Failure at Qualifying School Set Tone for Duval in a Bounce-Back Season(part two)

Oct. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- As expected, Duval got into enough tournaments and received enough sponsor exemptions to put together a decent schedule. And he played well enough in two tournaments — a tie for second at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and a tie for sixth last week in the Frys.com Open —that he will not be going back to school this year.

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He is No. 99 on the money list with two tournaments remaining. Duval is playing Las Vegas this week, hoping for a win. At the very worst, he will return to the Players Championship next year for the first time since 2006.

Was going to Q-school worth it?

Duval says it got him at least a couple of the sponsor exemptions he received.

“I went to Q-school knowing that I could play well and get through,” he said. “And if I didn’t, that my status over 15 years and support of these tournaments would be remembered. But I didn’t count on that entirely. I still went. Because I think it shows I’m doing all I can.”

Duval was among 25 players who had conditional status by finishing out of the top 125 but inside the top 150 on the money list. That essentially puts them only in tournaments that have the weakest fields, and often the smallest purses.

Fifteen of them went back to Q-school, and for good reason. The six who made it through played an average of 27 tournaments this year because they had higher status. Not surprisingly, five of them are almost assured of keeping their cards this year (the exception is Joe Ogilvie, who is at No. 134 going into Las Vegas).

The nine players who failed Q-school averaged just over 20 starts. From that group, Duval is the only one who has locked up his card. Robert Garrigus is at No. 122; Aron Price is at No. 126; and Tom Pernice Jr., a 51-year-old model of hard work and high hopes, is at No. 133.

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Among those who did not go back to school was Chris DiMarco. He has played 23 tournaments and is No. 16 on the money list. DiMarco did sign up for Q-school this year, though.

John Daly, meanwhile, did not sign up again. A two-time major champion, Daly has been living off exemptions and his status as a past champion for the last four years, but those offers are starting to dwindle. His first year on exemptions, he talked about having so many that he had to turn some down — a nice problem to have. This year, he has played only 19 events and is No. 193 on the money list.

If he is serious about his game, why not go?

“I would say it’s just ego,” said Dean Wilson, referring not only to Daly but anyone who does not have a card and will not go back to school. “I can’t find a reason why not to go. I think I mailed my application in before Canada.”

Wilson was runner-up in the Canadian Open, and his play last week at the Frys.com Open made him secure for next year. He did not get out of the second stage of Q-school last year, but at least he tried. Relying on his status as a past champion, he played 16 events this year.

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Daly is not the only player who avoids Q-school, but he has become the face of those who would rather rely on exemptions.

One incident at the start of the year showed the contrast between Daly and other players.

Tim Herron, who finished at No. 131 on the money list last year, left his wife and three young boys at home in Minnesota to fly to Honolulu for Monday qualifying. He failed. Then he flew to San Diego and failed again. Heading out to his car at Torrey Pines, Herron mentioned that Daly had invited him to take part in a corporate outing that week in Southern California.

“I told him that I’d love to help,” Herron said. “But I had to Monday qualify.”

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