ZealousGolfer.com

The Nationwide Tour moves to Houstonian Golf and Country Club for the Nationwide Tour Championship. The Nationwide Tour is of course the minor leagues of professional golf offering twenty TOUR cards to the top 22 finishers on the Tour's money list. Fast forward the 2006 season to this week and the pressure cooker that is the season finale takes place. The Tour Championship will of $135,000 to the winner of the 65 player event, thus even the guys in the 60-65 positions could move into the top twenty on the money list. This year, 22 players could earn cards from the Nationwide Tour while the 23rd to 37th players move straight to the finals of PGA TOUR qualifying school. The two extra 21st and 22nd spots for cards are due to battle field status promotions by two players this season. The same rule was in effect last season when Jason Gore won three events, automatically moving to the PGA TOUR and allowing 21st man Bubba Watson (the TOUR's longest driver) to play this season. The Tour Championship is not a display of second rate golf, considering such players as Chad Cambell and Camillo Villegas came out of the Nationwide Tour. Last year, the Championship's runner up was Eric Axley who captured a victory at the Chrysler Classic and a second place at Disney. All four rounds of the Nationwide Tour Championship will be shown on The Golf Channel.