Jul 11, 2013 4 min read

CANONSBURG – The only obstacle in preparing the short but rugged Southpointe Golf Club for the fourth annual Mylan Classic has been a steady, two-week rain that has swollen the creeks and turned some parts of the course into a sponge.

The weather is expected to clear, so the 6,856-yard, par-72 sloping course will require more brains than brawn to produce a winning score. Just ask Robert Streb, who won the title last year by shooting a Mylan Classic record 18-under par; or Gary Christian, who won the 2011 event with a 17-under score; or Kevin Kisner, who won the initial event with a 10-under-par effort.

The Mylan Classic is being held one month earlier than its usual Labor Day Weekend date because of changes in the Web.com schedule and the implementation of a new system that is used for players to obtain their PGA Tour cards. This year’s week of events begins Monday, July 29 and the golf runs Thursday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 4.

“We always felt the holiday was a good time from a fan’s perspective; everyone had the discussion of whether it was a good time of the year or a bad time,” said Rod Piatt, president of Southpointe Golf Club and co-chairman of the Mylan Classic, during Thursday’s media day. “We always felt a lot of people stayed home for Labor Day because kids are back in school earlier than when they used to be back in school. Having it in August, fall sports hasn’t started, Friday night football isn’t going on, and Pitt and the Steelers aren’t playing. As long as the weather is good, I think we’re going to have some pretty nice crowds. I think we’ll have a lot of younger kids coming out.”

The Web.com tour has taken on a more important status since the qualifying requirements for a tour card changed after last season.

Under the previous qualifying system, the top 125 players on the PGA money list automatically earn their tour cards to play the following year. Of the remaining 50 spots, 25 came from what is now the Web.com Tour and the others from the PGA Qualifying School.

Under the new system, the top 25 players on the Web.com money winners’ list will still receive their PGA Tour card. The top 75 players on the Web.com money list and Nos. 126-200 on the PGA tour money list – 75 players – will compete in a four-tournament playoff series – one each in Columbus, Ohio, Charlotte, N.C., Fort Wayne, Ind. and Jacksonville, Fla. – for the next 25 PGA tour cards. Qualifying School was discontinued. Spots will still be available through sponsor exemption and qualifiers the week of the event.

“The Web.com Tour is the path to the PGA Tour,” said tournament director Chase McClain. “This is what the Web.com is building. … This has drastically strengthened our tour.” The Mylan Classic will be important for Steve Wheatcroft, a former Washington resident who sits at No. 36 on the Web.com money list with $70,772. Wheatcroft is $18,639 behind the current No. 25, Scott Dunlap. Wheatcroft, who worked as a youngster at Southpointe and finished tied for third in the 2010 Mylan Classic, has two top-10 finishes and four top 25 finishes on the Web.com tour this season.

Notes

The tournament purse is $675,000 with $121,500 going to the winner. … The Golf Channel will televise all four rounds live: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-noon Friday, and 2-4 p.m. each on Saturday and Sunday. … Arnold Palmer will service as honorary chairman again. … Weekly tournament tickets for the Mylan Classic are $25 and include admission for the tournament and the concert series, clinics, evening entertainment and special events during tournament week.