Fates on line at Disney
In Fall Series finale, golfers scramble to earn Tour cards for 2013,
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.
Many of the players in the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Walt Disney World Resort are on working vacations this week, whether accentuating their day jobs with visits to local amusements parks or frequent trips to the pool or fishing for bass in the numerous ponds that dot the Palm and Magnolia courses.
Others are worried about keeping their jobs.
The final tournament of the season on the PGA Tour is not your average stop. After the Disney event, which begins today, the top 125 players on the money list will be set, with those players earning full Tour privileges for the 2013 season.
Those finishing outside of the top 125 will be scrambling to tee it up anywhere. That will be especially true in 2013 because of the sweeping changes to the schedule and to the way players will qualify. Now, instead of the four-tournament Fall Series giving players a chance to earn cards for the following year, as it has for the last six years, the Fall Series, as well as two tournaments in Asia, will begin the 2013-14 season.
The switch means fewer playing opportunities next season, especially for those outside the top 125 this season. They will be on the outside looking in as players in the top 125, along with 50 others who earned Tour cards at Q-School and via the Web.com Tour, are expected to play in more events because of the shortened year.
“It’s probably going to be difficult for Tour school players to get in events early in the year,” said veteran Jeff Maggert, who stands at No. 122. “Guys will play a lot of tournaments because of the shorter season. It’s good to be fully exempt. The top 125 on the money list is probably a bigger deal than in the past.
“If you finish 126th and don’t go to (Q-) School, you’re 50 people behind the guy that’s 125th on the money list. You’ve put 50 guys ahead of you fighting for spots to get into a tournament.”
Billy Mayfair is No. 125, $2,665 ahead of No. 126 Trevor Immelman. Gary Christian is No. 127, $3,504 behind Mayfair.
“There will be a few guys getting gray hairs, maybe an ulcer or two. Hopefully I’m not one of them,” Christian said.
His attitude this week? Have fun, spend time with his family and hopefully play well enough to earn his card.
“It’s all in the attitude,” he said. “You can make it a matter of life and death. And if it all goes wrong, it’s probably going to affect you more than if you don’t treat it as a matter of life and death.
“Someone else might want to feel like they’ve got to hit balls until dark and worry for the whole week, and I’m going to try not to do that. My family is coming in, so I’ll have other things onmy mind that will take a little bit of the stress away.”