PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament

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The annual PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, also known as Qualifying School or Q-School, was historically the main method by which golfers earned PGA Tour playing privileges, commonly known as a Tour card. From 2013 to 2022, Q-School granted privileges only for the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour's official developmental circuit, but in 2023 it began to again award a small number of PGA Tour cards.

Contents

History

At the PGA of America's annual meeting in 1963 Earl Stewart, a club professional from Dallas, first brought up the idea of having a qualifying school. Two years later at the inaugural q-school he explained to the press on the purpose of the event. "It is designed to take the burden of making a judgement on a proposed player's talent away from the local level," he said. "Formerly the various sections were responsible for screening and qualifying a man for the tour, but all they do now is screen and recommend for the new qualifying tournament." [1]

In several early years (1968–69, 1975–81), two separate tournaments were played, one in the spring and one in the fall. [2] The format of the tournament has changed several times, ranging from a 72-hole tournament to a 144-hole tournament. [2] The current format (in place since 1982) is 108 holes over six days in late November and early December. [2] Before 2013, the top 25 players and ties earned their tour cards. [2] The next set of fifty finishers earned full Korn Ferry Tour cards. [3] The remaining participants received conditional Korn Ferry Tour status.

The 2012 Qualifying Tournament was the last to grant playing privileges for the PGA Tour. On March 20, 2012, the tour announced radical changes to its season structure and qualifying process, [4] and announced further details on July 10 of that year. [5]

The 2013 season ended with The Tour Championship in September, and the 2014 season began the following month. Since then, the Qualifying Tournament only grants playing privileges for the Korn Ferry Tour (known as the Nationwide Tour at the time of the March 2012 announcement). A new series of three tournaments known as the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, held in September, grants 50 PGA Tour cards to a field consisting of the top 75 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list and the golfers placed 126 to 200 on the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup points list. The top 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list before the Finals receive PGA Tour cards, with total money earned in the Finals determining the remaining 25 card earners. [5]

For 2023, qualifying school again awarded PGA Tour cards, this time to top five plus ties in the final stage. Those in the top 40 plus ties were guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. The next twenty plus ties earned full status on the PGA Tour Americas, while all others who reached the final stage received conditional Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas status. The 2023 edition of Q School also awarded privileges on the PGA Tour Americas to First Stage medalists. Second stage medalists also earned eight Korn Ferry Tour starts. [6]

Medalists

YearWinner(s)Cards
2023 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harrison Endycott 5
2013–2022: No Qualifying School
2012 Flag of South Korea.svg Lee Dong-hwan 26
2011 Flag of the United States.svg Brendon Todd 29
2010 Flag of the United States.svg Billy Mayfair 29
2009 Flag of the United States.svg Troy Merritt 25
2008 Flag of the United States.svg Harrison Frazar 28
2007 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Lickliter 26
2006 Flag of the United States.svg George McNeill 40
2005 Flag of the United States.svg J. B. Holmes 32
2004 Flag of England.svg Brian Davis 35
2003 Flag of Sweden.svg Mathias Grönberg 34
2002 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Brehaut 38
2001 Flag of the United States.svg Pat Perez 36
2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stephen Allan 36
1999 Flag of the United States.svg Blaine McCallister 40
1998 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mike Weir 41
1997 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Verplank 38
1996 Flag of the United States.svg Allen Doyle
Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Johnston
49
1995 Flag of the United States.svg Carl Paulson 42
1994 Flag of the United States.svg Woody Austin 46
1993 Flag of the United States.svg Ty Armstrong
Flag of the United States.svg Robin Freeman (2)
Flag of the United States.svg Dave Stockton Jr.
46
1992 Flag of the United States.svg Skip Kendall
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg Masahiro Kuramoto
Flag of the United States.svg Perry Moss
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brett Ogle
Flag of the United States.svg Neale Smith
43
1991 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Standly 48
1990 Flag of the United States.svg Duffy Waldorf 49
1989 Flag of the United States.svg David Peoples 59
1988 Flag of the United States.svg Robin Freeman 52
1987 Flag of the United States.svg John Huston 54
1986 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Jones 53
1985 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sieckmann 50
1984 Flag of the United States.svg Paul Azinger 50
1983 Flag of the United States.svg Willie Wood 57
1982 Flag of the United States.svg Donnie Hammond 50
1981 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Tim Graham
Flag of the United States.svg Robert Thompson
34
1981 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Billy Glisson 25
1980 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Douglass 27
1980 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Jack Spradlin 27
1979 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Tom Jones 27
1979 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Terry Mauney 25
1978 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg John Fought
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Thorpe
27
1978 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Wren Lum 28
1977 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Ed Fiori 34
1977 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Phil Hancock 26
1976 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Keith Fergus 29
1976 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Woody Blackburn
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Shearer
15
1975 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Pate 25
1975 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Joey Dills 13
1974 Flag of the United States.svg Fuzzy Zoeller 19
1973 Flag of the United States.svg Ben Crenshaw 23
1972 Flag of the United States.svg John Adams
Flag of the United States.svg Larry Stubblefield
25
1971 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Zender 23
1970 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Robert Barbarossa 18
1969 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Doug Olson 12
1969 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Bob Eastwood 12
1968 (Fall) Flag of the United States.svg Grier Jones 30
1968 (Spring) Flag of the United States.svg Bob Dickson 15
1967 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole 30
1966 Flag of the United States.svg Harry Toscano 32
1965 Flag of the United States.svg John Schlee 17

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References

  1. Wilson, Johnny (October 26, 1965). "PGA Sends Pros To School". The Miami News. p. 5B. Retrieved June 21, 2021 via newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Past champions: PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament". PGA Tour. December 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
  3. "Q-School Finals - Tournament Information". PGA Tour. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  4. "PGA Tour announces changes". ESPN. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Dell, John (July 10, 2012). "Web.com impact expanded with qualifying changes". PGA Tour. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  6. "How it works: 2023 PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry". PGA Tour. June 1, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2024.