IX. NATIONWIDE TOUR MEMBERSHIP
Following the lowest 25 finishers and ties who earn 2008 PGA TOUR membership, the remainder of players in the Final Qualifying Stage will be eligible for Nationwide Tour membership, unless the PGA TOUR, in its sole discretion, elects not to award a membership based on other factors. The next number nearest 50 finishers will be eligible for a fully exempt 2008 Nationwide Tour membership. Should there be an equal number of finishers at different scores at equal intervals above and below 50th position; the higher number shall be used. All remaining players in the Final Qualifying Stage will be eligible for nonexempt 2008 Nationwide Tour membership. (NOTE: Players in the next number nearest 50 who are under the age of 18 and players that do not become members will not be removed from the next number nearest 50 for numbering purposes). Ties among those earning Nationwide Tour membership will be broken for the purpose of ranking (i.e., determining a player’s initial number on the 2008 eligibility list) by matching combined 5th and 6th round scores. Ties remaining after a match of combined 5th and 6th round scores will be broken by matching 18-hole scores from the contestants’ last completed round on the Orange County National Crooked Cat Course or such course as designated by PGA TOUR. Ties remaining after a match of rounds will be broken by matching individual hole scores in descending order, beginning with the 18th hole from the contestants’ last completed round on the Orange County National Crooked Cat Course or such course as designated by PGA TOUR. If the 5th and 6th rounds cannot be completed, the numbering would be consistent with Section X. C. Postponements and Cancellations, qualifying would revert back to the standing at the completion of the 4th round.
Access to Nationwide Tour cosponsored tournaments is determined initially by a player’s finish position at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and is subject to change as a result of the periodic reorder, which benefits those players who perform best. Listed below is the number of such cosponsored tournaments awarding official prize money that certain conditional positions from the initial numbering were able to play in last two years. Nationwide Tour conditional membership does not guarantee a player will be eligible for any specific number of tournaments on the Nationwide Tour.
NUMBER OF Nationwide Tour TOURNAMENTS
CATEGORY POSITION 2006 2005
QT #1 Conditional 28 27
QT #25 Conditional 20 11
QT #50 Conditional 14 14
QT Last Conditional 7 9
In accordance with Article III, Section A.1(e) of the Nationwide Tour Regulations, players who were fully-exempt PGA TOUR members for at least the preceding five consecutive calendar years will be eligible for a Nationwide Tour exemption in one of the first two years after the player fails to retain fully-exempt status on the PGA TOUR provided that he notifies the PGA TOUR no later than 10 days after the conclusion of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament for the year preceding the season in which he desires to use this exemption. (A player may not use a Special Medical Extension in accumulating his five year total.) To be eligible for this exemption, the player must have entered and competed in the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in the year preceding the season in which he desires to use this exemption. Any eligible player may use this exemption only one time in his career. For additional information regarding this exemption, please contact either the PGA TOUR or Nationwide Tour Membership Services Department.
First time Nationwide Tour members are required to attend the Nationwide Tour New Member Orientation Program the day following the completion of the final round of the Qualifying Tournament. The orientation will be conducted over approximately ½ day and attendance is mandatory. Failure to attend may result in the loss of eligibility or other membership benefits, and could result in a disciplinary fine. Plan your schedule to allow for departure after the ½ day of orientation. |
