Nationwide Tour Storylines: Chitimacha Louisiana Open

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Broussard (Lafayette), La.
Purse: $525,000
First Prize: $94,500
5th of 30 events
2007 Winner: Skip Kendall

THE CHASE FOR "THE 25" RESUMES IN LOUISIANA -- The Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by Dynamic Industries initiates the domestic portion of the 2008 Nationwide Tour season this week. Through the first four events, all played outside the U.S., a pair of Australians (No. 1 -- Jarrod Lyle and No. 2 -- Ewan Porter) and a pair of Americans (No. 3 -- Darron Stiles and No. 4 -- Scott Dunlap) maintain the top four spots on the money list thanks to their individual victories. With 26 events left, the competition to earn one of 25 PGA TOUR cards for 2009 based on the final money list in early November is only just beginning.

NATIONAL GOLF SPOTLIGHT IS ON LOUISIANA THIS WEEK -- With two PGA TOUR-sanctioned events being played in Louisiana, the international golf spotlight will be on the Bayou State this week. The PGA TOUR's Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be played 130 miles down Interstate 10.

Skip Kendall is the defending champion in Lafayette, while 2004 Nationwide Tour alumni Nick Watney returns to defend his first PGA TOUR title in New Orleans. Much like they do in New Orleans, Chitimacha Louisiana Open tournament director Danny Jones and his staff roll out the red carpet and good times for everyone involved in the event, which was first played in 1992. Among the festivities are the "Taste of Lafayette" (Tuesday evening downtown) and food stations throughout the golf course on pro-am day.

KRAFT WIN IS NO. 224; BECOMES 100th DIFFERENT WINNER -- Greg Kraft's win on Sunday in the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular was the 224th title on the PGA TOUR by a Nationwide Tour alumni. The University of Tampa graduate became the 100th different player to capture a TOUR title.

CHRIS COUCH TO PLAY NATIONWIDE TOUR THIS WEEK -- Five-time Nationwide Tour winner Chris Couch will be making a unique appearance on the Tour this week. The Chitimacha Louisiana Open will be his first start of 2008 on any tour. Couch, who won the 2006 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, has been recovering from a shoulder injury and is ready to get back into competitive action.

WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS--CA CHAMPIONSHIP -- Last week's World Golf Championships--CA Championship field of 79 players featured 25 former Nationwide Tour players.

MATT JONES / 8 FOR 8 -- Australian Matt Jones is off to a great start on the PGA TOUR this year. Through eight events he has made eight cuts. Jones earned his PGA TOUR card via the Nationwide Tour last year where he had four second-place finishes and was seventh on the money list. The former Arizona State All-American is scheduled to make his ninth start in this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

MALAYSIAN OPEN WINNER ATWAL IN PURSUIT OF PGA TOUR CARD -- Arjun Atwal, winner of the recent Malaysian Open on the European Tour, will be in the Chitimacha field this week. The native of India who played high school golf on Long Island has indicated he will concentrate on returning to the PGA TOUR in 2009 via the Nationwide Tour and "The 25". Atwal, who resides in Orlando, has found good form thus far in 2008. In his lone start on the Nationwide Tour he finished T2 in the season-opening Panama Movistar Championship.

Wittenberg

CASEY WITTENBERG / CAJUN CONNECTIONS -- Nationwide Tour member Casey Wittenberg comes to the Bayou state with strong family connections. His dad, Jimmy Wittenberg, Jr., attended LSU where he was named All-America as a Tiger golfer and was a teammate of Nationwide Tour Rules Official Vaughn Moise. His grandfather, Jimmy Wittenberg, Sr., captained the 1947 LSU golf team to the NCAA championship, also earning All-America honors, and played in seven U.S. Amateurs. Casey, 23, attended Oklahoma

State and was named to the All-American team in 2004. He was runner-up in the 2003 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont CC and a member of the U.S. Walker Cup team in 2004. Wittenberg was born and still resides in Memphis.

MEXICO OPEN REWARD -- A pair of non-members will be in the field this week. Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (Mexico) and Rafael Gomez (Argentina) posted top-25 finishes in the 50th Mexico Open presented by Corona in February. Their T7 and T16 finishes, respectively, provided them automatic invitations to play in the Tour's next co-sponsored event which in their case is the Chitimacha event.

CHAMPION TO WIN BMW X5 TOO -- For the second year in a row, the winner of the BMW Charity Pro-Am will win one of the Nationwide Tour's biggest first prizes, $121,500, and be handed the keys to a new BMW X5.

"Not only did Nick Flanagan drive off with a beautiful BMW X5 last year, he drove on to win two more Nationwide Tour events and earn an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR in August," said Bill Calfee, president of the Nationwide Tour. "I'm sure this year's winner would love to emulate Nick's success."

The 2008 BMW Charity Pro-Am, which features a celebrity pro-am format, will be played May 15-18 at three courses, Thornblade Club in Greenville, SC, Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, S.C. and Bright's Creek Golf Club outside Tryon, N.C..