Qualifying Monday has been part of the PGA Tour since the 1960s, when it was not even known as The PGA tour.
But on Monday, qualifications in southern Florida go to the wooden driver, Gutta-Percha balls and Mashie.
Disappeared. Like a Ludvig Åberg Drive.
Qualifier on Monday for the Classic consiant in palm beachesheld at the Tesoro Club of Port St. Lucie, will be the last outfit in the south of Florida after a decision of the PGA Tour political council to eliminate seven qualifications on Monday.
PGA Tour officials say that the change is to make the fields smaller, which accelerates the rhythm of the laps ridiculously slow. Many others believe that this is another example of the tour for the best players instead of the rank. And this goes against the meritocracy of professional golf course.
The tour has published information showing that the success rate of qualifications on Monday is very low: historically, only 30% to 35% drop. The Policy Council decided to eliminate qualifications for tournaments on Monday with fields of 120 – that the constituent becomes next year – and reduces the number of qualifications for tournaments with larger areas.
The end of the qualification on Monday is another involuntary consequence of the battle of the tour with the golf liv, explains Ryan French. The Michigan resident began to follow the qualifications on Monday in 2018 with his “Acaseofhtegolf1” round which attracted more than 200,000 x and the Instagram subscribers and made it an expert in the matter.
“I do not pretend that Monday qualifications are part of the PGA Tour. They are a small but important part, “said French. “I remember when (the Tour Commissioner) Jay Monahan spoke to the Canada Open after the agreement of the agreement with Liv and said that the tour would rely on its history. But little by little, they torn this story. »»
Five golfers won PGA Tour events after Monday that has qualified since 1980
Qualifying on Monday produced a notable story, including five golfers since 1980 who won the Tour event later this week. The list includes the member of Dye Preserve Corey Conners (2019 Valero Texas Open), Arjun Atwal (Wyndham 2010 championship), Fred Wadsworth (1986 Southern Open), Kenny Knox (1986 Honda Classic) and Jeff Mitchell (1980 Phoenix Open). Masters champion Patrick Reed (2018) managed to qualify for Monday six times in 2012 to launch his career.
The winners went from any status to the champion of the tour, so as not to know where the next pay check comes from to enjoy the advantages of playing golf on the highest stage. In a sport where the margin of success is thin like a razor, they finally passed on the right side of the cutting line.
Two years ago, Ryan Gerard of Jupiter saved a time for the Honda Classic via Monday. He finished fourth in PGA National to win $ 411,600, a place in the field next week and an essential confidence.
Today, Gerard is a member of the PGA Tour after having successfully completed the Korn Ferry Tour last year and, at 25, has already inclined $ 1.7 million in career earnings. What was the importance of Monday qualifying for his career?
“It’s a little soft-man for someone like me who had a very big break in his career until Monday to see him disappear,” said Gerard. “In essence, I won $ 1 million on this only qualifier, and that helped me to do on the PGA Tour.
“Seeing people in the future does not have the same opportunity is frustrating. But I don’t have a seat at the table (negotiation). In order to operate new things with the new management, it was an unfortunate reality that they had to undertake. »»
It doesn’t take much to participate in a qualifier on Monday. A player had to have a verifiable handicap of less than 1.4; Pay costs between $ 100 and $ 500, depending on their visit status (plus $ 200 for those who have to enter a pre-qualifier); And a dream of playing among the best in the world.
No qualifications on Monday in the NBA, the NHL or any sport except golf course
“There is nothing like Monday qualifications in sport,” said French. “There is no frank launch competition to join the Lakers for one night. There is no escape competition to play the goalkeeper for the Red Wings. You can be a pizza delivery man, play two big golf rounds and play on the largest scene in the world. »»
But it is not just a dream from Walter Mitty. Not only does the southern Florida have the most world class golfers, but it also has more golfers who are supposed to go to the PGA Tour than everywhere else. Their options have been reduced.
The resident of Jupiter, Olin Browne Jr., the son of the triple winner of the PGA Tour, qualified on Monday for more than a decade with limited success. He succeeded in the two qualification stages of the USGA to play in the US 2023 open, but his career path became more rocky with the end of Monday in qualification in the south of Florida.
“It makes it more a closed store. There is already such a narrow funnel to go to the tour, “said Browne. “It is definitely the end of an era. I don’t know what opportunities will happen after that. The tour was quite stable throughout my father’s era and the first 10 years of my career. Now it’s very unstable.
There are other involuntary consequences with the disappearance of the qualifications on Monday in southern Florida. Elimination removes a large sum of money that the South Florida PGA receives for having directed three PGA Tour – money qualifications that they in turn use to pay the programs for veterans and the disabled.
“There is no doubt that this will have a substantial financial impact on us,” said Geoff Loffstead, executive director of the southern Florida section, PGA of America. “These qualifications generate a lot of income for the section which supports many other programs that we make. This will certainly have an impact when we lose these events.
“The administration of these qualifications is something that we are very proud of. This is something we know how to do, and we are quite good in this area. ”
While more and more professional golfers have moved into southern Florida, the quality of the Monday fields was undoubtedly as good as certain PGA Tour events held against the majors.
“A year, I remember counting the players who had won major championships,” said Loffstead. “There are so many great players who live here in southern Florida. They all have the capacity. They just have to do it at the right time. »»
The disappearance of the qualifications on Monday will also affect many high -end private clubs which were proud to have recognizable golfers who play their home career. The Tesoro Club, which hosted the Ginn on Mer Classic 2007, a PGA Tour event, obtains the honor of welcoming the last qualifier on Monday.
“Our members are impatiently awaiting it each year,” said Matt Doyle, the Tesoro chief golf course. “We will have 60 volunteers here to help players (players are allowed to mount green trolleys at the next T-shirt if it is a long distance), and 90% of them are members and residents. They like to watch the guys they see on television playing their course. “”
Doyle has first -hand knowledge, which qualified twice when he played professionally. Like most, it deplores the end of what was an integral part of the PGA Tour for most of its history.
“The elimination of qualifications on Monday cuts more jobs from the PGA Tour,” said Doyle. “While all other sports are widening jobs, this does not happen with golf. And it’s a shame.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Golfers in the south of Florida Lament at the end Monday qualify for Cognizant Classic 2025
