And Yet Another Compromise To The Q-School Demise: Larger, Slower & Fewer Internationals Playing Fields In 2013!

Doug Ferguson on the latest mop-up move by the PGA Tour to put lipstick on the oinker that is the elimination of Q-School as a path to the PGA Tour in favor of the Nationwide Web.com Tour. I'd go back and list the various compromises, oddities, quirks and other assorted nonsense that has come with this change, but there are only so many hours in the day.

In a nutshell, this latest move: because the "fiscal year" calendar means the Fall Finish events in 2013 will actually be the start of the 2013-14 season, playing opportunities in 2013 will be reduced by four weeks. Got that?

The PGA Tour’s policy board is asking certain tournaments to expand their fields for only 2013. Tournaments in March and April typically have 144 players because of earlier sunsets. Some of them are being asked to expand those fields to 156 players.

Pazder conceded that it puts the tournaments in a “precarious position” to make the cut on Friday. The pace is so slow at some spots that they can’t make the cut by Friday even without expanding the fields.

This added element would also seem to mean fewer spots for foreign players who are not PGA Tour members to get into fields:

Tournaments typically have eight sponsor exemptions — two designated for tour members not eligible (such as John Daly), two for Q-school and Web.com graduates and four unrestricted. The formula for next year will be only two unrestricted exemptions, and four exemptions set aside for Q-school and Web.com grads. The tour is also doing away with the commissioner’s exemption for foreign players, which is not used very much, anyway.

Comments

[rb]

"This added element would also seem to mean fewer spots for foreign players who are not PGA Tour members to get into fields:"

The dirty little secret behind the plan..."Asian Paranoia"

[CT]

A legitimate concern...could ruin pro golf

[Abu Dhabi Golfer]

Asian Paranoia on the men's tour? Ryo Ishikawa, who was the most hyped of the bunch, has gone south faster than a group of college kids heading to spring break.

[rb]

Ryo may go south...but there is a wave of Ryos yearning to go north.

[elf]

The Commish exemption is almost never used. Will also mean fewer exemptions for young college golfers who have just turned pro

[smails]

fewer opportunities for young players who could go on to win a lot. more opportunities for those who have already proven they can't win. and why isn't "excitement" in the PGA Tour's slogan?

I'll say it. We should have more invitationals, and the ones we have shold have SMALLER fields. Better golf, faster rounds, whats not to llike. and If Gene Sauers has to go back to tour school for the 15th time because he needs 20 starts to earn $600,000, and can't do it in 13...too bad.