Notebook: Tomasulo moving up, Kirk leads in earnings

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Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

Peter Tomasulo left everyone behind with a Sunday 61 that took him from eight back to winning the championship.

PETER TOMASULO / NOT TO BE DENIED -- Kevin Chappell feels he let one get away but it was more a case of Peter Tomasulo being a man on a mission Sunday at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. Eight shots back at the start of the day, Tomasulo reeled off seven back-nine birdies at Georgian Bay Golf Club, including five on his last six holes. His last three were from 3, 2 and 6 feet. A 61 catapulted him to a one-shot victory, his second on the Nationwide Tour, with both coming in Canada (2005 Alberta Classic).

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Chappell, who led by five through three rounds, shot an even-par 71 Sunday, dropping him to third. Keegan Bradley grabbed second place shooting 65.

Tomauslo appeared to have learned something from his demise two weeks ago in Mexico where he found himself in a tie for the lead entering the final round only to shoot 75 and finish T14. The 28-year-old native of Long Beach, Calif. was a first-team All-American at the University of California-Berkeley in 2004 and captained the Bears to the NCAA Championship. He invited his brother, Nick, to spend the week with him in Ontario and handle the caddie chores. By week's end he had made a massive leap from 97th to 9th on the money list, putting him in excellent position to return to the PGA TOUR where he played last year.

A TRIO OF 61s -- Ideal conditions made the host Georgian Bay Club (par 71) and Raven Club at Lora Bay (par 72) vulnerable last week and Nationwide Tour players took full advantage. While not a first, three players posted 61s -- Kevin Chappell (first round/Raven Club), Keegan Bradley (second round/Georgian Bay Club) and Peter Tomasulo (fourth round/Georgian Bay Club). Chappell and Bradley had opportunities to steal some of Paul Goydos' "59" headlines of last Thursday. Chappell missed putts of 5 and 10 feet on his 15th and 18th holes, while Bradley got to 10-under through 15 before parring in. In 2001, David Branshaw, Jason Gore and D.A. Points shot 61s at the Gila River (Ariz.) Classic. Once on the PGA TOUR four players shot 61 in the same tournament (2009 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic). Three players did so in the same event in 2003.

SEASON REACHES MIDWAY POINT -- This week's Chiquita Classic is the 15th of 29 events meaning the 2010 tournament season has effectively reached the halfway point. A few notes:

• Chris Kirk is the leading money winner but has the slimmest of margins -- $441 over Kevin Chappell.

• Rounding out the top five are 3-Jamie Lovemark, 4-Bobby Gates and 5-Tommy Gainey. All have made in excess of $200,000.

• Youth has taken command of the mid-year money race with the average age of Kirk, Chappell, Lovemark and Gates approximately 23 ½ years old.

• There has yet to be two-time winner. The record for most tournaments played before there was a repeat winner is 23 (1996), but the second most is 16 (1998).

• Kevin Chappell is the only player to lead in two statistical categories -- Scoring Average (69.12) and All-Around Ranking.

• Americans occupy the first six spots and 21 of the top 25 on the money list. Last year, six international members earned PGA TOUR cards at season's end.

• Tag Ridings (8th) is the only player among the first 12 on the money list who does not have a victory in 2010.

• At No. 25 on the money list, Aaron Watkins is the mid-year bubble guy for "The 25" race. He leads William McGirt by more than $3,000.

• No. 60 Brian Vranesh has a $66 lead over No. 61 Trevor Murphy. No. 60 is the cutoff spot to make the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C. and, at the very least, secure fully-exempt status for 2011.

NATIONWIDE TOUR WELCOMES CHIQUITA TO FAMILY OF SPONSORS -- The Chiquita Classic is a first-year event on the Nationwide Tour in 2010. Sponsored by Cincinnati-based Chiquita Brands International, the tournament will be played just outside Cincinnati at the Arnold Palmer-designed TPC River's Bend in Maineville, Ohio. Coinciding with this event is Chiquita's decision last fall to have its Fresh Express brand sponsor the Nationwide Tour event at TPC Stonebrae near San Francisco in April. Chiquita and Fresh Express join Pacific Rubiales, Stadion Money Management, the Knoxville News Sentinel, Mylan and Winn-Dixie as new Nationwide Tour title sponsors this year.

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER ANTHONY MUÑOZ IS CHIQUITA CLASSIC HOST -- Former Cincinnati Bengal offensive line great and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Anthony Muñoz is the Honorary Chairman for the Chiquita Classic. A native of California, Muñoz is very involved in community activities in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati. He is one of three active "Hall of Fame Hosts" of 2010 Nationwide Tour events. Hockey's Wayne Gretzky serves the role in his native Ontario at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, while another football great, Jerry Rice, played the duel role of host and competitor at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in April.

HOMETOWN BOY JIM HERMAN -- The Chiquita Classic will be a homecoming for Cincinnati born and bred Jim Herman. Herman played his junior golf, high school golf (St. Xavier) and college golf (University of Cincinnati) locally and still has many family members and friends in the area. As a senior in high school, he helped the St. Xavier Bombers take home the state title. He went on to win five college tournaments and in the summer of 2000 won the Cincinnati Met Amateur. Shortly thereafter he turned pro and won the Southern Ohio PGA Open. His professional golf career includes a stint as an assistant professional for Donald Trump and Trump National Golf Club in northern New Jersey. The 32-year-old now lives in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Herman won his first Nationwide Tour title this February in Australia (Moonah Classic) and currently sits 10th on the money list.

STEVE STRICKER / WIN NO. 277 -- Steve Stricker's second PGA TOUR win of the year yesterday at the John Deere Classic was the 277th TOUR victory by a Nationwide Tour alumnus. That makes 17 wins thus far in 2010. The next 11 finishers (through T10) at the John Deere were Tour alums like Stricker.

CRAIG PERKS MAKES GOLF CHANNEL DEBUT -- Former PLAYERS Championship winner (2002) Craig Perks made his Golf Channel debut as an analyst at the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. The New Zealand native is scheduled to be at this week's Chiquita Classic, next week's Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus and the Mylan Classic in Pittsburgh in early September.

DID YOU KNOW? -- Keegan Bradley is the nephew of former LPGA great and World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley. A native of Woodstock, Vt., Bradley is a 2008 graduate of St. John's University in Queens, N.Y. Sunday's runner-up in the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic was the first top-10 finish in 14 starts for the Nationwide Tour rookie. He moved from 95th to 17th on the money list.

BIRTHDAY BOYS -- Celebrating birthdays this week in Cincinnati are Josh Broadaway of Albany, Ga. and Troy State University (July 14 / turns 32), Jason Enloe of Dallas, Texas and SMU (July 16 / 37) and Leif Olson of Scottsdale, Ariz. and Duke University (July 17 / 29).

NEXT WEEK -- The Nationwide Tour travels up Interstate 71 from Cincinnati to Columbus for the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational (July 19-25) at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. The fourth-year event continues with its unique field element of this year's college All-Americans competing alongside Nationwide Tour members.