Another year wiser, No. 60 Buckle aiming at finale

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Andrew Buckle, despite missing two consecutive cuts on the Nationwide Tour and slipping from 57 to 60 on the money list, can still earn a trip to next week's Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island with a good performance this week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

If he passes this week's test at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open, Buckle's goal is to not go down without a fight. Even if a top 25 finish on the Nationwide money list and earning a PGA TOUR card is a longshot, in his eyes it's still a possibility.

All he's hoping for is a fighting chance. The 29-year-old Aussie spent extended time on the range Monday and Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass in preparation for Dye's Valley, where he hopes to regain the form that led him to one top 10 and three top 25 finishes in the first five months of the 2011 season.

"The first part of the year was good, then it hasn't been the best in the last part of the year," said Buckle, whose only Nationwide Tour win came in 2006 at the Virginia Beach Open. "Hopefully, that will change this week, because I'd like to get to Daniel Island. It's a fun place to play."

To get into the 60-man field in Daniel Island, he must first separate himself from a crowded group seeking the same prize, including Charles Warren (59th), Harris English (61st), Nicholas Thompson (62rd), James Hahn (63rd) and Chris Nallen (64).

"I've played here last year and it's a good course," said Buckle, "but it's tight. Last year, the greens were pretty firm and fast. I don't think it matters how the golf course is set up if you're playing well. You just have to get the ball into the hole. I just have to play well. We'll see what happens."

Buckle knows what it takes to go low and to come from behind. In his only top 10 of 2011, he rallied with a 65 in Sunday's final round at the BMP Charity Pro-Am in May to finish fourth. His best round of the year came in July at the Chiquita Classic when he opened with a 63 (T27).

Should he get to the Nationwide Tour Championship, it won't be his first time on the big stage.

In 2006, he entered the Nationwide Tour Championship with one win and four top 10s already under his belt, responding with a strong T2 finish in Houston to earn his first PGA TOUR card. In that inaugural season on the PGA TOUR, his best week came with a T4 at the Buick Invitational, he made 12 of 26 cuts and finished 142nd. He played both tours in 2007.

In his only trip to Daniel Island two years ago, Buckle made it to the weekend but finished 53rd.

The Brisbane native is hoping history won't repeat itself this year at TPC Sawgrass, as Buckle was close to getting to Daniel Island a year ago when Winn-Dixie came around. He positioned himself for a run at the leaders on Saturday with a 66, but stumbled to a 74 on Sunday and ended the season at No. 72.

Another year older and wiser, Buckle hopes, will do the trick.