Chasing the top 60: Miccosukee Championship

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Chris Nallen is just outside the top 60 on the Nationwide Tour money list.

With just two events remaining in the 2008 Nationwide Tour season, players are jockeying for position on the official money list. At the end of the year, this position will determine their playing privileges for 2009 -- with a select few earning a coveted promotion to the PGA TOUR.

The Nationwide Tour performance rewards are as follows:

• Leading Money Winner -- is fully-exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2009 in addition to THE PLAYERS Championship.

• Three-Win Promotion -- if a player wins three Nationwide Tour events in the same calendar year, he receives an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR. He also has fully-exempt status the next year following the promotion. There are three players who have already won twice in 2008 -- Jarrod Lyle, Scott Piercy and Colt Knost (Note: Darron Stiles won the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship in February, but inclement weather shortened the event to 36 holes. As a result, the first-place prize money is counted towards his season total, but the victory is not considered official).

• Nos. 2-25 on the Final Money List -- are exempt on the PGA TOUR in 2009.

• Nos. 26-60 on the Final Money List -- are fully exempt on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 in the event they do not secure their PGA TOUR card at the 2008 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

• Nos. 61-100 on the Final Money List -- are conditionally exempt on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 in the event they do not secure their PGA TOUR card at the 2008 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

• Q-School Exemptions -- players who finish 26-40 on the final Nationwide Tour money list are exempt into the Final Stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament; players who finish 41-70 are exempt into the Second Stage of the Qualifying Tournament.

• The top-60 players on the money list after the Miccosukee Championship are eligible for the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch (Nov. 6-9). This week in Miami players will be looking to improve or maintain their position at or above the top-60 mark -- or else their 2008 season will be over.

• The current 60th position is held by David Hearn with $106,860. He is ahead of Gary Christian in 61st by just $3,151. Based on historical data and current trends, the 60th position on the money list at the conclusion of the Miccosukee Championship should be between $120,000 and $125,000.

• Using this estimate, the table below shows players in the field this week and the range of where they need to place in order to finish in the top-60 on the 2008 money list in order to qualify for the Tour Championship. Note that while this estimate is based on probable outcomes, it could vary depending on the actual performance of all players in the field.