This week: Nationwide Tour's Players Cup, Thursday through Sunday, Pete Dye Golf Club, Bridgeport, W.Va.

First-round score: 2-under-par 70.

Position: Putnam is tied for 36th, six strokes behind leader Rick Price (64).

Recap: One errant swing – the drive on the 500-yard, par-4 ninth – marred a round that had the Tacoma native close to the top of the leaderboard (birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 14, 17 and 3) much of the round. In fact, at Pete Dye GC, the ninth is really the gorgeous finishing hole, but the two nines were switched for the tournament. With trouble, including a creek that stretches the entire length of the hole, lurking on the left, Putnam dumped his drive out-of-bounds, and had to go back to the tee box for his third shot. He made a double bogey. "Cost me two shots. I was hitting bad shots on the worst holes," Putnam said. It was the only fairway Putnam missed all day, but he still remains in the hunt for a top finish. "Winning secures your PGA Tour card. It would be huge. Even finishing in the top 10, it would help me a lot to where I need to go," Putnam said.

Tee time Friday: 9:59 a.m. PDT off the first tee.