RELATED STORIES Buckle stays inside top 100 in world Wi finishes second in Nationwide Tour event Buckle now ranked 80th in world Buckle wins on Nationwide Tour Wi to become three tour globetrotter ASIAN GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Open: Choi takes lead with two closing birdies Open: Liang makes first major cut with fighting 71 Open: Lam makes cut and Singapore golf history Open: Late bogies mean early exit for Prayad IGF forms Olympic Committee with eye to 2016 Mission Hills to host AP Summit GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES R 3: Norman takes a two shot lead R 3: Duval stumbles to an 83 R 3: Injury bonus for Harrington R 3: Wakefield boosts local hopes R 3: KJ Choi remains in contention R 3: Garcia disappointed with a 74

Lyle, Buckle & Wi face final US hurdle

Australian young guns Jarrod Lyle, Andrew Buckle and Korea’s Charlie Wi will be determined to perform at the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at The Houstonian in their hopes of securing US PGA Tour cards for next year.

Amongst the trio, Lyle looks to be pretty secure as he is current ranked 15th on the money list and the top-22 players will gain promotion for the new season. Lyle has won a total of US$223,184 from 20 events.

Among Lyle’s highlights this season was his fine run in February when he emerged runner-up at the ING New Zealand PGA Championship and a fourth place finish at the Jacob’s Creek Open Championship. He also finished in the top-three at the PalmettoPride Classic last month.

Buckle will also be equally eager for a strong showing as he is ranked 18th on the money list. The 24-year-old Brisbane-born talent enjoyed his maiden triumph on the Nationwide Tour at the Virginia Beach Open in May. He then claimed third spot at the Chattanooga Classic in June and followed up that run with a similar result at the Peek’n Peak Classic in July.

But hoping to climb his way up to the top-22 will be Maybank Malaysian Open winner, Wi. It will be his final chance to secure his position on the US PGA Tour as the Korean is ranked 38th on the money list with US$134,875.

He needs to finish among the frontrunners at the Houstonian Golf and Country Club as Wi is US$56,107 behind 22nd ranked player Jess Daley. Wi produced a convincing run in the first half of the season with his fourth place finish at the Henrico County Open in May. He delivered his best result in 2006 at The Rex Hospital Open in June where he finished runner-up.

Two top-five finishes at the Chattanooga Classic and Peek’n Peak Classic steered him up the ranks but he slowly slipped out of contention in the second half of the year. He will now be hoping to end the season with a bang as he tees off at the US$750,000 event.

November 8, 2006