“It’s become more of a holding tank for PGA Tour veterans"

Jim McCabe takes a tough look at the Nationwide Tour's eligibility rules and wonders what can be done to give younger players the developmental opportunity that defined the tour's original purpose.

Trouble is, it’s tough to get out there when the eligibility is so stacked against newcomers. For proof, Hambric pointed out that of the 26 categories for “Nationwide Tour” eligibility, nine of them (No. 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22) start with the words “PGA Tour.”

No wonder so many see the Nationwide Tour not as a young man’s playground, but a PGA Tour veteran’s second home.

“But everytime the PGA Tour meets to change the rules, it becomes less of a developmental tour,” Hambric said.

And...

In the days following the second-stage heartache, disappointment has worn off and reality has taken hold for talented players such as Stanley, Lovemark, Van Sickle, Woltman, and Chappell. Where do they go from here? The multitude of Nationwide Tour categories are not theirs; they are for the PGA Tour veterans. Instead, they must turn to an assortment of options – the minitours, Monday qualifiers, Canada, sponsor exemptions, even overseas, or maybe a little of everything.

“In essence,” Hambric said, “you’ve got to build your own tour.”

That’s because the one the PGA Tour built for them many years ago is broken.

Comments

[Raider Fan]

And I was lambasted for suggesting on an earlier thread that certain players need to retire. Robert Gamez, Jim Gallagher etc. need to allow the new young players a chance and step aside. There time is over.

[Shankapotamus]

Actually, IIRC your previous comment was about Tour School, not the Nationwide Tour. Anyone who gets through Tour School deserves his shot. Again and again. If Jamie Lovemark can't get through School that is regrettable, but fair. The point here is that old timers who fail in School should not be allowed to clog up the Nationwide Tour, which was indeed a developmental league in its original incarnation.

[Steven T.]

Geez, if I were a young golfer with potential AND financial backing I wouldn't mind trying the European Tour for a year. Look what happened to Kevin Stadler. He won there and got an exemption but came back here is done nothing except take the money on the PGAT- 1 second place finish and he makes over 900K in 2009 :

http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/66/79/

AND his win his not mentioned on his PGAT profile.

[Aunt Blabbie]

Can't we all get along? It's not the end of the world to tee it up with a geezer.

[Ian C]

They can always try to play outside the US, that apprenticeship after failing to get through Q school did the likes of Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman and Todd Hamilton no harm.

[SGarrett]

Here is the priority ranking exemption criteria for Nationwide...

https://pgatourmedia.pgatourhq.com/Tour/WebTemplate/media.nsf/2c47cc31e412bc4985256e6e00287832/c005d7471ff0bc128525752800641c0d/$FILE/reshuffle-090101-n.pdf

Am I correct that the only avenue into a Nationwide event for a non-member (of PGAT or Nationwide) is either being one of 14 monday qualifiers (cat 8) or one of four sponsor invites (cat 10)? Otherwise you have to have made it to at least the finals of the previous qschool or have various Nationwide or PGATour member qualifications?

It does look like a very stacked deck - essentially requiring most players without some kind of previous PGAT or Nationwide experience to battle it out for 14 spots in Monday qualifying every week.

Surely PGATour can do better than this - can't it ??????????

[Robert Thompson]

Making his own tour is what Canadian Graham Delaet did this year. He played (and won) on the Sunshine Tour (South Africa), and then played and won on the Canadian Tour, made the cut at the Nationwide Tour, made a Top 10 on the European Tour, made a cut on the PGA Tour and finally ends up in final stage at Q-School after flying back from the World Cup. That sort of schedule is a young man's game though....

[Wisconsin Reader]

The Nationwide Tour is NOT the only path to the PGA Tour but it is the most realistic. If you earn a card there - over a season - you are more likely to stay there. . . We should acknowledge that golf at the highest level is not limited to young people as are most other sports. So, a 35 year old guy can, in many cases, be consistently better than a young hotshot until the hotshot figures it all out. . . The Nationwide needs to provide the best possible product - in many cases that does involve older experienced professionals. . . If you are young, and really good, you will get out on the Tour - one way or another . . . Lovemark, VanSickle, Woltman et.al., need to get better and be ready for next Fall. There are lots of golf tournaments and driving ranges available to hone their scoring ability. If you cannot get to the Tour School Finals, you are not yet good enough.

[Tony]

I would assume most of them would head to the Tarheel Tour - I think it's now called the eGolf Tour. Seems to me they are putting out the best players and paying the most money. Nothing wrong with can't-miss prospects spending time on mini tours. Builds character and appreciation for when they finally make it...

[SGarrett]

Over the past decade, Nationwide graduates have averaged age 31 and have been professionals for an average of 9 years. This year the 25 players average age 34 and have been pros for an average of 12 years - far and away the oldest average age in the last decade.

Is this just a random event, or have there been recent changes to the exemption criteria that give more senior members of the tour better access to events than the younger players? Does anyone know?

Player, Age, Year Turned Pro

Michael Sim 25 2005
Matt Every 25 2006
Alex Prugh 25 2007
Chris Baryla 27 2003
Derek Lamely 29 2004
Josh Teater 30 2001
Henrik Bjornstad 30 1997
Chad Collins 31 2001
Garth Mulroy 31 2003
Steve Wheatcroft 31 2001
Justin Bolli 33 1999
Blake Adams 34 2001
Roger Tambellini 34 1998
Jerod Turner 34 2000
Rich Barcelo 34 1998
Cameron Percy 35 1998
Garrett Willis 35 1996
Chris Tidland 37 1995
Jeff Gove 38 1994
Mathias Gronberg 39 1990
Tom Gillis 41 1990
Craig Bowden 41 1989
Kevin Johnson 42 1990
Vance Veazey 44 1990
Fran Quinn 44 1988

[SGarrett]

For comparison, QShool grads (2000 to date) have averaged one year older than Nationwide grads - age 32 vs 31.

[Tim in Hoylake]

If the Nationwide tour likes their setup, perhaps the PGA could give out cards to other tours more generously. The Canadian Tour gets how many PGA cards? Zip? yet Mike Weir and Steve Stricker came from there. So diversify the prizes and make all tours better.