Date: August 29, 2012
Author: Bruce Young / iseekgolf.com

Australian PGA Tour hopefuls running out of time

With now just eight events (including the Tour Championship) to play before the Web.com Tour draws to a close, each and every week plays a more significant role in the careers of the hopefuls trying to play their way onto the 2013 USPGA Tour. Of those currently in the all important top 25 on the money list perhaps only the top 12 or so can be totally confident of their chances of securing one of the 25 PGA Tour cards handed out at season s end. Even for those players, the need to finish as high on the money list as possible becomes important as it will assist in gaining early season starts in 2013 and therefore the opportunity to better position themselves for the re-rank that will apply after the first few events of the year. There are also other money list milestones that can assist in a player s career. The leading 60 players advance to the season ending Tour Championship where the comparatively large purse can make a difference in season ending positions. A player positioned between 26 and 40 earns the right to advance to the final stage of qualifying for the PGA Tour and a player finishing inside the top 60 is guaranteed full Web.com Tour status in 2013. The last eight events begin this week with the Mylan Classic at the Southpointe Golf Club in Canonsburg near Pittsburg. The event is being played for the third year at the Arthur Hills designed Southpointe Golf Club, Gary Christian and Kevin Kisner the winners in each of the first two years. Two Australasians are currently inside the top 25 on the money list, Cameron Percy in 11th position and Scott Gardiner 17th. Gardiner probably needs another US$20,000 or so to be assured of his gaining his USPGA Tour card for the first time while Percy it would seem is on his way back to the PGA Tour. Nick Flanagan, 29th, and Alistair Presnell, 46th, are the next best. Presnell has struggled since his great effort at the US Open and is now beginning to need a few good events to give himself hope. 15 Australasians tee it up this week including current PGA Tour players, Nathan Green, Steve Bowditch and Danny Lee who missed out on starts in the FedEx Cup playoffs