Mar. 22, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The PGA TOUR is considering a change to the end of its season in which players who don't make the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup would compete for their cards in a series of tournaments against top Nationwide Tour players.

PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Communications Ty Votaw confirmed the policy board has given preliminary approval to the concept, although it is in the early stages of discussion. The PGA TOUR began informing players by memo late Monday afternoon.

Another change being contemplated is q-school at the end of the year providing access only to the Nationwide Tour.

"There are still a number of steps," Votaw said.

The PGA TOUR has been looking at ways to strengthen the Nationwide Tour. It is looking for a new umbrella sponsor, because Nationwide has said it would not renew its contract after 2012.

Under the preliminary plan, the top 125 in the FedExCup standings after the Wyndham Championship would advance to the Playoffs and compete for $35 million in bonus money, with $10 million for the winner.

Those who don't make the top 125 would have the option of playing a series of three tournaments along with top Nationwide Tour players. Those tournaments also would have a points structure, and it would determine who gets PGA TOUR cards the following season.

Among the numbers being mentioned for the three-tournament series is 75 players from the FedExCup standings and the top 50 players from the Nationwide Tour money list, with the top 50 players from that series earning their cards.

"The number from the Nationwide that goes to the three-tournament series hasn't been determined yet," Votaw said. "And the question of how many cards has not been, either."

If the plan goes through, that means players could no longer go straight from q-school to the PGA TOUR. If a player doesn't make the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup and doesn't make it through the three-tournament series, he still could compete the following year on limited status as a past champion or depending on how high he finished beyond the top 125. That part wouldn't change.

The PGA TOUR, over the past several years, has been awarding more cards through the Nationwide Tour money list than those who make it through six rounds of q-school. It feels players are more prepared for the big leagues after going through an entire season of traveling and trying to make cuts.

Such a change, however, would eliminate dreams of long shots who go make it through q-school, some of them fresh out of college, others who have toiled through mini-tours.

J.B. Holmes and Dustin Johnson are among those who went straight from college and made it through q-school, then won in their rookie season. A year ago, Rickie Fowler went from q-school to a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

Some PGA TOUR officials feel those players are exceptions, and that the quality of fields would be strengthened.

It also would add a layer of drama to the end of the year -- PGA TOUR players who struggled and Nationwide Tour players who performed well, meeting in a cutthroat series of events.

Still to be determined is how the Fall Series, which typically is held after the FedExCup, would be effected.

Finchem should just go play golf or start gardening. The Q School works well and the NW Tour provides enough slots for it's top finishers. The problem with attracting sponsers will still be there. The "name" guys will STILL be mostly absent from the Fall tournaments. The problem is with the purses.......they are too rich for the economic times.
Why not spread some of that Fedex wealth.....10,000,000 smackers for the "winner".......they could bankroll the entire Nationwide Tour with money like that. What's Furyk gonna spend all that money on ? Hair products ???

Don't really care though.....got my own problems

Said that with this plan, the only way to the tour would be through the NW then.

I don't like it.......but then , i don't like much these days. Many good players came on tour through Q School . Why wait two or three years for them to play the NW Tour ? Another dumb idea....must be dumb....Bubba Watson likes it.

Doesn't seem like the sharpest pencil ...but i like him..........as a fellow somewhat dull pencil. :0)

They want to add some more flair to the NW tour is one of the comments

I like the idea. It would put some more interest in these tourneys that follow the fedex cup. Let's face it, the top tier Nationwide players seem much more determined and hungry then the same old pga tour crowd lurking in the 125-150 spots in the money list year after year. It seems every year there are a good number of nationwide players that make it to the PGA tour and make a very good showing during the following PGA season, many even getting a win, while the same old aging PGA'ers who managed to keep their card, still struggle the following year. I say give a chance for more Nationwide players to beat out the same old PGA crowd. The Rich Beem's and Lee Janzen's of the world will not have to step it up if they want to keep their card.

They can still have a Q-school for players from other mini tours or players from college who are not on a tour. Say the winner get s a full exempt card and 2-5 get a partial exempt card.

If it is only the top 25 or so of the NW tour, it just makes them jump through another hoop. Since the top 25 would move up anyway. But it would give them an opportunity to hopefully play for more $$$$ in those last tournaments.