The SAS Championship has become a fixture on the Champions Tour schedule and rolls into Cary’s Prestonwood Country Club this week for the sixth straight year.

Reigning champion Hale Irwin will be challenged by a field that features the top 10 money leaders on the Champions Tour.

This week will also go a long way toward determining Player of the Year honors. Loren Roberts is the front runner, leading Jay Haas by slightly more than $15,000 on the money list and having won a tour-high four times with 15 top-10 finishes in 17 starts.

But there is more to look for this week as we present The Front Nine.

No. 1

Golf course architects like to make the opening hole relatively straightforward to ease players into the round. The Front Nine is no different. Here are the essentials of what you need to know.

When: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8

Site: Prestonwood Country Club

Par: 35-37–72. Yards: 7,197

Format: 54 holes, stroke play

Purse: $2 million

Ticket information: www.saschampionship.com

2005 champion: Hale Irwin

No. 2

In 2005, the scoring average at Prestonwood Country Club was a tournament-record high of 72.849. That figure is more than 1.5 strokes higher than in 2001.

Previous scoring averages 2005: 72.849 2004: 72.739 2003: 71.433 2002: 71.944 2001: 71.216

No. 3

Pros do not often admit having a specific score in mind for a round, but rest assured they will be thinking really low on Sunday.

The five previous champions have shot no worse than 5-under 67 on Sunday.

But consider these other statistical facts about the eventual champion:

-- No winner has shot higher than par for a round and goes on to win; -- Three of the five champions have posted three consecutive sub-70 rounds; -- Each of the five champions has had at least one round of 66 or lower.

No. 4

The SAS Championship’s spot on the schedule generally means players are in the stretch run for the Charles Schwab Cup, a season-long competition in which the winner receives a $1 million annuity.

Players receive points based on their finish and bonus points are awarded for top-10 finishes. Points in Champions Tour major championships are doubled.

This week is the 25th of 28 official events and the race essentially has boiled down to Roberts (2,478 points) and Haas (2,458 points).

No. 5

Do not be surprised if contenders making the turn first post a score for the leaders to look at coming down the stretch.

The main reason is because the course plays to par-35 on the front and par-37 on the back, meaning more birdie opportunities inward nine.

Year Champion Front Back 2001 Bruce Lietzke 4-under 11-under 2002 Bruce Lietzke 5-under 9-under 2003 D.A. Weibring 7-under 6-under 2004 Craig Stadler 3-under 14-under 2005 Hale Irwin 2-under 11-under

Also keep in mind that the par-5 17th and par-4 18th played as the first and third easiest holes, respectively, a year ago. Irwin and Craig Stadler played the final two holes in a field-best 5-under.

No. 6

While putting often goes a long way in determining a champion, being in a position to make putts may be even more important.

In 2001, Lietzke totaled 92 putts — six more than any other champion — a figure that ranked 51st in the field. Lietzke ranked first in greens in regulation, though, hitting all but five for the week.

Last year, Irwin was the second champion to rank outside the top 10 in total putts, but was second in greens in regulation. In 2004, Stadler offset ranking 31st in driving accuracy and 11th in greens in regulation by needing just 80 putts, the lowest total of any previous champion.

No. 7

Being on the couch takes on a double meaning at most Champions Tour events televised by The Golf Channel.

If you cannot be in attendance this week, then live coverage will air from 1:30 to 4 p.m. each day on cable Channel 51.

If you are among the gallery, TGC’s Dave Marr often hosts players for televised interviews on a couch situated just near the 18th green scoring tent. This is not a bad place to hang out to maybe hear what players have to say — or maybe snag a quick autograph.

No. 8

There will be plenty of local favorites in this week’s field, including Fayetteville native Chip Beck and Raleigh native Scott Hoch, both of whom made their Champions Tour debuts at last month’s Constellation Energy Classic. Beck tied for fifth, Hoch 27th.

Others to look for on your pairings sheet include Morris Hatalsky (partner in the Trillium Links and Lakes Club in Cashiers), Curtis Strange (resides in Morehead City and attended Wake Forest), Raymond Floyd (born in Fort Bragg), Walter Hall (resides in Clemmons), Jay Sigel (attended Wake Forest), Lanny Wadkins (attended Wake Forest), Jim Thorpe (born in Roxboro), Leonard Thompson (born in Laurinburg and attended Wake Forest), David Eger (attended North Carolina), Bruce Fleisher (lived for a period in Wilmington) and Vance Heafner (Prestonwood Country Club director of golf).

No. 9

Holding the 36-hole lead at the SAS Championship does not make for a peaceful Saturday night sleep as only two of the previous five second-round leaders have gone on to win — Lietzke in 2001 and Stadler in 2004.

In 2001, Lietzke shared the lead with Jay Overton and Bobby Wadkins before winning by three strokes. In 2004, Stadler led by four strokes going into Sunday and won by six.

Those who could not close the deal were Andy North, who held a one-shot lead in 2002 and tied for 11th; Jim Ahern, who led by three in 2003 and tied for 12th; and R.W. Eaks, who led by one a year ago and tied for 10th.