Qualifying

[evinkc05]

I am just wondering what it is like trying to qualify for tour events? Can anyone describe their experiences, procedures. Im just really curious about the process and how it all works.

[starchuk]

I have never been to a monday qualifier but a few of my players have. I worked with a great guy who played the Canadian Tour and the Gateway Tour for 4 years, took a year off, and went to the Monday Q for a PGA event... bogeyed the last for 68 and missed it.

I guess the experience is different for everybody. Some players, like my guy above, loved to compete for he got fired up when he hit the course. He walked onto the range that day and didn't look at anyone else there. After the round I was telling him who's action I liked best and he didn't see any of them. Big names too.

When I talk to players about their nerves or energy they get when they play, I can always tell the one's with the thickest bubble - the bubble that they are in because they are the only one's that matter. They aren't playing against the other players.. they are playing their ball on a golf course. Everything else doesn't matter.

[Ben]

Now a days there is more to Monday qualifying than just Monday qualifying. There are so many people trying that there are pre-qualifyer events. I tried out for the Buick and will be trying for the Northern Trust. They both have 4 pre-qualfiying events, which take 7 and ties from each day. From there you are competing against the other dudes that made it from the other dates, plus Nationwide guys and PGA guys with limited status trying to make the event. www.scspga.com has info on the ones in the SoCal area. I think Northern Trust may be closed or full to registration by now, but it can't hurt to look. I'm playing on the 12th at Los Serranos.

My experience, at least this year has been alright. I missed the number by 6 this time around, but the two dudes I played with in the pre-qualifier made it to Monday, and one actually made it in the event, Courtland Lowe. All you have to do is make your birdie putts, and you'll be in.

The price is well worth it too. $200 for p-q and $200 for Monday. If you make it through and make the cut, $400 again, is well worth it.

Here's a list where you can find your local section's website and try to find info on qualifying in your area http://www.pga.com/pgaofamerica/sections/ It may be different in other areas, being in SoCal there are tons of people trying to get in these things. Maybe the other sections don't have as much participation and you can go directly to Monday qualifiers.

[David in FL]

Now a days there is more to Monday qualifying than just Monday qualifying. There are so many people trying that there are pre-qualifyer events. I tried out for the Buick and will be trying for the Northern Trust. They both have 4 pre-qualfiying events, which take 7 and ties from each day. From there you are competing against the other dudes that made it from the other dates, plus Nationwide guys and PGA guys with limited status trying to make the event.

Interesting, thanks. Are the p-q rounds played at the tournament site? How far ahead of the actual event? Seems to me that $200 to play at a pga tournament site and tee it up with some awfully good players might attract some players that don't have a snowball's chance, but think that it's a pretty good deal. Do you see a lot of 6 handicap schlubs like me out there that really have no business even sticking a tee into the ground?

[Shindig]

Interesting, thanks.

They're usually held off-site. Believe me, if it was $200 to play Riviera Country Club, everyone who could, and their mothers, would cough it up in a heartbeat. These wouldn't even be vanity handicaps - they would be outright lies, just to get onto the course. I think the L.A. Open qualifying is held at Los Serranos Country Club: a nice course - I think one of the 18 there is the longest public course in L.A. area. My first time playing there, I hit 4 of my first 5 greens in regulation. I think there's a handicap restriction on attempting too, and I think it's closer to 1.4 or 2.4. If you're a 6 handicap, you're close to being able to qualify for the Mid-Am or Amateur Public Links.

[lumpuckeroo]

I once read the pecking order for quality of players was:
Tour Pro
Nationwide Pro
Top Collegiant
Top National Ametuer
Top Regional Ametuer
Best Player in your state
Best Player at your club
If you are not one of these you would probably be out of your league.

[goblue107501]

There is a locally sponsored Nationwide Tour event in my town every year. For this tournament they have two chances to qualify.

The first is a sponsors exemption qualifier that is held about a month before and at a different site. I think it is open to anyone who lives within about 100 miles (something to that effect) of the event. There is a fee and ability restrictions, but I am not sure what they are. I think they usually take the top 2 performers.

The second is the typical Monday qualifier. This one is held on the Monday the week of the tournament at a different site. There is a fee and the ability restriction is pretty tight. It usually takes a score of 6 under or better to get in. The course is pretty easy, so it is typical to see an 8 or 9 under on Monday. I think they usually take the top 8-10 guys to fill out the field. I could be wrong there, but somewhere in that neighborhood. I know from talking to some players that guys travel all over every week just trying to Monday qualify in order to get in a tournament because they have no status.

[David in FL]

I think there's a handicap restriction on attempting too, and I think it's closer to 1.4 or 2.4. If you're a 6 handicap, you're close to being able to qualify for the Mid-Am or Amateur Public Links.

I wasn't talking about me specifically........I know my limitations! I was just wondering how many wannabes show up just to tee it up with the big boys. I didn't realize that there was a handicap limitation for qualifiers outside of the obvious USGA events.

[Shindig]

I once read the pecking order for quality of players was:

You know about the Coyne Hierarchy of Golfers, right?

I wasn't talking about me specifically........I

I suspect the restriction is in place for two reasons: Players of your level who

don't know their limitations and to prevent people from paying the fee just to get onto a nice course, if one is hosting the qualifying rounds.

[MiniMoe]

I have played in a few here in Texas. To qualify you have to play lights out. No if's, and's or butt's about it. You can play great, miss one 5 footer and be out. The ones I have played in take 4 spots to the event. You are competing against 150 other guys for 4 spots.... and only one round to do it. I have seen a few guys I played with qualify for an event only to play like crap and miss the cut. How, you might ask? Qualifying is a go for broke attitude. You can't play safe, you can't try to punch out to make par or bogey at the worst. You have to try the miracle shots and hope you pull them off. If you do qualify, you have to change your attitude a little bit. You can't go for the miracle shot every time. Some guys can change, some guys can not. But I do now one thing... It's really hard. I've missed several times by one shot, and even gotten into a playoff for a spot only to lose to a guy that holed a shot from BFE to beat me. That's the way it is.