I have to agree with that 100%...Can you imagine you go to school, get a job, then be told, "sorry, we have enough employees this week, so you can't come to work"? On the PGA Tour, they EARNED their playing rights, they should be guaranteed a spot if they want to play that week. If not, open the spot for a qualifier or extra exemption.
You post just points out that for players outside the top 100 on the money list life on the PGA Tour is not all that glamorous. Guys outside of the top 100 are constantly scratching, clawing and grinding their way up the ladder. It takes as much mental toughness as it does game to know that you have to make the most of each time you have to tee it up in order to survive on tour. Which is why I think you see guys get their card play on tour for a year or two then end of back on the Nationwide Tour. Some guys go up and down several times before finally sticking on tour.
Yes, I can imagine it. It's called a competitive "part-time" job. Top Q-School finishers only earn the right to compete on the PGA Tour when those that have earned the "full-time" job decide to take a day off.
They DID earn that right...they have their card!! They either graduated from N'wide or q-school. If you graduate q-school, (and I take it the "Q" stands for "qualifying") for PGA tour status, but are not guaranteed a spot, then what's the point??? Why not (to take it to extreme) have a weekly qualifier every week for "X" number of spots...say 25. Q-school could still exist, but take only 10 players who are GUARANTEED a spot if they want. At least then you are getting 25 or 30 guys who are playing well at that time (as opposed to a half dozen guys playing like poor Steven Bowditch did every week last year). And they could "hope" to get in based on their performance, rather than hoping some guy who hasn't broken 75 in 5 months pulls out of an event. I realize this is not even an arguable point, and I haven't thought about the logistics of doing this, so I can't defend that statement. But it strikes me as odd that these guys "earn" their card, then have to hope to get into a field. IMO, it's not a competitive part time job...they earned their status...let 'em play. I understand the majors and invitationals, but I am talking about standard events. Just imagine what next year will be like since they had 40 q-school grads last week...
Having a PGA Tour card does not guarantee a player a spot in every PGA Tour event. To my knowledge, it never has. PGA Tour card holders are considered independent contractors rated at various levels depending on their career and current PGA Tour status. As independent contractors, they are eligible to participate in limited field events provided the field has not been filled with players of higher status. That's the way the system works and Q-School winners know that going in.
I realize it's no guarantee, it is just that IMO, for that given year, the top 125, n'wide, and q-school grads, should be able to play if they choose. I know it isn't that way, but it is how I see it. They earned it, so go play. If that makes the field too large, then cut down on # of guys exempt (Isn't that what started this part of the thread? A suggestion by Trevino to cut top 125 down to 90 or something???)
I realize it's no guarantee, it is just that IMO, for that given year, the top 125, n'wide, and q-school grads, should be able to play if they choose. I know it isn't that way, but it is how I see it. They earned it, so go play. If that makes the field too large, then cut down on # of guys exempt (Isn't that what started this part of the thread? A suggestion by Trevino to cut top 125 down to 90 or something???)
They have "earned" nothing except the right to continue to compete for a job...that guy cruising along 91st on the money list HASand it is up to those at the bottom of the ladder to make the most of the starts that they get and knock him off...entry level is never glamourous in any field, and while these guys are superior golfers, they haven't made their bones yet, the hard work is still ahead of them...
I wouldn't cut the number of exempt players from 125 to 90 for the simple reason that some of the lesser events have to get Nationwide players and Michele Wie just to fill out the field!
Yea, but the guy at 95th on the money list can shoot much worse than the guy who has his card from Q-school, except he gets to play in 4-5x more tournaments, enough for him to make enough to stay on the list. The guy from Q-school can do better perhaps, but not get into enough tournaments to make the top 125 money list....so how can he 'knock' off the guy at 95th position (who may play worse than him)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigvivec
They have "earned" nothing except the right to continue to compete for a job...that guy cruising along 91st on the money list HASand it is up to those at the bottom of the ladder to make the most of the starts that they get and knock him off...entry level is never glamourous in any field, and while these guys are superior golfers, they haven't made their bones yet, the hard work is still ahead of them...
But you're assuming that the cut back level from 125 to 90 wouldn't attempt to qualify? The (my) idea would be to allow a larger quota to qualify. Those guys currently in the 125th-90th range would not just stay home, would they? If they did, then that's the point...are they hungry enough? The current thinking is that there's a lot of content people in the lower tier of the current money list.
While I'm at it (making suggestions), I'll make one more....how about a "carry your own bag" silly season tournament? Play like the average Joe. No caddie, no cart, you carry your bag. Might be tough on someone like Big John.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bolt Fore
I wouldn't cut the number of exempt players from 125 to 90 for the simple reason that some of the lesser events have to get Nationwide players and Michele Wie just to fill out the field!
But you're assuming that the cut back level from 125 to 90 wouldn't attempt to qualify? The (my) idea would be to allow a larger quota to qualify. Those guys currently in the 125th-90th range would not just stay home, would they? If they did, then that's the point...are they hungry enough? The current thinking is that there's a lot of content people in the lower tier of the current money list.
While I'm at it (making suggestions), I'll make one more....how about a "carry your own bag" silly season tournament? Play like the average Joe. No caddie, no cart, you carry your bag. Might be tough on someone like Big John.
The above bolded part is my thinking exactly. Make the word "exempt" mean exactly that. Then let a larger # of guys try to qualify. As I said earlier, at least the guys that qualify are playing well that week.
He won about a million for that win and about $100,000 for the rest of the year.Seeing that he won early in the year (2006) is he exempt for 2007 & 2008?
Yes Sir.....what stinks is that my friend Jeff Overton, played better week in and week out, and got like 146th on the money list, and JB played good in 1 event and BAM exemption, with a ton of cash!! haha...Thats golf I guess!
He did but my friend played weller!!! haha.....they were in many of the same tourneys and he made more cuts and stuff.....But i agree with what you are saying!!
December 7th, 2006, 01:29 PM
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