By Jon Levy - Staff Writer


April 6th, 2010

Although the large contingent of former Gateway Tour players now competing on the Nationwide Tour had a week away from competition last week, the party of those now playing the PGA TOUR was hard at work at the Shell Houston Open. And, accounting for yet another top-10 week by former Gateway Tour players on the PGA TOUR this season, alumni Graham Delaet and Kevin Stadler finished T3 and T6, respectively, in the circuit’s last event before the season’s first major of the year.

Finishing just one shot back of the Anthony Kim/Vaughn Taylor playoff at 11-under 277, the Canadian, Delaet earned $336,400 for his best finish on the PGA TOUR and, considering it comes as just his fourth cut made in nine starts this season, his rookie year on TOUR now takes a much different form than previous to the fine 71/67/71/68 performance.

As for Stadler, posting a score of 9-under 279, highlighted by a four-under 68 in the final round that moved him well up the leaderboard, the player who played The Gateway Tour as recently as last year secured his best finish of the year and third top-10 of the season, worth $201,550. Standing now at $565,920 through eight starts in 2010, he sits at 50th on the FedEx Cup points list, primed to lock up his best season on the PGA TOUR. With a career that’s already netted him almost $3.4 million in just his fourth year on the big circuit, that’s certainly saying something worthwhile.

As it is to note the three other former Gateway Tour players, Blake Adams, Steve Marino and Bubba Watson, who finished T14 at the Augusta-primed Redstone Golf Club.

Starting with Adams, the Oklahoma native who earned his ’10 TOUR status via a 3rd place standing in The 25 on the Nationwide Tour last year, last week’s finish comes as his second top-15 of the year, falling just short of his T10 -- his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR -- at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February. Through nine starts this season, his five cuts made have accounted for $285,267 in earnings, a 100th-place standing in FedEx Cup points and pretty darn good start a PGA TOUR career.

Which, likewise for Marino and Watson, who have each netted over $6 million on the PGA TOUR to become two of the more well-known players to once have graced The Gateway Tour’s fairways, the same could easily be said as each player’s effort in Texas comes as just another fine week during their consistently successful careers.

Taking an introspective look, it can be broken down to this:

The Gateway Tour defines its goals for its membership in its mission -- to provide an environment where players can build the skills necessary to compete on the PGA TOUR.

57 former Gateway Tour players currently hold PGA TOUR status and another 70 currently play on the Nationwide Tour. So, has the Tour fulfilled its mission?

Considering the stats above, in theory, perhaps. But, in practicality, The Gateway Tour is just proud to keep an eye on, and recognize, its former players who once stood where the Tour’s current membership now does.

It’s a start. It’s a process. And, as far as rooting for those who’ve graduated on to the greener pastures of the PGA and Nationwide Tours, it’s something we love to watch.

Click here for full field results of the Shell Houston Open, from pgatour.com, and stay tuned as an elite group of former Gateway Tour players tee it up this week in the year’s first major: the Masters.