Kiwi golfer Tim Wilkinson will be playing for a lot more prize money next year after earning a US PGA Tour card for 2008.

The left-hander finished in a share of 14th in the gruelling six-round final qualifying school at Orange National at Winter Garden, Florida.

He fired a final round four-under 68 to finish on 16-under par 416, well inside the top 25 players plus ties to advance to the main tour, which was set up with a brilliant final two rounds in nine-under.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I am so thrilled right now. It feels pretty good to finally realise my ambition,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson made his move on Monday, jumping to 25th spot but tried not to let the situation get to him on Tuesday.

“I tried to treat it like a normal golf tournaments. I know it was six rounds but I told myself that today was like a normal Sunday.

“I did not try to think about the number, just to go out there and get as high up the leaderboard as I could. And I did that really well.”

He said his fulltime caddy, former Australian rugby league international Tim Brasher, had been a huge influence.

“On the 17th tee I said to Tim that I was surprised as I thought I would be a lot more nervous. It really did not get to me today even though I was right on the number at the start of the day. That was the pleasing feeling.”

Wilkinson, 25th overnight, started strongly with four birdies and one dropped shot in his first nine holes, and came home with one birdie without blemish to ensure he qualified for the PGA Tour after three full seasons on the secondary Nationwide Tour.

He has enjoyed his most consistent season, making the cut in 23 of 26 tournaments, missing the cut by one shot on each of those three tournaments. Overall his stroke average of 70.30 was the 16th best on tour.

“The standard out here is so high that it is no wonder players such as Boo Weekley and Brandt Snedeker graduate and win in their first year, it adds confidence and confirms that you are not far away,” said Wilkinson.

Fellow Kiwis Grant Waite and Brad Iles missed the main tour but both earned rights for the Nationwide Tour for next year.

Waite was in a share of 48th on 10-under par, four under the cut mark for the top 25, while Iles, who impressed in his debut at this level, finished tied for 105th on one-under with a final round even par 72.

Meanwhile David Smail finished third in the season-ending tournament on the Japan Tour.

His performance has officially elevated him to the status of New Zealand’s highest ranked golfer at 148th in the world.

Smail finished in a share of third place in the final of the Golf Nippon JT Series, after firing a final round 67 to finish nine-under.

Source: tvnz.co.nz