Todd Cruises to First Nationwide Victory in Utah  

Sandy, UT- Former University of Georgia All-American Brendon Todd, who claimed his first career professional victory at the 2007 Tarheel Tour Musgrove Mill Classic, fired a final round 4-under-par 67 to coast to a six shot victory in the Nationwide Tour’s Utah Championship.

Todd, who is a native of Cary, NC and resides in Atlanta, GA, got off to the fastest imaginable start on Thursday playing his first five holes in six-under-par. After reaching 9-under-par for the day at one point, he eventually settled for a 7-under-par 64. Todd was in second place after the first round and he remained in second after a second round 66. He finally assumed a one-shot lead after 54 holes following a third round 65. During the final round on Sunday, when many of the contenders struggled, Todd fired a solid 4-under-par 67 and ran away from the field to finish at 22-under-par and win by six shots over six other players.

Todd, who won in his first career start on the Tarheel Tour last August shortly after turning professional, made it to the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School, but his mediocre play at the 108-hole final stage left him with only conditional status on the Nationwide Tour in 2008. After starting his 2008 season on the Tarheel Tour at the Rivertowne Open in March, Todd finally began to get into Nationwide Tour events in late April. He recorded three top-ten finishes in his first seven events, which ultimately set him up as an exempt player for the remainder of the season. Despite a stretch of five missed cuts in six events this summer, the member of 2005 National Championship team at Georgia rediscovered his solid play in early August at the Wichita Open where he finished tied for 16th. He followed that with a tie for 14th and a tie for 9th at the Xerox Classic and Northeast Pennsylvania Classic respectively, which helped him inch up the money list to 53rd position.

Heading into the Utah Championship, Todd’s first priority had to be to solidify his position in the top 60 on the money list by season’s end, which would give him full Nationwide Tour playing privileges for 2009. However, with his win on Sunday in Utah, Todd earned $99,000 and jumped up to 15th on the current money list. Now, with his Nationwide Tour status secured through 2010, his focus has surely shifted to remaining in the top 25 on the money list, which would earn his PGA Tour card for 2009. With just five full field events remaining, Todd has earned $194,961 and likely needs to earn about $10,000 for the remainder of the year to guarantee that he will be playing on golf’s grandest stage in 2009.

Notes: Nationwide Tour

2007 Stonebridge Classic Champion Jonathan Fricke is making a late push to solidify his 2009 Nationwide Tour status. After struggling for much of the season, the Covington, GA native has recorded two top ten finishes in his last three events, and has jumped to 84th on the current money list. Fricke’s rounds of 68-68-64-69 earned him a tie for eighth place and $14,300. Fricke will look to keep the momentum going next week at the Albertson’s Boise Open Presented by Kraft, where a $725,000 purse is up for grabs.

David Mathis, who won earlier this year on the Nationwide Tour at the BMW Charity Pro-Am joined Fricke in a tie for eighth. The $14,300 check helped the 2007 River Run Classic Champion creep from 11th to 9th place on the money list. Mathis has ensured his PGA Tour Card for 2009, but will continue to try to keep his solid play going for the remainder of the 2008 season on the Nationwide Tour.

Former UNC-Charlotte Standout and Southern Open Runner-Up Jeff Curl fired rounds of 66-68-67-70 to finish 13-under-par and finish tied for 19th at the Utah Championship. This was the longtime Tarheel Tour player’s second consecutive Top 20 finish in as many starts, once again earning him a spot in the field at next week’s Albertson’s Boise Open Presented by Kraft. In just five events on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 Curl has earned $23,441 and is in 137th on the money list.

Tarheel Tour member Blake Adams once again Monday qualified for a Nationwide Tour event and played solidly. The Eatonton, GA native was in the top ten at the mid-way point, but rounds of 71 and 72 on the weekend dropped him to a 35th place finish. Adams has split his time this year on the Nationwide Tour and the Tarheel Tour. He is 89th on the Nationwide Tour money list in eight events and is 22nd on the Tarheel Tour money list in ten events.