This week: Nationwide Tour's Stonebrae Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC San Francisco Bay, Hayward, Calif.

World ranking: 686th.

2009 earnings: $8,466 (72nd on the Nationwide Tour).

Last tournament: The Tacoma product made his third cut in five starts at last week's Louisiana Open (tied for 53th at 1-under 283), and has cashed a paycheck for two consecutive tournaments. The one area of his game Putnam has really worked hard at – and improved – is his putting. He's 24th in putting average (1.755 strokes per green hit in regulation) and 44th in putts per round (29.50). The Pepperdine All-American is 17th in total birdies (57). On a side note, Tacoma's Troy Kelly, after being an alternate to get into the PGA Tour stop, the Houston Open, instead is playing the Stonebrae Classic today.

Tee time Thursday: 9 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Justin Hicks and Patrick Sheehan.

This week: PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open, Thursday through Sunday, Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course, Humble, Texas.

World ranking: 169th.

2009 earnings: $274,813 (82nd on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Don't look now, but the Puyallup native is starting to get on a roll. He made back-to-back cuts last month at the Puerto Rico Open (tied for 44th) and the Transitions Championship (tied for 19th at 1-under 283) on March 22. He's fired scores of even-par or better in eight of his past nine rounds. Is he ready to jump back into the 60s? He hasn't posted a round in the 60s since the Northern Trust Open (first-round 68), or back-to-back rounds in the 60s since the FBR Open in early February. This is the first time since 2007 he's played in the Houston Open, in a last-ditch effort to make the Masters field.

Tee time Thursday: 6:30 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Rich Beem and J.J. Henry.