour is a vehicle that Nationwide has mentioned many times has been an incredible branding opportunity. We want to find a partner that is active, engaged and wants to build something.....The Nationwide Tour has played a significant role in the development of many of today's PGA TOUR stars and is a key part of the fabric of the PGA TOUR."

Jim Lyski / Chief Marketing Officer, Nationwide -- "The Nationwide Tour has been an outstanding opportunity for Nationwide to build a relationship with golf fans across the country, and we're confident that the value of this sponsorship will be appealing to a new sponsor....We have been very, very happy over the last several years with the Nationwide Tour, but when we had an opportunity to step up and sponsor or present the Memorial, it was too good of an opportunity to pass."

Arnold Palmer (who attended the Mylan Classic near Pittsburgh on Friday) -- "There's no question that the Nationwide Tour is the proving ground for the regular Tour. I think that's wonderful. The more tournaments they get, the better the tournaments get, the better the players are going to get and, of course, when they go to the regular Tour, they're prepared for it. You see how many good players have come off the Nationwide Tour and on to the regular Tour and I'd like to see that continue. I'd like to see the Nationwide Tour continue to gain in stature and as it gains in stature, the players gain and the regular Tour is going to gain from that."

TOUR HEADS WEST; UTAH IS FIRST OF FOUR STOPS -- The Utah Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission marks the first of four western stops (Boise, Idaho, Midland, Texas, San Jacinto, Calif.) for the Nationwide Tour. The Tour visits Utah for the 12th year in a row dating back to 1999. Willow Creek Country Club has been the host venue every year.

4th ANNUAL "MUSTACHE WEEK" IN UTAH -- A fun event initiated by a handful of players four years ago in Utah has turned into a nice tournament tradition -- "Mustache Week." For the past few weeks, Nationwide Tour players have been growing their whiskers. Mustaches were judged and Joe Affrunti was named the 2010 winner on Tuesday evening at a barbecue at the Willow Creek Country Club swimming pool. Golf Channel was on hand to capture footage of the "competition."

NATIVE SON DANIEL SUMMERHAYS -- Native son Daniel Summerhays (Farmington, Utah) returns home while in the midst of a strong summer of play that has pushed him to No. 15 on the money list. After missing five cuts in his first six starts, the former BYU All-American has reversed course completely. In early May, he was runner-up at the Stadion Classic at UGA. Since the end of June, he has only missed two cuts and posted five top-10 finishes, which includes a T3 and T4. Summerhays has never really contended for the Utah title but it is one he would dearly like to capture. Since 2007, he has finished T30, T35 and T25. Summerhays is the only amateur to win a Nationwide Tour event having done so at the 2007 Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational while a BYU first-team All-American.

BATTLEFIELD PROMOTION WATCH -- Chris Kirk, Tommy Gainey and Martin Piller are all one win away from securing their third victory of 2010 and an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR. Since instituted in 1997, there have been only nine promotions, the most recent being Australian Michael Sim last year. Any player who captures a third title this year will be presented with a Battlefield Promotion Award by Tiffany & Co. and the Nationwide Tour. Tiffany & Co. is the Official Awards and Gift provider of the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and commemorates the most significant achievements on the Nationwide Tour., including "The 25" card ceremony at the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C., on Oct. 31st.

JUNIOR PLAYERS WINNER SET FOR RETURN TRIP TO TPC SAWGRASS -- Michael Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., captured the 4th Junior PLAYERS Championship on Sunday with a 4-under-par 212 total on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The 17-year-old, who is Auburn bound next year, now finds himself making plans for a return trip to PGA TOUR headquarters and the inaugural Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters in October (18-24). The Junior PLAYERS mirrored conditions and the 7,215-yard, par-72 layout used at THE PLAYERS in May. A couple of interesting side notes on Michael: 1) he was the last player to get in the field due to a withdrawal on Wednesday and had to scramble to get to Ponte Vedra Beach in time...2) he played with Bobby Wyatt (2009 Junior PLAYERS winner) when Wyatt shot 57 in the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship in July. "I flipped his numbers..shot 75," he said.

CHALK UP ANOTHER "W" FOR THE ALUMNI -- Charley Hoffman's win on Sunday at the Deustche Bank Championship upped the number of Nationwide Tour alumni wins on the PGA TOUR to 283. The San Diego, Calif. native earned his PGA TOUR card for 2006 after finishing 19th on the Nationwide Tour money list the preceding fall.

FEDEXCUP LEADERS -- The four leaders in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup are Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman, Steve Stricker and Jason Day, all Nationwide Tour alums.

BIRTHDAY BOYS -- Celebrating birthdays this week in Utah are Brice Garnett (Sept. 6th / turns 27) of Gallatin, Mo., and Missouri Western State U., Tag Ridings (Sept. 7th / 36) of Roanoke, Texas, and the University of Arkansas and Esteban Toledo (Sept. 10th / 48) of Castle Rock, Colo.

NEXT WEEK -- The Nationwide Tour will be in Boise, Idaho, for the 21st Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft.