Scottsdale’s Demsey earns Nationwide Tour exemption with Gateway Pro Tour win

Scottsdale’s Todd Demsey shot a final round 3-under 69 at Papago Golf Course to secure a 3-shot win on the Gateway Pro Tour, his second win in two weeks. But, even better for Demsey is the fact that his win kept his lead in the Nationwide Tour exemption Points Race and earned him a playing spot in the Nationwide Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina, May 19-22.

The Points Race took place over the last three tournaments, with GPT players being awarded points for each finish and the highest cumulative points winner earning the exemption. Demsey started with a T24 in the first of three tournaments, but finished strong with back-to-back wins to earn the playing spot, finishing with 4,209 points. Nathan Lashley finished second in points at 3,850 and Brady Schnell was third with 2,983 points.

It’s been a good couple of weeks for Demsey after a slow start to the season. Demsey started the final round with a 3-shot lead over Nick Hodge and changed his strategy a little with the exemption on the line.

Benoit Beisser shot a solid 8-under 64 in the second round and finished with a 69 in the final round to finish solo third at 11-under, while Kent Eger shot rounds of 69-69-68 to finish solo fourth at 10-under par. Schnell, who finished third in the Points Race, was 7-under after two rounds, but couldn’t get much going in the final round as he shot 1-under 71 to finish T5 at 8-under. Charlie Beljan, who couldn’t capitalize on his opening round 66, finishing 70-72 in the second and third rounds to also finish T5. Nathan Lashley, winner of the first tournament in the Points Race, rebounded from his first-round 74 to finish 68-69, good for T11.

Demsey plans on playing the next GPT event at Corta Bella and will attempt to qualify for the next few upcoming Nationwide Tour events before he plays in the BMW Charity Classic on May 19.

The BMW Charity Classic is the first of two exemptions that are available for Gateway Pro Tour members in 2011. The other exemption that is up for grabs is the Preferred Healthy Systems Wichita Open, which will take place June 16-19. Details on how GPT members can win that exemption will be released by GPT officials shortly.

The Gateway Pro Tour regular season will take a week off before teeing it up at Corta Bella, April 6-8. 

For complete results from Arizona Series event #9, visit www.gatewaytour.com.