Storylines: Big changes in 'The 25', Lyle maintains lead

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AS ADVERTISED, FORD/GRETZKY AND PLAYERS CUP PRODUCE MONEY LIST MOVEMENT -- We figured the two biggest purses to date on the Nationwide Tour (Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic/$800,099 and Nationwide Tour Players Cup/$1 million), played back-to-back, were sure to create more than the usual money list jostling and that's exactly what happened. The biggest beneficiaries were Players Cup winner Rick Price and Peter Tomasulo, who finished tied for third in both events. They were outside the top 35 before heading from Knoxville to Canada, then moved into the 3rd and 11th spots, respectively, on the money list. Price was 40th after the Knoxville Open and Tomasulo was 37th. Huge moves were made by Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic winner Justin Hicks (from 160 to 16th) and NWT Players Cup playoff runner-up Chris Anderson (from 141 to 25), putting them into "The 25" picture. NOTE: Click here for a chart that gauges the movement of the current top 35 over the last two tournaments.

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Justin Hicks jumped from 160th to 16th in 'The 25' after his recent win.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. / 18 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CHARITY -- As one of four original Nationwide Tour events still on the schedule (joined by Knoxville, Tenn., Boise, Idaho and Wichita, Kan.), the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper has evolved into one of the Tour's most stable and charity-driven events. Last year, the event donated $650,000 to 42 children's charities in the Ozarks. Since its inception in 1990 when the Nationwide Tour was formed, the John Q. Hammons Foundation has generated more than $6.3 million for children's charities. Highland Springs Country Club has been home to the Championship every year.

JARROD LYLE STILL NO. 1 -- Australian Jarrod Lyle retains his top spot on the money list for the third week in a row and 10th overall on the season. His lead is a shade under $35,000 over countryman Greg Chalmers, who benefited nicely the last two events moving three spots up the money list. Lyle, an affable 26-year-old who battled leukemia at age 17, looks to overcome two uninspired performances in Canada and West Virginia (T51 and missed cut) this week in Springfield where he is playing for the first time. Despite having the weekend off in West Virginia, Lyle made the most of it spending some time in Golf Channel's host booth with Jerry Foltz and Curt Byrum. A win this week would secure an immediate three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR for Lyle.

STATISTICAL LEADER UPDATES -- A look at the Nationwide Tour stat leaders reveals a few interesting items. With a Scoring Average of 69.68 Matt Weibring is the leader by just under one-third of a stroke over Englishman Greg Owen. Owen leads in Total Driving as well as the All-Around Ranking. Weibring and Owen have been knocking on victory's door much of the season but have yet to secure a title. With 228 birdies in 15 starts this year, Greg Chalmers leads the Total Birdies category. It's probably no coincidence that he leads the Putting Average stat at 1.725 and finds himself No. 2 on the current money list (see note immediately above).

CHRIS ANDERSON / A RETURN TO "THE 25" -- With his Nationwide Tour Players Cup playoff runner-up on Sunday Chris Anderson leaped from 134 to 25 on the money list. The last time the California native, who now lives in Orlando, Fla., was among "The 25" was 62 Nationwide Tour tournaments ago in 2004. Anderson has played fulltime on both the PGA TOUR (2003 and 2005) and the Nationwide Tour (1998, 2004, 2006-08). His Players Cup check for $108,000 pushed him over the $1 million mark in combined career earnings.

NATIONWIDE TOUR WELL REPRESENTED AT JOHN DEERE -- 60 of the 72 professionals (83%) who made the cut at the John Deere Classic (there were two amateurs in the field) have Nationwide Tour roots, including 9 of the top-11 finishers.

TOUR WINNER EWAN PORTER IN BRITISH OPEN FIELD -- Ewan Porter, winner of the 2008 Moonah Classic in Victoria, Australia in February on the Nationwide Tour, is among the players in this week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Porter was one of four Australians who survived a Feb. 5 International Qualifier at The Lakes in Sydney. The 26-year-old also played in last year's Open (missed cut).

ALL-AMERICANS HEADING TO COLUMBUS -- Next week's Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational has the unique component of inviting the recently named College Coaches Association of American Division I All-American first-team members to participate. Committed to be in the field at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course next week are Player of the Year and NCAA Championship medalist and winning team member Kevin Chappell of UCLA, as well as Jonas Blixt of Florida State, Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State, Sihwan Kim of Stanford, Rory Hie and Jamie Lovemark of USC, and Michael Thompson of Alabama.

CORRECTION ITEM -- It was reported in one Nationwide Tour communication on Sunday night that Rick Price had defeated Chris Anderson in a "two-hole playoff". It should have said "one-hole playoff".

NEXT WEEK -- The Tour remains in the Midwest when it goes to Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide's hometown, for the second playing of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. The $750,000 second-year event includes the participation of NCAA Division I first-team All-Americans (see two notes above). Daniel Summerhays, who was entered under the All-American category, won the inaugural event last July.

THIS WEEK IN NATIONWIDE TOUR HISTORY -- July 14, 1991 / Bruce Fleisher becomes the first Nationwide Tour alumnus to win a PGA TOUR event when he takes the New England Classic. Fleisher beat Ian Baker-Finch in a seven-hole playoff at Pleasant Valley Country Club. Nationwide Tour alumni have gone on to capture 228 PGA TOUR titles, with many more to come.