Champions, Nationwide Tours announce nominees

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour released the names of the nominees for their respective season-ending awards today.

The Champions Tour annually honors its Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, while the Nationwide Tour honors its Player of the Year.

The Champions Tour nominees for 2008 Player of the Year are Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Bernhard Langer, Loren Roberts and Eduardo Romero. The winner will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy in recognition of this honor.

Five names have been placed on the Rookie of the Year ballot -- John Cook, Gene Jones, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Sluman and Mark Wiebe.

Nominees for Nationwide Tour Player of the Year are Matt Bettencourt, Brendon de Jonge, Jeff Klauk and Jarrod Lyle.

On the Champions Tour, players are nominated for each award by their Player Advisory Council and Player Directors. The Nationwide Tour Player Advisory Council determines Player of the Year nominees. Award winners for both tours are based on a vote of the players.

Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour honorees will be announced in mid-December.

Jay Haas won Champions Tour Player of the Year honors in 2007 for the second year in a row, while Denis Watson was named Rookie of the Year. Nick Flanagan was last year's Nationwide Tour Player of the Year.