Golf: Kiwis off the pace in Pennsylvania

Tim Wilkinson. Photo / NZPA

New Zealand professionals Danny Lee and Tim Wilkinson are off the pace after round one of the Mylan Classic on the Web.com Tour in Pennsylvania today.

Lee opened with a one-over par 72 at the Southpointe Golf Club in Canonsburg to be in a share of 60th place and Wilkinson fired his worst score of 2013 - a five-over par 76 - to be at the foot of the leaderboard in a share of 126th place.

Lee will begin round two tonight seven shots back from American Zack Sucher who opened with a six-under par 65 to claim a one stroke lead over a group of six players.

The 34-year-old Wilkinson has recorded nine top-15 finishes this year on the Web.com Tour to be the leading Kiwi on the order of merit in ninth place.

The Manawatu professional is looking to return to the PGA Tour for the first time since 2009.

He is currently on US$197,836 (NZD$250,473) for the season and needs to win at least once to overtake American Michael Putnam US$430,684 (NZD$545,254) and claim the coveted No.1 place on the money-list.

The 21-year-old Lee is two places back in 11th place and is looking to return to the PGA Tour after losing his card in 2012. He missed qualifying for the PGA Tour at the final stage of Q School by one shot at the end of last year.

The top 25 players on the order of merit at the end of the season, on September 29 at the Web.com Tour Championship, automatically qualify for the PGA Tour.

Web.com Tour officials have reported that Wilkinson and Lee have already done enough to qualify with eight events remaining on the 2013 season (including this week).

Hamilton pro Steven Alker, who won three weeks ago at the Utah Championship to turn his season around, is in a fight for his PGA Tour card.

The 41-year-old, who finished tied 40th at the Albertsons Boise last week and remained in 21st place on the money-list, is not playing this week in Pennsylvania.

The former New Zealand PGA champion needs a strong finish to the season to join Lee and Wilkinson and the world's elite on the game's most lucrative tour.

If all three Kiwis can progress to the PGA Tour it will be a return to the heydays of New Zealand Golf.

In 2002 New Zealand golf had its largest ever presence on the PGA Tour when they had five players (Craig Perks, Frank Nobilo, Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite and Michael Long) will full playing rights.