Children's Miracle Network Classic / PGA TOUR / November 6-9, 2008
Our focus this week will be on Brian Gay and his quest for status among the PGA TOUR's Top 30 Money Winners. At stake in this final event are 2009 invitations to The Masters and the U.S. Open.
I would love to add the British Open to that list, but alas, it simply ain't the case. In the news, you will read the following press release:
"New entry criteria are being introduced for next year’s Open at Turnberry to guarantee places in the Championship for the top 30 players from both the European and PGA Tour."
So, Top 30 Money Winner status gains an exemption into the British Open, right? Uh . . . not so fast.
The Top 30 European players are determined by the Order of Merit, the European version of the U.S. Money Winners. The Top 30 U.S. players, on the other hand, are determined by the Top 30 in the FedExCup points system (the qualifiers for the TOUR Championship). So, we now have an 'apples and oranges' situation: The Order of Merit determined by money earned . . . and the FedExCup standings determined by points earned.
If the FedExCup and the Money List were more closely aligned, all would be well. However, the FedExCup ranking is heavily weighted toward the last three tournaments in the Series and away from 'half points' contests played 'opposite' more 'worthy' events throughout the year. Both these constraints divorce the FedExCup rankings away from the Money List.
So, since Brian did not make the TOUR Championship in the FedExCup Playoff Series, he cannot achieve British Open exemption status via the Top 30 money winners.
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