Golf - down to the wire

[Aceon6]

This is a big week for golf.
- Nationwide Tour Championship will decide which 25 get their cards for 2011.
- Final full field event on the PGA tour determines who keeps his. Looks like it will take $800,000 to keep status this year.
- First stage of Q school which tells us which recent college grads have a shot.

Next week brings Future's Tour qualifying.

[AYS]

And Rocco earned his tour 2-yr exemption by winning that thriller last week with 4 hole-outs from the fairway.

And last I heard, Lee Westwood takes over #1 in the world on Oct31, despite the fact that neither he nor Tiger have been playing lately, because of how the rankings are calculated...ending a 282-week streak at #1.

[Aceon6]

Loved Rocco's 4 hole outs last week, but they got topped by Jonathan Byrd's hole in one to win the Shriner's yesterday. Given that the 3 guys were concerned about having enough light to read the putts, Byrd certainly made that objection moot!

[Aceon6]

Nationwide Tour championship final round is today. They will award the 2011 tour cards. It seems that it will take over $200k to earn a card. From the leaderboard thus far, 4 guys from outside the Top 25 will play their way in. I don't see any real drama as none of the bubble boys have a shot at moving up.

[Aceon6]

Future's Tour qualifying begins today. Scores will be posted at the end of the day here.

In addition to a bunch of gals who skipped their senior year of college to try, there are a few prominent players trying to work their way back including Nicole Perrot from Chile who won the Longs in 2005. She was one of the "can't miss kids" who missed. I've got my eye on Cindy Miller, a 50+ teaching pro who played on the LPGA tour for several years in the early 80s. She's been a T&CP top teacher quite a few times. I've met her, and she's one fun gal. Go, Cindy!

[AYS]

I admit to not following LPGA to any great extent compared to the men, but is Future's Tour the equivalent of Nationwide Tour? Good luck to Cindy, it's a nice thing about golf that you can still make a go as an older athlete.

[Aceon6]

I admit to not following LPGA to any great extent compared to the men, but is Future's Tour the equivalent of Nationwide Tour? Good luck to Cindy, it's a nice thing about golf that you can still make a go as an older athlete.

Yes, Futures is equivalent to the Nationwide. The top 10 from Futures earn status on the LPGA. Money is a LOT less, though. Only about 30 gals earn more than their expenses. For the other 200 or so players, they need sponsors or rich parents.

[AYS]

...For the other 200 or so players, they need sponsors or rich parents.

Sounds like figure skating.

[Aceon6]

Results in from Futures qualifying. Korda, Kimberly Kim, and Sydnee Michaels got Top 10 as expected. The surprise for me was the winner, Natalie Sheary, who is from my area of the country.

Names not getting full status-Big Break's Elena Robles and Susan Choi (both bombed in the 3rd round and missed by 2 shots), and former tour player Kellee Booth who didn't break 80 in any round.

[Aceon6]

Champions Tour first stage is complete. Vijay Singh's brother made it, as did Zach Johnson's caddy, Damon Green. 6 players DQ'd at the Texas site for various infractions. Guess these guys haven't had to play by the rules in a while!

[Aceon6]

This week brings the Children's Miracle Network PGA event. This is the last chance for current tour members to keep their cards. The bubble boys are Garrigus, Woody Austin (he of hitting himself in the head with his club fame), Micheal Allen and #125 Troy Matteson. Noteables who need some serious money this week: Briny Baird, Tom Pernice (already exempt on the Champions Tour), Joe Ogilvie, Lee Jantzen and Mike Weir.

CORRECTION: LPGA has the Lorena this week. This is an invitational, not a full field event as I had originally thought. Looks like we'll be seeing Mi Hyun Kim and Lori Kane at Q school if they hope to improve their status. Grace Park already has permanent status.

[Aceon6]

Weeeee.. here we go. 2nd most important tourney of the year begins today on the PGA tour. Live scoreboards are everywhere, including pgatour.com.

[AYS]

I would say Woody is now even more of "aquaman" fame for his fall into the water at the President's Cup. Crazy he's fighting to keep his card after easily making that team in 2007. But then, Sergio Garcia started last season at #2 in the world and is now in the '70s.

[Aceon6]

PGATour.com has a live projected money list here. It's fun to watch the guys go above and below the line.

btw, Michael Allen is fully exempt on Champion's. If he's the bubble boy, wonder what #126 will be thinking.

[Aceon6]

Pretty exciting final round. IN - Michael Connell, Roland Thatcher and Mark Wilson. OUT - Troy Matteson, Woody Austin and Michael Allen. Garrigus gets into the Top 50 which means he'll have all the invitationals next year. Mike Weir (still working on his Master's exemption), Will MacKenzie and Nick Thompson dropped out of the Top 150.

2nd stage of PGA Q school is this week. Anyone making it out will have someplace to play next year.

[Dave of the North]

Pretty exciting final round. IN - Michael Connell, Roland Thatcher and Mark Wilson. OUT - Troy Matteson, Woody Austin and Michael Allen. Garrigus gets into the Top 50 which means he'll have all the invitationals next year. Mike Weir (still working on his Master's exemption), Will MacKenzie and Nick Thompson dropped out of the Top 150.

Mike Weir is using a major medical exemption in 2011 which gives home 5 events to match the # 125 money total; that will get him back on the tour full time. He's going to play in the Shark Shootout as well.

[Aceon6]

2nd stage of Q school is in the books. Some famous people will be relying on past championship status to get into tournaments this year. Other former reliable non-winners will be odd men out, relying on sponsor's exemptions and Monday qualifiers. Notables who failed to make it through: Frank Likliter, Daniel Chopra, Len Mattiace, Matias Gronberg (one of the nicest guys out there), Bob May, Rod Pampling, former British Open champ Todd Hamilton, Brett Quigley and Kirk Triplett.

[Aceon6]

PGA Tour Q-School finals begin today and run through Monday. As a golf junkie, this is probably my favorite tournament aside from the Masters and British. So many stories, so much on the line. The final 3 rounds will be on TGC.

[Rob]

Notables who failed to make it through: Frank Likliter, Daniel Chopra, Len Mattiace, Matias Gronberg (one of the nicest guys out there), Bob May, Rod Pampling, former British Open champ Todd Hamilton, Brett Quigley and Kirk Triplett.

Wow! That is quite the list.

[Aceon6]

Q School's at the halfway mark for the men. The top of the leaderboard is filled with can't miss kids and some older vets. James Driscoll and Jeff Quiney look like they'll be able to get it done, and perennial "I hate to practice" Carlos Franco is in the Top 10. Cut comes tomorrow with those cut getting conditional status on the Nationwide-until-we-get-another-title-sponsor Tour. Good article here.