Na gets a victory but not a trip to Augusta

[mvmac]

Kevin Na may have earned a two year exemption and $792,000 for his win at the Justin Timberlake Invitational yesterday but doesn't automatically gardner a bid in the 2012 Masters.

I get it, it's the Fall Series, most of the top players are playing somewhere else or taking some time off but it's still the PGA tour and I think the winners of these last four tournaments should get an automatic invite to Augusta.

[Sing Golfer]

I used to think yes, but quite happy that Na is not getting a trip to the Masters for this win.

I can't stand how he gets lined up, backs away and how slow he is.

Don't even get me started on him and his caddy plumb bobbing (doesn't work anyway) 3 foot putts.

The PGA should get serious on slow play, they are spineless on this issue.

I would have voted yes in a second if someone else had won. I'll probably fill in the poll the other way next week.

[domc36]

Why is slow play such an issue? What are they holding up?

[clubchamp]

They can only let so many players into the masters so they have to set some criteria. If you wanted to let all the fall series winners in then they'd probably have to cut world rankings guys or amateur exemptions. It will probably never be viewed as totally fair but every major has some exemption rule that no one understands.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

They can only let so many players into the masters so they have to set some criteria. If you wanted to let all the fall series winners in then they'd probably have to cut world rankings guys or amateur exemptions. It will probably never be viewed as totally fair but every major has some exemption rule that no one understands.

It'd be one thing if the Masters had a large field. It doesn't. Fields are, what, 90 players, and 10 of those don't really have a chance? Maybe a hundred with 15 not having a chance?

I think Fall Series winners should get in to The Masters. Hell, let the top 5 from the Nationwide Tour money list (previous year) get in too. Why not?

[Shorty]

If the top 5 previous year's Nationwide money winners got an invitation, the Nationwide Tour might be a "career path alternative" for those who don't want to join the Champions Tour when they turn 50 !

[sean_miller]

I'm waiting until Frank-0-Sport weighs in. Then I'll cast my all important vote.

Greetings Toodles

Originally Posted by Shorty

If the top 5 previous year's Nationwide money winners got an invitation, the Nationwide Tour might be a "career path alternative" for those who don't want to join the Champions Tour when they turn 50 !

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Shorty

If the top 5 previous year's Nationwide money winners got an invitation, the Nationwide Tour might be a "career path alternative" for those who don't want to join the Champions Tour when they turn 50 !

Sure... except those guys aren't gonna finish top 5 on the NW Tour!

[Chilli Dipper]

In the specific case of Kevin Na, he can still earn an invite to the Masters the same way he's gotten in the last two years: by finishing in the top 30 on the money list. After his win, he can do that by simply digging between couch cushions for loose change (though making the cut in one of the remaining events would suffice). But Fall Series winners should be invited to the Masters, regardless.

[JetFan1983]

I voted "no" because I kind of like that the Fall Series is this sort of purgatory four week swing for the PGA Tour. The invitations have dried up and there's nothing left to care about except winning and your standing on the money list.

Originally Posted by iacas

It'd be one thing if the Masters had a large field. It doesn't. Fields are, what, 90 players, and 10 of those don't really have a chance? Maybe a hundred with 15 not having a chance?

I think Fall Series winners should get in to The Masters. Hell, let the top 5 from the Nationwide Tour money list (previous year) get in too. Why not?

Good points. Makes sense.

Mid-year events like the Reno-Tahoe Open (played the same week as Firestone) don't have a Masters invitation with the winning pay check do they? If they do then I think that's even more reason to give Fall Series Masters invitations since these fields are stronger than events like the Reno-Tahoe that have all the top players missing from them. At least in the Fall Series you've got guys like Nick Watney in the field.

Originally Posted by iacas

Sure... except those guys aren't gonna finish top 5 on the NW Tour!

Off topic and somewhat of a silly question, but how would we quantify the average indexes each of the three tours play at? Would we say the PGA Tour is about a +6, the Nationwide +5, the Champions Tour +4?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

Mid-year events like the Reno-Tahoe Open (played the same week as Firestone) don't have a Masters invitation with the winning pay check do they? If they do then I think that's even more reason to give Fall Series Masters invitations since these fields are stronger than events like the Reno-Tahoe that have all the top players missing from them. At least in the Fall Series you've got guys like Nick Watney in the field.

No, those winners don't get an invite either.  And like Erik said, why not?  In the field you have players like Larry Mize and Sandy Lyle(no disrespect) playing but they are not going to win.  To me, there is a very thin line between the guy's playing in Vegas and the guy's that played in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.

[makaveli]

Of course not... I am sorry for Na and his fans, he is a good guy, but no...

(imho)

[Sing Golfer]

Originally Posted by domc36

Why is slow play such an issue? What are they holding up?

They are holding up the people behind them, like all slow players do.

One slow group impacts the entire field, whether in the pros or at your local muni.

Slow play is one of the major issues in golf. It reduces enjoyment and deters a lot of people from playing regularly.

One of the reasons that slow play by amateurs has grown is that they watch someone like Na spend excessive amounts of time lining up putts, getting lined up etc. He is one of the worst.

The thing is, we don't even really get to see how slow Na or Crane or Furyk (putting) are because the TV producers only cut to them after them after they have gone through 80% of their convoluted routines. If they showed the lot, everyone would switch off.

[luu5]

Originally Posted by Sing Golfer

The thing is, we don't even really get to see how slow Na or Crane or Furyk (putting) are because the TV producers only cut to them after them after they have gone through 80% of their convoluted routines. If they showed the lot, everyone would switch off.

I agree with you about the problems of the slow play. But what I have read, not witnessed though, in the last tournament Na's group was not slowing down the field. Maybe there was somebody slower ahead...

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings ... I am of the firm belief that the pace of play issue may be one of many factors that has a bearing on how many players Augusta National allows to start the event (currently 90 to 99) and then make the 36-hole cut (Low 44 and ties plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead). During the period from 1999 to 2006 when PGA Tour wins did not automaticly get players into the Masters, Augusta National expanded the PGA Tour Money Leader category from the Top 30 to the Top 40. It was a very good call as the majority of PGA Tour event winners come from the Top 40 on the Money List. Since 2007, the category has gone back to Top 30. If it were up to me, I'd go back to the 1999-2006 scenario - eliminate the Tour winners category, and then re-expand the Money Leader category back to Top 40. Such a move might have a positive impact on the fields of the Fall Series events. That's my two ¢¢ents worth! Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[sean_miller]

Makes sense (yeah, I just said that). If Na was in that top 40, he's in. He does need to play faster though.

Originally Posted by Frank-0-Sport

Greetings ...

I am of the firm belief that the pace of play issue may be one of many factors that has a bearing on how many players Augusta National allows to start the event (currently 90 to 99) and then make the 36-hole cut (Low 44 and ties plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead).

During the period from 1999 to 2006 when PGA Tour wins did not automaticly get players into the Masters, Augusta National expanded the PGA Tour Money Leader category from the Top 30 to the Top 40. It was a very good call as the majority of PGA Tour event winners come from the Top 40 on the Money List. Since 2007, the category has gone back to Top 30.

If it were up to me, I'd go back to the 1999-2006 scenario - eliminate the Tour winners category, and then re-expand the Money Leader category back to Top 40. Such a move might have a positive impact on the fields of the Fall Series events.

That's my two ¢¢ents worth!

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[Frank-0-Sport]

Greetings .... Currently, Mister Na is [url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page;=golf-m/stat/pga-top10.htm][b]33rd on the PGA Tour Money List[/b][/url] up thru the JT-Shriners Las Vegas event, and he is in the field at the Fry Dot Com Open where a very good finish gets him into the Top 30. Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Sport

[RPMPIRE]

I remember a couple of years ago when Na was playing, he had just gone through a failed lasik surgery and he actually played tournaments with partial vision in one eye - I don't know the exact details. There were a few tournaments where we could see his caddy line up a shot just like in the LPGA. I haven't gotten a recent update of Na's vision, but it possibly could contribute to his slow play.