"For some reason, the tour keeps eliminating Q-school spots."

Buried on page 4 of the designed-to-generate-page-views setup of Steve Elling's latest Knockdown Shots, was this  item:

News item: All precincts have reported and the toll at the polls can be tallied. A whopping 14 of the 25 Nationwide players who will receive promotions to the PGA Tour for 2008 have previously played in the major leagues. Conversely, of the 26 who navigated though Q-school to land their cards, 15 will qualify as big-league rookies.

Knockdown shot: For some reason, the tour keeps eliminating Q-school spots. This year the number of cards was pared from 30 to the low 25 and ties. Why, for heaven's sake? Players like Gainey (a former furniture mover and assembly-line worker), Yong-Eun Yang (who beat Woods in China last year), Cody Freeman (an insurance salesman) and Bob Sowards (a club pro) are interesting folks and represent the American ideal, even if Q-schoolers do often struggle to retain their cards. Note to Ponte Vedra: From a storytelling perspective, rookies trump retreads nearly every time.

I will never understand why our friends in Ponte Vedra continue to eliminate the chances for those potentially outstanding stories that make golf so unique. And not just on the PGA Tour, but also the Champions where I'd sure rather hear about a Jim Albus or Tom Wargo than some Tour player who was boring in his prime, is just as boring now and who doesn't need the money.