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By Maureen Callaghan
PGA TOUR staff

The Nationwide Tour joins forces with PGA Tour of Australasia for a two-week stint Down Under starting with the Jacob's Creek Open Championship in Adelaide, South Australia. 78 players from each Tour will take to the field for their shot at the $108,000 first-place prize.

Ben Bates (Levin/WireImage)

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Most cuts made in a Nationwide Tour career

Pos. Player Cuts 1. Ben Bates 192 2. Steve Haskins 192 3. Paul Claxton 171 4. R.W. Eaks 147 5. Matt Peterson 146

Most Nationwide Tour starts

Pos. Player Events 1. Steve Haskins 370 2. Ben Bates 328 3. John Elliott 286 4. Sonny Skinner 276 5. Paul Claxton 260

After two years at Royal Adelaide Golf Club, the fifth annual event will return to its original site, the par-72 Kooyonga Golf Club. While the 6,711-yard course measures in fairly short in terms of yardage, Kooyonga's narrow, tree-flanked fairways and subtly sloped greens have earned it a place among the Nationwide Tour's top three most difficult courses during its previous host years of 2002 (No. 2), 2003 (No. 1) and 2004 (No. 3).

While the course's scoring average may be a bit unnerving, players may find comfort in this impressive fact- all winners at Jacob's Creek have gone on to find success in the form of a PGA TOUR Card at the end of their respective season. Included in the group are Gavin Coles (2002), Euan Walters (2004), Steven Bowditch (2005) and Paul Sheehan (2006).

Aussies have dominated this event in years past, capturing four of the five past titles including Sheehan's bogey to beat Michael Sim on the second playoff hole last year.

Queensland-native Jason Day will make his Nationwide Tour debut this week as the youngest current member at 19 years old. Already well-known in his homeland after his win at the 2006 Australian Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Day made the field at seven PGA TOUR events last year and was in the money five times.

Another to watch is Tour veteran Ben Bates as he guns for the title of most cuts made in Nationwide Tour history. Bates is tied with current record holder Steve Haskins at 192 cuts.

Tune into the GOLF CHANNEL this weekend for highlights from the Jacob's Creek Open Championship airing Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET.

The Nationwide Tour heads to Christchurch, New Zealand next week for the final international event of the season, the ING New Zealand PGA Championship. The domestic portion of the schedule launches on March 19-25 with the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by Dynamic Industries in Broussard, La.

FEATURED FOURSOME

Jason Allred
Born in Ashland, Ore. ...Resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. ...Age: 26...Married...2002 graduate of Pepperdine University...Finished 38th after logging three top-10 finishes in rookie year on 2006 Nationwide Tour...Was a PGA TOUR rookie in 2005 with a T14 best finish at Chrysler Classic of Tucson...Winner of 2002 Byron Nelson Award following senior season at Pepperdine...Won 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur...Four-time American Junior Golf Association All-American, including first-team honors in 1997.

Jason Day
Born and resides in Queensland, Australia....Age: 19....2007 Nationwide Tour rookie and youngest current member on Tour...Had seven career starts on 2006 PGA TOUR with five cuts made...Strong finishes at the Reno-Tahoe Open (T11) and at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee (T13) contributed to a total of $174,508 in earnings...Played on PGA TOUR of Australasia from 2004-05...Well-known in his homeland after successful amateur career highlighted by his win at the 2006 Australian Amateur Stroke-Play Championship...Other amateur titles captured at Australian Junior Championship, World Junior Championship, Queensland Amateur Championship and the Queensland Medal Championship...Got his start in golf from his father.

Ted Potter Jr.
Born in Ocala, Fla. ...Resides in Ocala, Fla. ...Age: 24...Single....29th Nationwide Tour Qualifier at 2006 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament...Made his first Nationwide Tour cut at the season-opening Movistar Panama Championship...Struggled during his rookie season on 2004 Nationwide Tour missing all 24 cuts...Most recently played on 2006 Hooters Tour where he earned Player of the Year after winning twice and earning more than $100,000...Won all-district honors three times in high school...Has logged four aces in competitive rounds.

Tim Wilkinson
Born and resides in Palmerston North, New Zealand...Age 28...Single...Member of the Nationwide Tour in 2005-06...Top Nationwide Tour finishes have both been at the Oregon Classic- T2 in 2005 and third in 2006...Had five top-25 finishes in 2006 to place 73rd on the Nationwide Tour money list...Made the cut at both PGA TOUR career starts at 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship and 2004 Buick Open...Winner of the 2000 New Zealand Championship... Has also competed on the Australasian tour...A lefthander who got his start in golf from following in his brother's footsteps.