Nov. 9, 2008

LAS VEGAS - Former UNLV men's golfer Bill Lunde was one of 25 Nationwide Tour players to secure a 2009 PGA TOUR card Sunday at the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, by finishing among the year's top-25 money winners.

Lunde, who played under coach Dwaine Knight at UNLV from 1993-98 and was a member of the only national championship team in Rebel golf history, lives in Las Vegas. Originally from San Diego, the 32-year-old graduated from UNLV in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in economics.

Lunde finished fifth on the final season money list on the Nationwide Tour this year and he recorded his top finish of the year by winning the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. He recorded 12 top-25 finishes in all. 2009 will be his first year playing on the PGA Tour.

"Coming back from the work-force to playing golf again and getting through this year was a great accomplishment," Lunde said. "I'm looking forward to the PGA TOUR and the opportunity to play out there against the best."

The Nationwide Tour's 30-tournament season came to a conclusion with Matt Bettencourt winning the $1 million Nationwide Tour Championship. Lunde finished tied for 21st.

For complete details on the results of the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch and "The 25" players who graduated to the PGA TOUR, click here.