Washington-area golf fans might have trouble getting enthused about the Nationwide Tour’s Melwood Prince George’s County Open, especially after news of Tiger Woods’ AT&T National coming to Congressional in July.
But here are a few reasons to pay attention — Zach Johnson, Boo Weekley and Nick Watney. The last three winners on the PGA Tour are recent graduates of the Nationwide.
Players of their pedigree will compete May 24-27 at the Country Club at Woodmore in Mitchellville for a $600,000 purse with $108,000 going to the winner.
“We will not have Tiger Woods,” said Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee. “But Tiger Woods will not be at about 27 PGA Tour events either.”
It’s possible Calfee has used this line before defending his circuit. But as more graduates come to prominence, the Nationwide is quickly shedding its backwater reputation, bringing more tournaments each year to major markets. This year half of the tour’s 32 events will be shown on the Golf Channel.
PGA Tour veteran and Prince George’s County native Fred Funk is honorary chairman of the inaugural event. Some of the players golf fans will recognize include former PGA Tour winners Carlos Franco, Jim Gallagher, Len Mattiace, and Steve Pate, and former U.S. Amateur champions Ricky Barnes, Hank Kuehne and David Gossett.
The Nationwide chose Prince George’s County as a tournament site to fill a void last year when the D.C. area lost the Booz Allen Classic. The tournament was to be the only game in town in 2007, but that was before the PGA Tour’s International was hastily cancelled and the AT&T National was conceived.
Calfee admits that was a setback for the Melwood, but only temporarily.
“The opportunity with Tiger came along and it’s great for golf, great for the tour, and great for the Washington area,” said Calfee, a former player at the University of Maryland. “It did put a little damper on the initial buzz and the excitement that was building for this event. But long term I think this event can be very successful.”
GOING NATIONWIDE
» The Nationwide Tour was created in 1990 as a brand extension of the PGA Tour.
» The top 25 players from the Nationwide Tour graduate to the PGA Tour.
» Sixty-one percent of current PGA Tour players are from the Nationwide, including David Duval, John Daly, Ernie Els, Tom Lehman, Jim Furyk and David Toms.
