COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Keith Mitchell took the lead in the Web.com Tour Finals-opening Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Thursday, four days after missing a PGA Tour card by a stroke in the Web.com Tour’s regular-season finale.
Mitchell had a 6-under 65 on Ohio State’s Scarlet Course for a one-stroke lead over Abraham Ancer of Mexico. Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, was another stroke back with Alex Cejka.
The four-event series features the top 75 players from the Web.com regular-season money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings and non-members with enough PGA Tour money to have placed in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had they been eligible.
Ancer and the other top-25 finishers - Mitchell was 26th - on the Web.com regular-season money list have earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings.
Hunter Mahan birdied the final two holes for a 68. The six-time PGA Tour winner was 182nd in the FedEx Cup standings. Five-time PGA Tour winner Ben Crane had a 69, and nine-time PGA Tour winner Stuart Appleby shot 75.
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