Nationwide Tour reveals 'Greatest Moment' in history

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CHARLESTON, S.C. -- In the spring of 1996 Californian Paul Stankowski pulled off one of the rarest of achievements in golf, winning back-to-back titles on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR. On Saturday it was announced that Stankowski's feat had been voted the top moment in the first 20 years of the Nationwide Tour based on fan balloting conducted on PGATOUR.COM.

The Stankowski moment was one of five finalists from an original list of 20. It received 37 percent of the votes. The moment receiving the second most votes was the 2003 BMW Charity Pro-Am when Jack Nicklaus and his four sons played in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event for the first time. It received 21 percent of the vote. Jason Gore's 2005 summer to remember was third with 19 percent.

The announcement was made on PGATOUR.COM and GOLF CHANNEL's telecast of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island from Charleston, S.C.

The following is the overview of the Stankowski moment that was unveiled this summer along with the other 19 moments:

1996 / Paul Stankowski captures back-to-back wins on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR -- Proving Nationwide Tour players have the game to win on any tour, alumnus Paul Stankowski captures back-to-back titles on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR in the spring of 1996. A non-exempt PGA TOUR member, Stankowski won the Louisiana Open near Lafayette by four shots. As sixth alternate in the next week's PGA TOUR event, the California native headed to Atlanta for the BellSouth Classic and on Wednesday learned he was in the field. The good vibes from Louisiana carried over as Stankowski outlasted Brandel Chamblee on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff on Easter Sunday. In winning back-to-back titles, Stankowski accomplished something no other TOUR player had ever done before or since. From Atlanta he drove east on I-20 to Augusta and his first Masters tournament.

The following is the complete list of the 20 "Moments" that were considered:

• 1989 / Tour is Announced at a Forth Worth, Texas Press Conference
• 2007 / Zach Johnson Wins the Masters
• 1994 / Omar Uresti posts TOUR-record nine straight birdies
• Nationwide Tour Impact on PGA TOUR / 250th Alumni Win Approaches
• 2003 / Jack Nicklaus and Sons Compete in TOUR-Sanctioned Event for First Time
• Charitable Impact on Nationwide Tour Communities
• 1998 / Notah Begay III Posts First 59 in Nationwide Tour History
• 2004 / Daniel Chopra Smashes 72-Hole Scoring Record
• 1991 / John Daly Becomes First Alumnus to Win a Major Championship
• 1997 / Three-Win PGA TOUR Promotion Established
• 1997 / Former Player of the Year Tom Lehman Climbs to No. 1 in the World
• 2007 / Jason Day Becomes Tour's Youngest Winner at Age 19
• 2003 / Chip Beck Records First Par-4 Ace in Nationwide Tour History
• 2005 / Jason Gore's Summer to Remember
• 2007 / Daniel Summerhays Becomes First Amateur to Win Nationwide Tour Event
• 2002 / Nationwide Insurance Inks Umbrella Sponsorship Agreement
• 2008 / D.A. Points Secures PGA TOUR Card with Incomparable Finish in Miami
• 2008 / Nationwide Tour Plays $1 Million Events for First Time
• 1996 / Paul Stankowski Captures Back-to-Back Wins on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR
• 1995 / Golf Channel is Born, Broadly Expanding Nationwide Tour's Reach

Links to all 20 moments are available on the Nationwide Tour section of PGATOUR.COM (Click here for the archive.

The "20 Greatest Moments" were based on events and activities that had significant bearing on the evolution, growth, impact and promotion of the Tour over the last 20 years, both on and off the golf course. "Moments" involved alumni highlights from the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR and span the late 1980s, '90s and current decade.