Lovemark tops Nationwide

Tour qualifiers for US Tour

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Ryan Lavner
With a seventh-place finish Sunday at the Nationwide Tour Championship, Jamie Lovemark claimed the top spot on the money list to secure fully-exempt status next season on the US PGA Tour.
After a standout career at USC, Lovemark, 22, had little trouble adjusting during his first full pro season. He became only the 11th Nationwide player to eclipse $400,000 in season earnings, finishing with $452,951 to top Chris Kirk by $41,745. Kirk withdrew from the final two events of the season after breaking a bone in his left thumb.
Hunter Haas finished third on the money list, after a T-5 in the Nationwide Tour Championship. Tommy Gainey, a former participant on the Golf Channel reality series “Big Break,” had a chance to overtake Lovemark with a big week at Daniel Island, but shot rounds of 71-72-71-75 to finish fourth in the year-long race.
Lovemark will now be able to play a full schedule of events in 2011, including an automatic exemption into the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Lovemark had seven top-5 finishes this season on the Nationwide circuit, including a win at the Mexico Open.

Last year, in only his fourth event since turning pro, Lovemark lost a three-way playoff at the US PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open.

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