Posted
online: June 23, 2005 8:54 PM
Print publication date: June 24, 2005
When the boys on the National City Bank
Amateur Tour tee it up this weekend, there will be more on the line than just
the Short Hills Amateur title.
Much more.
After the conclusion of play Sunday in the 36-hole weekend event at the
Who that will be is very much in question. Only 410 points separate the top
five players in the NCBAm Tour's points chase -- only
310 between second and fifth behind points leader
Steve Schwabe. But the weekend winner will amass 400
points, so that could quickly change the points
landscape. So will the fact that each player's top three scores only will be
used from the first four NCBAm events.
Tom Miler is fifth in the points chase with 570 points, but only two tournaments
played. Because of that, he will be adding all of his points instead of
replacing, which adds a bit more intrigue as he chases Schwabe
(980), Chris Wilkins (880), Kevin Kilstrom (860) and
Dan Fisher (775).
Both Schwabe and Miler earned a chance to compete
in last year's 4-spotter at Pinnacle, neither shooting well enough to make it
into the PGA Tour event.
Now, not only are those two still in the hunt for repeat performances, the
chances are wide open for a number of guys. Among the favorites this weekend
have to be Short Hills members Joe Irwin and Dave
Holmes and any of the season-point leaders, including defending Short Hills Am
champ Schwabe, who was not available for comment for
this article.
"The course sets up well for Steve, generally speaking," said
Wilkins. "He's as straight a driver as we have on tour. This is a course
that requires you to keep it between the trees and you have to like Steve's
game for that. ... The guy who hits the ball straight is going to do OK."
Handling the Short Hills course is never easy -- especially with the greens
that are reported as lightning-fast. But that's only going to be part of this
weekend's tourney. The other aspect is staying focused on the task at hand and
not thinking about the 4-spotter perk that awaits.
Still, Wilkins says the chance to play his home course of Pinnacle with a
shot at getting back into the local PGA Tour event is thrilling. He previously
earned a sponsor's exemption that was offered to the Quad-City Amateur
tournament champ.
"I guess it's a little more far-fetched to do it this way," he
said of returning to the pro event via the one-day qualifier. "If I play
well this weekend, all of a sudden I'm playing my home course against a bunch
of other guys. The odds may not be great, but I'd have the chance."
Schwabe and Fisher would also be playing their
home course in the 18-hole qualifier should they earn that spot this weekend.
Play is scheduled Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. Sunday's final
round will end late in the afternoon. And shortly after that, the points will
be deciphered and two guys will be happy to play an extra round for a big
payoff.