Local golfer getting closer to PGA Tour

By Christopher Drexel

Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 | midnight

Scott Piercy finally found a golf tour to call home this year. And next year, he will upgrade from a townhouse to a penthouse.

After one season on professional golf's Nationwide Tour, the 1997 Bonanza graduate appears to be a lock to finish as one of the tour's top 25 money leaders. It's a feat that comes with the ultimate prize — full playing privileges on the PGA Tour for 2009.

Since winning two tournaments on the Nationwide Tour during August, Piercy, 29, is 12th on the money list with about $232,000 in earnings.

"It looks like I'm guaranteed of (finishing in the top 25)," Piercy said. Last year guys got their (PGA) Tour card after they passed about $197,000."

Piercy, a Summerlin resident, won his first Nationwide tournament at the Wichita Open in Kansas on Aug. 10 by shooting 22-under 264 over four days. He opened with a 64 followed by a 62 to take a three-stroke lead.

Two weeks later, Piercy captured his second victory at the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic in Moscow, Pa. This time, the win came in different fashion as he ended the with a 29 on the back nine to finish with a 13-under 267 and erase a four-stroke deficit.

"Shooting a 29 on the back nine on the Sunday of one of the best tours in the world, it's nice to know you can do that," Piercy said. "And it's nice to show people I can come from behind as well as front run. I can do it all."

Piercy's coach, Tom Carlson of the Summerlin Golf Academy, said winning two events impressive but not unexpected.

"He was the best player in the country with no place to play before this," Carlson said. "I think the reason it's time is that it's very hard to break in somewhere, plus Scott has just gotten more comfortable with Scott. It's a combination of him playing more consistently and being comfortable with what he's doing."

Prior to wins, Piercy hadn't finished any higher than 19th in a Nationwide event. He said his success was a matter of doing well in all aspects of his game at the same time.

"Some weeks you drive well, some weeks you putt well and some weeks you hit irons well, but lately I've pretty much had it all together," he said. "When you do that, you look pretty good. The weeks before I would alternate what I was doing well."

Regardless of his future with the PGA, winning a tournament on the Nationwide guarantees Piercy a place on that tour for the next seven seasons.

Carlson said that kind of stability is nice considering Piercy hadn't been on a tour before this year. But Carlson believes his protege's future is on the PGA.

"We started working with him over 20 years ago," Carlson said. "When he was young you could see there was something there that's not in most kids. Now Scott is showing his potential. I don't think he's played his best golf yet. I think Scott will grow into one of the best players on the PGA Tour, one of the best players in the world."