CT Golf News

Brian Claar of Westport, Jack O'Keefe of Waterbury and John Elliott of Bristol are three of the 188 players who began the six-round final stage of qualifying school Dec. 4 at two courses along the California coast north of Santa Barbara.

The three come from different backgrounds and with different experiences in professional golf. But the goal is the same: a spot on the PGA Tour.

"The guys who have made it on (the PGA) tour know how much better it is in terms of endorsement money," Elliott said. "It's a bummer if you miss. You've got to make it through or wait until another year."

Ninety players make the four-round cut, and the top 40 finishers, plus ties, receive PGA Tour cards for the 1997 season. The next 70, plus ties, get Nike Tour cards. The rest will have to play their way onto the Nike Tour or go overseas to play at the beginning of next season.

Claar is the most experienced of the three, having been on the PGA Tour full-time for the past seven years. He was the PGA Tour rookie of the year in 1986 when he finished 75th on the money list. But he dropped off the Tour for 1988-89, when he failed to retain his tour card or get it back at Q-school.

He made it through Q-school again in 1990, and has been on the PGA Tour since. In most fields, Claar's earnings of $165,511 in 1996 constitutes a pretty good year. But it made him 127th on the money list, two spots away from keeping his card and forcing a return to qualifying.

Elliott is also a veteran and has been fairly successful in his trips to the final stage of qualifying school, earning his PGA Tour card three times in six previous visits. He played n the Nike Tour after two other trips.

A year ago, Elliott finished 45th in the final stage, earning his PGA Tour card by a single stroke. But he struggled on tour and found himself back at Q-School last month. Elliott advanced through the second stage of qualifying on Nov. 22 after wining a playoff for the last spot at Grenelefe Golf Resort in Haines City, Fla.

For players like Claar and Elliott, the experience of having made it through Q-School in the past is a plus. But having been on the PGA Tour, the two also understand what it means to be playing the big tour, which adds some additional pressure.

To use a baseball analogy, once you've been in the major leagues -- flying on airplanes and having people to carry your bags -- the last place you want to be is back in Triple A.

"It makes a difference," Elliott said. "You're more aware of how important it is to make it through."

That's a problem O'Keefe doesn't have. The 27-year-old played on the Nike Tour in 1996, and two second-place finishes to go with six top 10s put him 15th on the money list. The top-10 finishers are awarded PGA Tour cards.

O'Keefe was the Rookie of the Year on the Australian PGA Tour in 1994, and played overseas again this year. He played his way into the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills last June, finishing in a tie for 90th at 15-over par. He has never made it through the final stage of Q-School.

The first four rounds of the final stage are at La Purisima GC in Lompoc, Calif., and Sandpiper GC in Goleta, Calif. All players will play two rounds on each course before the 72-hole cut. The final two rounds are at La Purisima on Sunday, Dec. 8, and Monday, Dec. 9.

While fame and fortune on the PGA Tour is the dream of all 188 players, just getting that PGA Tour card -- even if you don't make a single cut next year -- can mean the difference between making a few thousand dollars in endorsement money each week vs. a few hundred on the Nike Tour.

Elliott won $32,179 on tour in 1996, but added about $3,000 each week from endorsements and pro-ams. A higher profile player like Claar can expect even more. On the Nike Tour, that extra amount shrinks to a few hundred dollars -- not even enough to keep up with expenses.

But making it through to the final stage, especially if you make the four-round cut, at least guarantees a tour to play on next year.

"The finals are mentally a lot easier," Elliott said. "Now, at least if you screw up, you have the Nike Tour, so you have a place to play."