Idaho Statesman

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Scott Masingill of Payette wiggled through a small opening to earn membership on the Champions Tour this season.

This summer, the top professional golf tour for seniors might close that opening to a paper-thin crack.

A proposal floating around the tour would make it impossible to earn exempt status on the Champions Tour through the National Qualifying Tournament, which was Masingill's path.

That would limit membership to PGA Tour and Champions Tour veterans and those who could do the near-impossible — finish in the top 30 on the money list by getting into tournaments through weekly qualifying events.

"There are some guys, they're not too happy to see anybody come out here that's new," said Peter Jacobsen, a seven-time PGA Tour winner who says he welcomes players like Masingill.

The proposal would create two stages to the weekly qualifiers. The top 30-40 finishers at Q School would get into the Monday qualifiers for the season, and a separate open qualifier would be held each week for everyone else.

The top players from the open qualifier would join the

Q School graduates on Mondays, with nine or 10 spots available in the field. This year, only two spots are available at the Monday qualifiers.

The result would be the same number of outsiders getting into the field each week, but the rule change would make it extremely difficult for those players to stay on the tour for an entire season.

The proposal comes less than two years after the tour cut the Q-School qualifiers from eight to seven and spots available on Mondays from four to two to make more room for PGA Tour veterans in the 78-man fields.

Masingill, who turned pro at 50 years old to pursue a Champions Tour career, says he won't complain no matter what the tour's policy board decides. He tied for 67th Sunday in the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.

"It's driven by TV," he said. "It's driven by the sponsors. Whatever rules they put up, I'll either choose to play or not."

Masingill, who is a Tour member for the first time this season, can earn exempt status for next season regardless by finishing in the top 30 on this year's money list, led by Loren Roberts with $862,680. The next 20 finishers get conditional status, which means they could get into the field depending on how many players enter.

"Thirty-one through 36 or 37 is still pretty (darn) good," said Champions Tour player Mark Johnson, who like Masingill turned pro late in life after a distinguished amateur career.

To get there, Masingill will need to earn close to $500,000. He has $9,053 in five events and ranks 89th on the money list (a drop from 86th last week).

Johnson, who won the Toshiba Classic last year, still finished just 28th on the money list.

Masingill also could have trouble getting into events starting in August if his results don't improve, because the players in some qualification categories are reshuffled based on earnings.

Masingill says he doesn't worry about those long-term outcomes. "I'm really trying to get better today," he said. "Certainly I would like to get into contention and see what that brings. ... If and when I run out of time, I'll do what I have to do."

Masingill is nearly five years into his Champions Tour odyssey, and that was his original commitment to himself. He turns 55 on July 27.

He's uncertain how much longer he will try pro golf, but he knows he isn't finished yet.

"I'm committed to doing this until I don't want to do it," he said. "... I don't have any desire to not do it. The challenge is invigorating, maybe a little overwhelming at times, but it's certainly something I want to do."

And Sunday, he left Newport Beach Country Club a far happier and more optimistic player than a week earlier in Valencia.

He finished at 9-over-par 222, but his ballstriking was much-improved and he was a hot putter away from a nice weekend run. He finished 33rd in driving distance (he was 67th coming in) and 32nd in driving accuracy (he was 70th), indications that he's hitting the ball better.

He'll be back in Payette this week for some fine-tuning before the tour resumes next week in Mexico.

"Last week when I left I felt totally incapable of doing this," Masingill said Sunday.

And now?

"I've got to clean things up," he said. "That's all I have to do."

NOTES: The starter introduced Masingill on Sunday as from "Payette, Indiana." ... Carts return to the Champions Tour for non-majors beginning with the Puerto Vallarta Golf Classic next week. Masingill says he'll walk anyway