Nathan has finished in fourth place at the Buick Championship in his first visit to the TPC River Highlands and in doing so has earned US$211,000 and taken his season earnings to US1.189 million for season 2006.

"I came here with a goal to take my earnings over a million for the season and no other real goals for the week, said Nathan a few hours after he had finished with a last round of 66 to move from his overnight 12th placing to outright 4th.

"I played well all weekend. The big area of improvement was my short putting and I made most of the putts I should especially in the three to six foot range which I had not been doing in recent weeks."

"I did not get up here till Tuesday afternoon following the rainout at the International Final Qualifying for the British Open down at Congressional and so only had a chance to play nine holes on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday after the pro am field but became more and more comfortable with the course as the week went on."

Nathan finished strongly with four birdies in his last seven holes and, as it turned out,  his bogey at the 17th did not cost him at all. "I hit good shots close at the 12th and 13th then all but reached the green with my three wood at the short par four 15th and made birdie. I then hit a wedge to three feet at the last."

Nathan will now head west to Chicago for this coming week's Cialis Western Open, yet another course which he will be seeing for the first time this week. "I hear good things about the golf course at Cog Hill and am looking forward to playing there especially with greater confidence in my putting."

Nathan is now in 38th place on the money list and is the third highest earning rookie behind Camillo Villegas and JB Holmes.

photo Michael Cohen WireImage 

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