Tim Wilkinson begun the Utah Championship on the Nationwide Tour in style, shooting a five under par 66 to earn a share of fifth place. Photo / Getty images.
Manawatu golfer Tim Wilkinson begun the Utah Championship on the Nationwide Tour in style, shooting a five under par 66 to earn a share of fifth place.
The former PGA Tour professional, currently 49th on the Order of Merit, made the turn in one under par after two birdies and
a bogey at the Willow Creek Country Club.
He came home even stronger, playing the back nine in four under par to card a 66 and sit only two shots back from Americans Doug LaBelle and Morgan Hoffmann II and Canadian Brad Fritsch.
Wilkinson, whose best finish for 2012 is a tie for ninth at the Panama Championship, needs a good run of results to climb inside the top 25 players on the tour and automatically qualify for the PGA Tour in 2013.
Steven Alker, currently 63rd on the Order of Merit, is missing this week's tournament in Utah as he prepares for the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the only Kiwi in the field for the major.
