GLENVIEW, Ill. -- The Bank of America Open returns to The Glen Club this week for the sixth consecutive playing of this Nationwide Tour event. For the second straight year, the host site will be playing as a par 72.

In 2007, the course played to an average of 71.422, making it the 22nd-toughest of 34 courses on Tour. By comparison, the year prior as a par-71 layout, the course yielded a 73.857 average, making it the second-most-difficult course on Tour.

Twice, winners of this event have gone on to win on the PGA Tour the following year. In 2003, Andre Stolz won and then captured the 2004 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas. A year after winning the Bank of America Open, Chris Couch won his lone PGA Tour title, the 2006 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

No one enters the 2008 Bank of America Open hotter than current money leader David Mathis, who has a six-tournament streak of top-25 finishes. In his last three starts, Mathis tied for sixth at the South Georgia Classic, won the BMW Charity Pro-Am and was runner-up at last week's Melwood Prince George's County Open. Mathis has all but locked up his PGA Tour card for 2009, currently holding the Tour lead with $223,679 in earnings.

While David Mathis is the pacesetter on the Nationwide Tour, he better keep an eye on Matt Weibring. The son of Illinois native and Champions Tour veteran D.A. Weibring wasn't able to play in many early season events, but since his first tournament in April he has come on strong with made cuts in all five starts. He has had four top-15 finishes in as many starts -- a tie for 13th at the South Georgia Classic, a tie for fifth at the Fort Smith Classic, a third-place showing at the BMW Charity Pro-Am and a tie for ninth at last week's Melwood Prince George's County Open.

In 2007, The Glen Club's par-4 sixth hole played the toughest, with an average of 4.271. It was the 52nd-toughest hole of the year. The year before, the same hole ranked as the Tour's second-toughest hole, with a 4.518 average.

In 2007, 43-year-old veteran John Riegger made a double-breaking, 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation to cap off a closing, 4-under 68 to defeat B.J. Staten by a stroke. Riegger had competed in 290 PGA Tour-sanctioned events -- including 92 on the Nationwide Tour -- without a victory before breaking through at The Glen Club. His last win on any Tour came at the 1996 Colombian Open.

John Riegger collected $135,000 for his victory at the 2007 Bank of America Open, helping him finish No. 19 on the final money list. He earned one of the 25 PGA 2008 Tour cards offered to the top money-list finishers. His 19th-place finish, however, was the lowest for a Bank of America Open champion. Since the inaugural tournament in 2002, the tournament's winner has never finished outside of the top 20 on the final official money list.

The Chicago area has a rich golf tradition dating back to the formation of Chicago Golf Club and the Western Golf Association near the turn of the last century, among other things. Golf's connection with the city is carried on by this year's Nationwide Tour. Players in the field with Chicago and Illinois roots include D.A. Points (Pekin and the University of Illinois), Tom Johnson (Northwestern University), Jason Enloe (Decatur), Fran Quinn (Northwestern University), Gary Hallberg (Berwyn) and Jess Daley (Northwestern University).

The Bank of America Open will feature one of the strongest fields of the season, with 10 of the 11 winners so far expected to tee it up. The only champion who will not be in Glenview is Chitimacha Louisiana Open winner Gavin Coles.

Copyright 2008 PGA.com. All rights reserved.