Changes to Q School...why?

The Tour has come up with a half baked plan to change the way that the traditional season ending PGA Tour Qualifying School (Q School) hands out its cards. Instead of playing well at Q School and earning a Tour Card, those that play well there will now earn a Nationwide Card. What was that you said? They qualify for Q School play 6 rounds and don't get to play on Tour. (some have played as many as 8 rounds just to get to play the final 6!) That's right, possibly starting in the 2012 season, the Tour is essentially pulling up the trap door and saying from here on you need to start your golf career on the secondary circuit and make it to the Tour that way. I have represented players who have qualified and not qualified through the highs and lows of Q school, so have lived the experience with them and these guys are not going to be happy about this.
It's not done yet and all the convoluted qualifying events have yet to be agreed, but just the thought that the Tour is doing away with one of the best season ending events played out over 6 rounds is just plain crazy. Now I'm not saying it has to stay the same because it's been this way for 30 years, but there has to be a better way. Why not have less players keeping their Tour cards - go from 125 exempt to 50 or 75 and let the rest of them fight it out at the end of the year in some way. This new proposal will impact dramatically those looking to turn pro and curtail the better amateurs from staying in the amateur game, which is not a good thing.
We all know Nationwide is not renewing when their contract is up on the secondary tour and this is a desperate effort by the Tour to inject some life (and TV) into it for the new sponsor. The truth is few want to watch a secondary anything (Triple A baseball anyone?) and one of the consequences of this half baked idea will be to drive new talent to the European and Asian Tour where they can play in the major leagues. The management of those Tours must view the PGA Tour's possible closed shop policy with relish.

Q School - The Six Day Grind

For those who didn't keep their Tour Card by earning a spot in the top 125 the next six days have the potential to be like water torture! 108 holes of strokeplay golf is alot of golf, even without the pressure of Q School. It's actually not that bad for the majority of the field (however the Golf Channel likes to paint it!) as the most of them have somewhere to play next year, even if it is on the secondary Nationwide Tour. Players who finished 126-150 on the PGA Tour in 2010 still get to play 15-18 events on Tour and every player who makes the four round cut gets their Nationwide card.

I have attended Q School as a player agent twice and the pressure and tension is definitely in the air, especially on the final day (both times my player made it through) but it's really not the doom and gloom everyone talks about.

You would think it would be a great opportunity for the Tour to test a great golf course under tournament conditions - sadly no. The golf courses at Orange County National are fine. Dreadful word "fine" isn't it. Let's just say the courses are on a par with their logo above...nuff said!