PGA make changes to improve Nationwide Tour

Announcing massive changes on the structure from the pathway on the PGA Tour and the beginning of new wraparound seasons into the future, Commissioner Tim Finchem said Tuesday the important overhaul authorized by the Tour's Policy Board will strengthen the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour as well as the current Fall Series. When he said details should be worked out on a number of things, the overall movement forward is within place.

"Anytime you're making a change, is to ask: Why are we changing? Whether or not this ain't broke, don't correct it," Finchem said with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. "There's an alternate way to look at things - any time the situation is going virtually, that's the time for you to progress. Which is the philosophy we've embraced.

"Well, a great deal of work needs to be done, plenty of decisions are necessary. But we're heading inside the right direction," he explained. "It will surely strengthen the Nationwide Tour along with the Fall Series and also the FedExCup. Change is difficult. Whenever we did the FedExCup we wondered why we'd change something that was working. But to get that you should be, I believe this may be good."

The 2014 season begins in October of 2013, fourteen days after the Tour Championship ends. The actual 2012 season are not affected.

The autumn Series will contain 4-6 tournaments which will begin awarding in 2013 FedExCup points, although amount of points - Half , 75 % or 100 percent of the points currently awarded to FedExCup events - has not been determined. Not awarding similar points might be a problem. Golf World magazine, in a story because of its digital edition Monday, obtained a letter through the Frys.com Open that expressed "concern about continuing our sponsorship" if the fall events are just given half the points.

The five-decade old, six-day, 108-hole qualifying school can become a pathway just for the Nationwide Tour and no longer award 25 PGA Tour cards.
The Nationwide Tour, that's hunting for a new sponsor, will award 50 PGA Tour membership cards at the conclusion of its season (currently, the top 25 automatically get PGA Tour cards). The Tour maintains that Nationwide graduates, having a full year of traveling a tour and playing under tour-like conditions, will be better ready for the PGA Tour than someone taken from Q School, thus strengthening the PGA Tour.

The last three tournaments of the Nationwide Tour will combine PGA and Nationwide tour players to ascertain the 50. The fields for that events, which is held during the FedExCup playoffs, will incorporate the superior 75 players for the Nationwide Tour's money list, the members ranked 126-200 for the PGA Tour's money list following a normal season, and non-members who meet certain eligibility standards. Your competitors system used with this trio of events should be finalized. Also, these three events could possibly be existing events or three new events may be put into the schedule.

Original article PGA Tour changes aim to boost Nationwide Tour from www.vancouversun.com