Gillis wins Nationwide Tour Players Cup for friend

Posted on 29/06/09. Source: Charleston Daily Mail (By Rich Stevens)

Nationwide Tour - Nationwide Tour Players Cup
Venue: Pete Dye Golf Club · Bridgeport, W. Va
Date: 25-28 June 2009

Michigan native Tom Gillis strode on the 17th fairway after hitting an approach shot in the middle of the green Sunday during the final round of the Nationwide Tour's Players Cup at the Pete Dye Golf Club.

Then, he had to wait, in only his fifth event of the year, with a three-shot lead, a 35-foot putt and a chance to make a meteoric move up the Nationwide Tour money list.

Kyle Reifers, a native of Charlotte, N.C., had hit his second shot into the dust that had settled below the Pittsburgh coal seam, which overlooks much of the hole.

As Reifers conferred with a rules official, Gillis paced, worked on his putt and waited.

"The wait doesn't help," Gillis said. "It takes away your momentum a little bit. It's not his fault."

Gillis missed the 35-foot eagle putt and was just right on the birdie putt inside 10 feet. He hit the next putt to finish with four consecutive pars for his first victory of the season.

His share of the $600,000 purse was $108,000. Also, with the victory comes a leap from 108th on the money list to No. 10. The top 25 players on the money list earn their PGA Tour card.

"I wish we were finishing right now," said Gillis, who has made $129,509 on the Nationwide Tour this year. "I never won on the Nationwide Tour. I had chances. I've won four times, on the Gateway Tour and the E-Golf Tour. I struggled financially earlier in the year (on those tours), but I won two of those - one was worth $30,000 and the other worth $50,000 when I needed it. I thought if I could do it then, I could definitely do it now."

For Gillis, it's a boost that he needed after battling injuries that dropped him off the map.

"I really had to claw my way back," Gillis said. "It's going to make it real special. I get my chance to get back out there again. It's a lot of fun. I really enjoy it out there."

The 41-year-old played on 28 PGA Tour events and made 12 cuts in 2005, including the Buick Invitational, where he finished 11th. However, he missed the cut in his final four events.

Gillis made a push on the final day by going 2-under par 70, but he also had to overcome a double-bogey on No. 13 that tightened the race to two strokes between him, Australia's Cameron Percy and Arizona's Roger Tambellini.

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. - Michigan native Tom Gillis strode on the 17th fairway after hitting an approach shot in the middle of the green Sunday during the final round of the Nationwide Tour's Players Cup at the Pete Dye Golf Club.

Then, he had to wait, in only his fifth event of the year, with a three-shot lead, a 35-foot putt and a chance to make a meteoric move up the Nationwide Tour money list.

Kyle Reifers, a native of Charlotte, N.C., had hit his second shot into the dust that had settled below the Pittsburgh coal seam, which overlooks much of the hole.

As Reifers conferred with a rules official, Gillis paced, worked on his putt and waited.

"The wait doesn't help," Gillis said. "It takes away your momentum a little bit. It's not his fault."

Gillis missed the 35-foot eagle putt and was just right on the birdie putt inside 10 feet. He hit the next putt to finish with four consecutive pars for his first victory of the season.

His share of the $600,000 purse was $108,000. Also, with the victory comes a leap from 108th on the money list to No. 10. The top 25 players on the money list earn their PGA Tour card.

"I wish we were finishing right now," said Gillis, who has made $129,509 on the Nationwide Tour this year. "I never won on the Nationwide Tour. I had chances. I've won four times, on the Gateway Tour and the E-Golf Tour. I struggled financially earlier in the year (on those tours), but I won two of those - one was worth $30,000 and the other worth $50,000 when I needed it. I thought if I could do it then, I could definitely do it now."

For Gillis, it's a boost that he needed after battling injuries that dropped him off the map.

"I really had to claw my way back," Gillis said. "It's going to make it real special. I get my chance to get back out there again. It's a lot of fun. I really enjoy it out there."

The 41-year-old played on 28 PGA Tour events and made 12 cuts in 2005, including the Buick Invitational, where he finished 11th. However, he missed the cut in his final four events.

Gillis made a push on the final day by going 2-under par 70, but he also had to overcome a double-bogey on No. 13 that tightened the race to two strokes between him, Australia's Cameron Percy and Arizona's Roger Tambellini.

"I hit a really good shot on 13, right at the flag and I thought it was the perfect club," Gillis said. "It went in the water. Nobody said this would be easy, but all week long I seemed to bounce back."

Still, his mishap opened some eyes of players who were wrapping up their weeklong visit to Bridgeport.

"I wasn't watching the leaderboard until I finished," Percy said. "I bogeyed the last hole and somebody said I better hang around (because) he just might double. I thought I was way out of it, and then I said, 'Oh, I might have a chance here.'"

Gillis finished strong in the final round of the Players Cup with four birdies and a bogey on the front, while other players bunched near the top of the leaderboard began to drop off.

He had a five-stroke lead after nine holes - the front and back nine at Pete Dye were reversed for the Players Cup.

After Saturday's third round, eight players were within three strokes of the lead and a total of nine were under par by double digits. Only six players finished under par by double digits.

Gillis was surprised some of the Sunday scores weren't lower.

"I thought there would be more pushing in the back," said Gillis, who was in the final group after leading by one stroke through three rounds. "I just tried to keep pushing away. I had a setback on 13, but I birdied the next hole and that took some pressure off."

The average final-round score of 74.155 was the highest round in event history, beating the 2006 opening round by more than one stroke.

Photo source; PGA Tour.com