FAQ ON THE 2007 PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Q. How can I become a member of the PGA Tour of Australasia? A. The most common method of becoming a member of The PGA Tour of Australasia is to go to Qualifying School which will occur in the latter part of 2007 (November – December). Q. How do I enter the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School? A. You will need to complete and return the Qualifying School Entry Form to the PGA Tour of Australasia by the closing dates as listed on the form. It is expected that the form will be made available in early-mid September. Q. What is the difference between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the PGA of Australia? A. The PGA Tour of Australasia is the sanctioning body for elite professional golf tournaments in Australasia. The PGA of Australia also runs professional tournaments (such as the pro-am circuits) but is also responsible for the club professionals, administering the Trainee system and accrediting golf coaches. Q. What is the Von Nida Tour and how does it differ from the PGA Tour of Australasia? A. The Von Nida Tour is a joint initiative between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the PGA of Australia to provide an “athlete pathway” for members of both organisations to gain much needed experience and competition to prepare them for their careers as professional golfers. The structure of the Von Nida Tour is such that a player has every chance to progress through each stage of his development to the goal of playing in the elite events that make up the PGA Tour of Australasia. In the 2008 season, the Von Nida Tour will consist of approximately 8 tournaments that will be played for a minimum AUD$110,000 each. The Tour is administered by the PGA of Australia but, operationally at each tournament, is staffed by both the PGA of Australia and PGA Tour of Australasia. Q. I have heard that the PGA Tour of Australasia and the PGA of Australia could be merging into one organisation. What does that mean for me as a competitor at Qualifying School and as a possible future member? A. The 2007 Qualifying School will be conducted by the PGA Tour of Australasia. Thus, as a competitor, all matters relating to the event will be dealt wholly by the Tour. If the merger is successful, then players that earn ‘Tour Cards’ for 2008 will be eligible for membership of the new organisation. Q. Who can enter the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School? A. All professionals and amateurs with a handicap of 2.4 or less are eligible to enter.
Q. Are there age restrictions on entering the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School? A. No. Q. Do I lose my amateur status if I enter the Qualifying School? A. It is not a breach of the Rules of Amateur Status to file an entry for and participate in any Stage of the Qualifying School, providing that you waive your right to prize money by signing in the appropriate section of the Entry Form. Essentially, an amateur does not automatically become a professional simply by participating in Qualifying School provided the waiver has been signed. In such a case, amateur status will be lost if the player’s finishing position allows him membership of the PGA Tour of Australasia and/or the PGA of Australia and he elects to take up that membership. Q. How much does it cost to go to Qualifying School? A. The entry fee for 2007 is AUD$1,650 (inc. GST) for all entrants – regardless of which Stage or Stages are played. A reduced entry fee will be available for players who are already eligible for membership of the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2008. The entry fee does not include travel and accommodation; these are the responsibility of each participant. Q. Is it easy to withdraw and can the entry fee be reclaimed? A. A player may withdraw at any time provided notification of their withdrawal is received by the PGA Tour in writing and signed by the player withdrawing. Players who withdraw prior to the Entry Deadline will receive a full refund of their Entry Fee. Players who withdraw after the Entry Deadline will be refunded no more than AUD$1,100 (incl. GST). Unless extreme personal circumstances exist, once a participant tees off (or is absent on the tee) he is no longer eligible for any type of refund. Q. How many players get through from First Qualifying Stage to Final Qualifying Stage? A. It is anticipated that approximately 120 players will compete in First Qualifying Stage. Based on previous years, approximately 35% of these players would progress to Final Qualifying Stage however this could vary depending on the number of players exempt into Final Qualifying Stage. The final number will be announced at the conclusion of the First Round of the First Qualifying Stage. Q. How many players get a ‘Tour Card’ from the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School? A. The PGA Tour of Australasia will be offering the leading 35 players (and ties) from the Final Qualifying Stage ‘Tour Cards’ for the 2008 season. Additionally, the players ranked in positions 36 – 60 will also gain minimal playing rights for the 2008 Von Nida Tour season. Subject to current amalgamation discussions between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the PGA of Australia, it is not yet possible to confirm the exact type of memberships available to the successful players noted above.
Q. If I earn a ‘Tour Card’, how many tournaments will I be able to play on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Von Nida Tour? A. It is expected that the leading 5 players from Final Qualifying Stage will gain a start in most PGA Tour events and all Von Nida Tour events in the 2008 season. The only exceptions will be the Johnnie Walker Classic, the HSBC Champions and the Australian Open. The players finishing in positions 6 – 35 (plus ties) are expected to gain a start in the Australian PGA Championship on the PGA Tour and all Von Nida Tour events in the 2008 season. Those players finishing in positions 36 – 60 (plus ties) will be placed in a lower Von Nida Tour Tournament Exemption Category for the 2008 season and can expect to gain a minimal amount of starts. Q. Do I have to go to Qualifying School if I just want to play on the Von Nida Tour? A. The Qualifying School provides exemptions to both the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Von Nida Tour. There is no separate Qualifying School for the Von Nida Tour. For certain professionals with no exemption on the Von Nida Tour they will have the ability to pre-qualify or attempt to gain sponsor invitations. Restrictions may apply for what professionals may utilise these options, therefore it is advised that they contact the PGA of Australia for details. For amateurs, pre-qualifying will be available for the ‘Open’ events. Q. If I am successful at Qualifying School, will that get me into any pro-ams? A. Players that finish in positions 1 – 35 (and ties) at Qualifying School will have the opportunity to compete in pro-ams for the 2008 season. The players will be split into two exemption categories for the purposes of finalising proam fields. The first category will consist of those players that finished in positions 1 – 5 and the second category will be those ranked 6 – 35 (and ties). It must be noted that all of the players ranked 1 – 35 (and ties) will not gain a start in every pro-am due the popularity of some of the larger events. Q. What if I want to do a Traineeship through the PGA instead of going to Qualifying School? Will this give the same playing opportunities on the PGA Tour of Australasia and/or the Von Nida Tour? A. The Traineeship offered by the PGA of Australia is designed to provide a vocational learning experience while training to become a professional golfer. This option is generally taken by players that wish to become either teaching professionals or club professionals and compete in some pro-ams rather than playing professionals who simply compete in order to earn a living. Some players like to complete a Traineeship in order to have a ‘fall back’ if their playing career is not as successful as they hoped. However, the majority of players wishing to simply become tournament players will attend Qualifying School to gain a ranking and begin their playing career. Completing a Traineeship with the PGA will not give a player playing opportunities on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Only the top 5 3rd Year Trainees and selected high achieving trainees are given an exemption on the Von Nida Tour as reward for outstanding performance.
Q. Does the PGA Tour of Australasia provide accommodation for Qualifying School? A. No. However, the PGA Tour of Australasia will provide some options for accommodation closer to the event. Q. What are the rules of golf during Qualifying School? A. Rules governing play will be the following: • The Current R&A Rules of Golf • The current PGA Tour of Australasia Conditions of Competition and Local Rules • Any supplementary Local Rules as approved by the Tournament Director In addition, all participants are required to conduct themselves in accordance with the PGA Tour of Australasia Code of Conduct as contained within the Members Regulations Handbook. Q. Are there exemptions from 1st Stage and 2nd Stage? A. Yes. These will be outlined on the Entry Form. Q. Do you need to have a caddie at the Qualifying School? A. No, caddies are not mandatory and players are permitted to use pull carts. Q. Where can I view the results of the 2006 Qualifying School? A. You can view the results from the 2006 PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School in the Qualifying School section of www.pgatour.com.au Q. I’m interested in finding out about Qualifying School for other Tours. Where do I find this information? A. Each individual Tour posts information regarding its Qualifying School on its respective website. The websites for the main Tours are: US PGA Tour: www.pgatour.com European Tour: www.europeantour.com Asian Tour: www.asiantour.com Japan Golf Tour: www.jgto.org If you are having any trouble locating information on any of these websites, please contact us and we will assist. Q. An earlier answer said that the PGA of Australia is responsible for the administration of the Von Nida Tour as well as the pro-ams. How do I contact the PGA of Australia if I have a specific question about the Von Nida Tour or the proams? A. The phone number for the PGA of Australia is +61 (0)3 8320 1911
Is your question not there? Contact the PGA Tour of Australasia: E-mail: pgatour@pgatour.com.au