Idaho Statesman Column

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060817/NEWS0305/608170344/1046/NEWS03

The PGA, Nationwide and Champions tours are all very dynamic tours. And the tours are always attempting to put the players who are playing the best in their events.

So on every tour they reorder the exempt players based on their recent play. On the Champions Tour, they only do it once a year, this year on Aug. 8. The reshuffle puts pressure on every level of player to play well and improve his status, or someone else will take his place. It's survival of the fittest at its finest. That is why the names at the top don't change, but those underneath are constantly churning.

The reorder on the Champions Tour came after the Minneapolis tournament. In essence the 15 players who won spots in the fall Qualifying School continue to compete against each other over the year, and we were reordered on Monday for the rest of the year based on money won.

Obviously, I didn't come out very well in that process, so I've gone from fourth and in every event, to 14th and an alternate. Not a very promising prospect.

I talked to a number of officials this week and they think I may get into two of the last seven events. My only other option is to Monday-qualify.

I will play in the Monday qualifier for the Pebble Beach event later this month, but I am not going to play in a lot of those qualifiers. There's a lot of expense and only two spots.

I am playing in the Boeing Greater Seattle Classic this week on a sponsor's exemption, but I have very little chance of any further exemptions. I have some visibility in the Northwest, but not in other parts of the country.

Next year will be a challenge, too. The Qualifying School has been changed.

The Champions Tour will not offer any full exemptions — as it has done in the past — but there will be nine spots available every Monday and the Q-School will determine 40 players who will play for those spots.

If you have not qualified, then there will be a pre-qualifier on Saturday to advance to the Monday event.

I'm not sure what to make of the new rules. I will cross that bridge when I reach it.

In the meantime, I'm going to play great in Seattle, and keep trying to improve.