Presnell can taste PGA Tour promotion

24 Oct 2012, 11:13 am   -   Source: AAP
Victorian golfer Alistair Presnell is looking to confirm a 2013 US PGA Tour berth in Texas. (AAP)

Victorian golfer Alistair Presnell is looking to confirm a 2013 US PGA Tour berth in Texas. (AAP)

Victorian golfer Alistair Presnell is looking to confirm a 2013 US PGA Tour berth alongside Cameron Percy and Scott Gardiner in Texas this weekend.

Alistair Presnell is so close to his golfing dream he can taste it.

The 33-year-old Australian is just one tournament away from confirming a ticket to the 2013 US PGA Tour, starting this weekend's season-ending $US1 million Web.com Tour Championship at 19th on the money list.

The top 25 after after Sunday's final round at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas will be promoted to golf's big time in 2013.

With a first prize $US180,000 everyone in the 60-man field on the season top money earners has a chance to be among the 25.

Presnell has been close before, entering the same tournament in 2009 in the 25th place only to fall to 28th but it will take an almighty effort to deny him his lifelong dream this time around.

"Although it hasn't been an overly successful full season my game has come into shape just at the right time and I'm very much looking forward to this weekend," Presnell told AAP.

"I've been told the average movement each week on the money list is about two spots but this is twice the amount of money we usually play for so it might be closer to four.

"Luckily I have six spots to play with and I'm on a course I like that is forgiving off the tee and has big greens.

"It is also going to be windy and cold on the weekend which I feel plays right into my hands having grown up down on the peninsula near Melbourne."

Fellow Australians Cameron Percy (10th) and Scott Gardiner (14th) have already done enough to secure PGA Tour berths while Nick Flanagan (40th) is the only other Australian with a chance.

Percy will be returning to the main tour after stints in 2010 and 2011 while Gardiner will be making his first trip to the world's richest circuit, the first player of Aboriginal heritage to do so.

Presnell admits the nerves will no doubt make an appearance given what is at stake.

"Making the tour will mean everything to me. It's been my dream since I was a kid when I grew up watching Greg Norman, Steve Elkington, Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby on the PGA Tour," he said.

"It's not possible to keep out of my mind, it's right there in front of me but I also have a week to go so I am seriously focussed on the next four days.

"To have the PGA Tour badge alongside your name and to know I've made it to the pinnacle would be all I could hope for."

Meanwhile Greg Chalmers, Marc Leishman, John Senden, Marcus Fraser and Scott Hend fly the Australian flag in the lucrative co-sanctioned US PGA and Asian Tour limited field CIMB Classic in Malaysia this week where Tiger Woods will start favourite.

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