Golf: Cox Classic pairings, key players

WHO TO WATCH

John Dell, a PGATour.com correspondent, sizes up the field for each week’s Nationwide Tour event and provides a top-five power ranking for that tournament. Dell’s predictions for the Cox Classic:
• 1. Jamie Lovemark: The rookie of the year candidate had another runner-up finish on Sunday but did well enough to take the top spot on the money list — the fifth player to top the standings in 2010. Lovemark has one win and three runner-up finishes this season.
• 2. D.J. Brigman: He picked up his first victory since the 2003 Permian Basin Open and is the latest example of how a player can resurrect his season with a win. His massive jump on the money list puts him in good shape for the rest of 2010.
• 3. Tag Ridings: Another tournament, another top 10 for Ridings this past week. His ninth-place tie was his sixth top 10 of the season. Though he’s ranked No. 7 on the money list, he is still winless in 2010. But a victory is going to come eventually and it could be this week.
• 4. William McGirt: As a tour rookie, McGirt had another good finish last week by shooting a 7-under 64 in the final round. It was his best round of the season and his tie for seventh was his fourth top 10 of the year. He’s now No. 22 on the money list.
• 5. Tommy Gainey: He’s the only two-time winner this season and finished tied for 12th last week. In his past three tournaments, Gainey has a win, a tie for 16th and a tie for 12th. He’s remained consistent during the heat of the summer and one more win gives him a battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour.

OTHER NOTABLES
• Jason Gore: Omaha’s Mr. 59 is back in town for the first time since winning the 2005 Cox Classic. He’s swung between the Nationwide and PGA Tours this year.
• Jonathan Kaye, Frank Lickliter: Each has won twice on the PGA Tour. Kaye dealt with a big-toe problem the previous three seasons. Lickliter is trying to rebound after three lackluster PGA seasons.
• A.J. Elgert: The former Kansas State golfer from Lincoln got a boost in the bank account with a $15,000 win at a Dakota Tour event last weekend, then made it through Monday qualifying to get into this field.
• Brady Schnell: The former Omahan and ex-Husker golfer is a conditional member this year on the Nationwide Tour who is playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption. He’s made two cuts in nine tournaments.
• Shane Zywiec: An assistant pro at Lincoln’s Highlands municipal course, he’s in the field for the third time in five years. His spot came from the Nebraska PGA.
• Jon Peterson: The teaching pro at Omaha’s Miracle Hill course made the cut last year in his second Cox Classic appearance last year. His spot came from the Nebraska PGA as its 2009 player of the year.
• Raul Cortes de la Riva: An assistant at the York Country Club, the native of Mexico City has won four Nebraska PGA events this year to get one of the section’s three spots in the Cox Classic.

PAIRINGS
Thursday Friday
Hole 1 Hole 10
Jay Delsing, Rick Price, Peter Tomasulo
7:15 a.m., 12:25 p.m.
Jim Herman, Justin Hicks, D.J. Brigman
7:25 a.m, 12:35 p.m.
Andrew Buckle, Dustin Risdon, Jamie Lovemark
7:35 a.m, 12:45 p.m.
B.J. Staten, Phil Tataurangi, Barrett Jarosch
7:45 a.m., 12:55 p.m.
Esteban Toledo, David McKenzie, Jeff Brehaut
7:55 a.m, 1:05 p.m.
Gary Christian, Tad Ridings, Bradley Iles
8:05 a.m, 1:15 p.m.
Joe Affrunti, Brandt Jobe, Scott Dunlap
8:15 a.m., 1:25 p.m.
Tom Byrum, Marc Turnesa, David Hearn
8:25 a.m., 1:35 p.m.
Jonas Blixt, Jonathan Kaye, Hunter Haas
8:35 a.m., 1:45 p.m.
John Douma, Brady Schnell, Jhonattan Vegas
8:45 a.m., 1:55 p.m.
D. Barbetti, D. Summerhays, S. Bowditch
8:55 a.m., 2:05 p.m.
Ray Beaufils, Bryan DeCorso, Chris Mundorf
9:05 a.m, 2:15 p.m.
Roberto Castro, Thomas Kearney, Byron Smith
9:15 a.m, 2:25 p.m.
M. Clark II, G. Osborn, Frank Lickliter II
12:25 p.m, 7:15 a.m.
Jeff Gallagher, Jim Carter, Luke List
12:35 p.m, 7:25 a.m.
Fabian Gomez, Jason Gore, Ty Harris
12:45 p.m, 7:35 a.m.
David Mathis, James Hahn, Casey Wittenberg
12:55 p.m, 7:45 a.m.
Kent Jones, Ken Duke, Tjaart van der Walt
1:05 p.m, 7:55 a.m.
Kyle Reifers, Adam Meyer, Scott Stallings
1:15 p.m, 8:05 a.m.
Andrew Svoboda, Adam Bland, Brian Bateman
1:25 p.m, 8:15 a.m.
Alistair Presnell, Bob May, Michael Putnam
1:35 p.m, 8:25 a.m.
Camilo Benedetti, Chris Sessler, Kyle Stanley
1:45 p.m, 8:35 a.m.
Jesse Hutchins, Osker Bergman, Alan Morin
1:55 p.m, 8:45 a.m.
Nick Malinowski, Colt Knost, Justin Peters
2:05 p.m, 8:55 a.m.
Manuel Villegas, Ben Portie, James Vargas
2:15 p.m, 9:05 a.m.
Roberto Castro, Nick Rousey, Shane Zywiec
2:25 p.m, 9:15 a.m.

Thursday Friday
Hole 10 Hole 1
W.J. Lee, Mark Anderson, Bubba Dickerson
7:15 a.m, 12:25 p.m.
Ron Whittaker, Steven Alker, J.J. Killeen
7:25 a.m, 12:35 p.m.
Nick Flanagan, Joel Edwards, Darron Stiles
7:35 a.m, 12:45 p.m.
Gavin Coles, Jason Schultz, Todd Fischer
7:45 a.m, 12:55 p.m.
Kevin Chappell, Ewan Porter, Bobby MacWhinnie
7:55 a.m, 1:05 p.m.
Patrick Sheehan, John Kimbell, Marco Dawson
8:05 a.m, 1:15 p.m.
Brian Smock, Scott Gardiner, Rob Oppenheim
8:15 a.m, 1:25 p.m.
Bobby Gates, Dave Schultz, Paul Claxton
8:25 a.m, 1:35 p.m.
Billy Horschel, Scott Gutschewski, Ted Brown
8:35 a.m, 1:45 p.m.
Diego Vanegas, Jeff Curl, Zack Miller
8:45 a.m, 1:55 p.m.
Justin Smith, Jin Park, Trevor Murphy
8:55 a.m, 2:05 p.m.
Miguel Carballo, Sal Spallone, Leif Olson
9:05 a.m, 2:15 p.m.
Byron Smith, Robert Streb, Fernando Mechereffe
9:15 a.m, 2:25 p.m.
D. Branshaw, K. Bradley, J. Broadaway
12:25 p.m, 7:15 a.m.
Jason Enloe, Bronson La’Cassie, Brad Elder
12:35 p.m, 7:25 a.m.
Stephen Poole, Tommy Gainey, Brad Adamonis
12:45 p.m, 7:35 a.m.
Jon Mills, Brendan Steele, Scott Brown
12:55 p.m, 7:45 a.m.
Jess Daley, Doug LaBelle II, Dicky Pride
1:05 p.m, 7:55 a.m.
Ryan Armour, Nate Smith, Scott Sterling
1:15 p.m, 8:05 a.m.
John Riegger, Chris Kirk, Kyle Thompson
1:25 p.m, 8:15 a.m.
Martin Piller, Kevin Kisner, Matthew Borchert
1:35 p.m, 8:25 a.m.
Geoffrey Sisk, William McGirt, Ted Potter Jr,
1:45 p.m, 8:35 a.m.
Aaron Watkins, Brian Vranesh, Ryan Hietala
1:55 p.m, 8:45 a.m.
Kelly Gruenwald, Matt Davidson, Chris Nallen
2:05 p.m, 8:55 a.m.
Berry Henson, Jon Petersen, Brandon Crick
2:15 p.m, 9:05 a.m.
A.J. Elgert, Morgan Hoffmann, Clint Jensen
2:25 p.m, 9:15 a.m.

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