Jul. 6, 2010
By John Dell, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
The globetrotting Nationwide Tour gets back into action this week at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic in Canada .
For the third time the Tour will be in Ontario and will feature a field of 160 players on two courses -- the Georgian Bay Club and the Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay.
The field is a little larger this week because of 10 sponsor exemptions and the top five players off the Canadian Tour Order of Merit.
The young stars of the Nationwide Tour have risen to the top of the money list. Chris Kirk, Jamie Lovemark and Kevin Chappell, all recent former college stars, are the top three on the money list and are expected to play this week.
Here are the power rankings for the Ford Wayne Gretzy Classic.
| Power Rankings: Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic |
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Jamie LOVEMARK |
He is coming off his first victory on Tour, winning the Mexico Open Bicentenary in a playoff. He showed off his unlimited talent by besting B.J. Staten in the playoff. With that elusive first victory in hand, look for more wins as the season goes on. |
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Chris KIRK |
The Tour's money-leader hasn't played since winning the Fort Smith Classic on June 20. A young guy who has done enough to earn his PGA TOUR card for next season, Kirk is capable of winning this week to become the season's first two-time winner. |
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Tag RIDINGS |
Of the top 11 on the money list, he's the only player without a victory. He's been the most consistent player on Tour all season and is due for that first win of the season. He leads the Tour in top 10 finishes this season with six. |
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Justin HICKS |
Won the inaugural event by beating Casey Wittenberg in a playoff in 2008. He has a win already this season and ranks ninth on the money list. That all adds up to him most likely being in contention this week. |
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Craig BARLOW |
He has played in five tournaments on the PGA TOUR this season and eight tournaments on the Nationwide Tour. He finished third last year at this tournament shooting 67-69-68-66 so he has some good memories. |
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John Dell has covered golf for the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina for the last 16 years. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.