Wednesday, October 20, 2010

A Look Into The PGA Tour Qualifying School

 2010 NGA/Hooters Tour POY Michael Thompson







How Hard Is Too Hard?
A Look Into The PGA Tour Qualifying School
By:Justin Jernigan
Myrtle Beach, SC (October 19, 2010)After a long grueling season on the NGA/Hooters Tour, the future stars of the PGA TOUR must then prepare themselves for probably the most important three months of their lives, PGA TOUR Qualifying School or Q-School as it is known to the competitors. 
There are 6 pre-qualification events held across the country from September 14-24. The pre-qualification stage is for any player with no prior history of competition. The fields for these events are generally 82 players with the top 40, 41 or 42 players advancing to first stage. If you are lucky enough to get through the first 72-hole tournament, you will be joined in first stage by a group of exempt players that include:Q-School is a four stage event at the end of every season starting in mid September and culminating with a gut-wrenching, mind-draining six round final stage in mid December to determine where you will play next season. The Qualifying Tournament eventually determines the 30 players (and ties) who receive their TOUR cards for the following year. Anyone else who advances to the final stage receives some kind of status on the PGA’s Developmental tour, the Nationwide Tour.
• Members of any of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour during 2006-2010.
• Applicants who made the cut during 2009 or 2010 in a tournament awarding official money conducted by a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour as of the q-school entry deadline of Sept. 29, 2010.
• Applicants who finished in the top 60, including ties, in 2008 or in the top 50, including ties, in 2009 in a first stage event of the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.
• Applicants who played in the second stage of the 2007, 2008 or 2009 PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.
• Applicants ranked Nos. 101-200 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.
• Applicants who made the cut at the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship.
• Applicants who finished in the top 10, including ties, at the 2009 PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.
• Applicants who played in the 2009 or 2010 Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.
• Applicants who were members of the 2009 U.S. Walker Cup Team or 2008 U.S. World Amateur Team.
• Applicants who played in the semifinals of the 2009 or 2010 U.S. Amateur or the finals of the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
There are 13 first stage events, held across the country from Oct. 19-30, with fields of approximately 78 players. A predetermined number of those based on the size of the field -- generally the low 19, 20 or 21 and ties -- advance to the second stage of qualifying, which will be held Nov. 16-20.
Once past the first stage, life will not get any easier for the members of the NGA/Hooters Tour that are still alive. The action heats up as all first stage survivors are joined in second stage by exempt players that include :
• 2010 PGA TOUR members
• Winners of Nationwide Tour tournaments whose victories are considered official, in the current calendar year plus the previous five (2005-2009) calendar years.
• The top 10 available finishers, including ties, to a floor of 25th position, from the current year's PGA Professional National Championship.
• Applicants who made the cut in the current year's Masters Tournament, PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.
• The leading fourth through 10th available players to a floor of 25th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money lists as of the q-school entry deadline (Sept. 29, 2010) and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.
• Players who have made 50 or more cuts in PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved tournaments awarding official prize money in their careers as of the q-school entry deadline.
• Players who finish from 41st through 70th on the 2010 official Nationwide Tour money list.
• Those applicants ranked 51st through 100th on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.
• The leading first and second available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the applicable official money list or order of merit as of the q-school entry deadline of each of the following international tours: Asian Tour, Canadian Tour, Tour de las Americas and from the Sunshine Tour's final official money list for the 2009 season.
Like in the first stage, only a segment of those players, based on the number of entrants at that qualifying event, will advance to the all-important finals. Exempt into the final stage at Orange County National are the following players, should they decide to compete:
• Those applicants ranked from Nos. 126-150 on the final 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.
• Those Special Temporary members of the PGA TOUR whose combined official money and money earned in official money World Golf Championship events is equal to or greater that the 150th place finisher on the 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.
• Those applicants among Major and Minor Medical Extension category members whose official money earned in their available tournaments, when combined with the amount of official money in their tournaments played, equals or exceeds the amount of official money earned by the member who finished 150th on the PGA TOUR money list for the preceding calendar year shall be exempt into final stage in that year provided that the official money earned in his tournaments played is less that the 150th finisher on the PGA TOUR money list in the year of the applicant's injury.
• Those applicants finishing 26th through 40th on the final 2010 Nationwide Tour money list.
• The leading first, second and third available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money list as of the q-school entry deadline and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.
• Those applicants among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.
Once into the final stage, not only are players competing in the toughest 108 holes of their lives, but they competing against some of the world’s best players that are either trying to fulfill their dreams of competing on the PGA Tour or those players looking to keep their careers going on Tour. It will not be easy for the past and present players of the NGA/Hooters Tour but since its inception in the late 80’s, the NGA/Hooters Tour has been preparing players mentally and physically for the arduous task of getting their PGA TOUR Card. The National Golf Associationis the only Tour other than PGA and Nationwide Tour that conducts week-long (Monday Qualifiers, Shootouts, Long-Drive Contests, Pro-Ams) 72-hole events with a 36-hole cut to top 65 and ties.
This was never more evident than in last year’s final stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying School at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Look at the following statistics from the grueling 108-hole Q-School:
48% (12 of 25)of those players who earned their 2010 PGA Tour Card played on the NGA/Hooters Tour, including 2009 NGA/Hooters Tour members Chris Wilson and Martin Flores, Jay Williamson, Brent DelaHoussaye, Kris Blanks, Michael Connell, JP Hayes, Brendon De Jonge, Spencer Levin, Jeff Maggert, Chris Riley and Brian Stuard.
27 of the 51 players (53%)that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour have played on the NGA/Hooters Tour in the past, including 2009 NGA/Hooters Tour members Bronson La’Cassie, Scott Stallings, Keegan Bradley, Luke List, Andrew Svoboda, Bobby MacWhinnie, Rob Oppenheim and Joe Affrunti. Joining the 2009 members were former players Kevin Kisner, Tom Pernice Jr., Mark Anderson, Josh Broadaway, Adam Meyer, Ted Brown, Casey Wittenberg, Stephen Poole, J.J. Killeen, Chris Kirk, Major Manning, Scott Brown, Scott Gutschewski, Shaun Micheel, Ty Harris, Tommy Gainey, Nathan Smith, Dave Schultz and Matthew Borchert.
All told, of the 170 players that competed in the 6 round final stage, an amazing 42% (71 players) have played on theNGA/Hooters Tour in the past.
Qualifying school is not the only way former NGA/Hooters Tour players gained exempt status on the PGA Tour for 2010. Last season, 11 other former players earned their PGA Tour cards by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list giving the NGA/Hooters Tour 23 former players who secured their PGA TOUR card for 2010
The following were the 11 former NGA/Hooters Tour players who finished in the top 25 on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list: Chad Collins, Blake Adams, Derek Lamely, Tom Gillis, Josh Teater, Matt Every, Justin Bolli, Garrett Willis, Craig Bowden, Vance Veazey and Fran Quinn. With these stats, the NGA/Hooters Professional Golf Tour continues to prove year after year to be the #1 developmental tour in the United States for aspiring professionals to begin their careers.

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