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By John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor

Last year, this wasn't called the Fall Series, it was the Fall Finish. It didn't seem like that big a deal to change the name. Obviously, with the new FedExCup schedule and the crowning of a champion in early September, we knew that these tournaments would be a little different. But we thought, or at least, I thought, the storylines would be much the same.

Justin Leonard. (Ferrey/WireImage)

The kids were supposed to make a big move. The fall has traditionally been a proving ground where young studs emerge and pick the fruit high on the tree that has been reserved for stars and stalwarts all year. A couple of years ago, Lucas Glover won at Disney. Last year, D.J. Trahan, Eric Axley and Troy Matteson all soared their way into the lofty air of PGA TOUR winners. We expect this as the leaves start to turn. Furthermore, we expect some to stay aloft for years and we know that some will crash back down to earth. But when they crash, the blow will be cushioned by all the spoils that come with the moniker -- PGA TOUR winner.

That hasn't happened this year, though. Not by a long shot. The first three winners in the seven-tournament Fall Series have all soared before to varying heights in the golf world. Justin Leonard, with a resume that includes the Open Championship and PLAYERS Championship, as well as Ryder Cup heroics, has seemingly done all there is to do in the game. It would be forgivable, even understandable, for him to concentrate his intensity and focus on the more blessed realities of life. Balancing a family and a career isn't easy, regardless of vocation. In the cutthroat world of professional golf, though, equilibrium is particularly hard to maintain.

So, it wasn't all that surprising when Justin began the year with a game that barely hinted at the greatness it once possessed. But the boy we have watched grow into the man who won Sunday is far more than his resume indicates. This victory was as much about savvy as it was about heart.

Steve Flesch. (Ehrmann/WireImage)

That seems to be the theme that has followed the excitement of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Steve Flesch has quietly won twice this year. The left-handed veteran had never before had a multiple-win season on TOUR. Although his win at the Reno-Tahoe Open was overshadowed by Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Steve was more than happy with the victory. He validated that win at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, turning a good year into a great year.

Steve and Justin will tell you something that Chad Campbell has known since dominating the Hooters Tour. You can only beat the players that you are facing. Chad did that then, he did it on the Nationwide Tour on his way up the ladder and he has done it again on the PGA TOUR. His win in Jackson at the Viking Championship was not a surprise. Perhaps he was inspired, or even spurred on, by the fact that much of the U.S. Team that he had been a part of in Ireland a year ago was in Canada winning The Presidents Cup.

None of these three victories are surprising, but they point to resurgence for these veterans. They indicate the accomplishment of goals and a satisfaction that only those who have had it -- and lost it -- can feel when they find it again.

This Fall Series may end up being about a lot more than we first thought. We thought it was going to be about the new guys. And we thought that it was going to bring to light the drama of finishing in the top 125 and avoiding the dreaded struggle of qualifying school.

Chad Campbell. (Ferrey/WireImage)

Those storylines, too, have puzzled. Who would have thought that Jesper Parnevik would enter the Valero Texas Open 13 spots outside the top 125? And who would have thought that moving well beyond the safety of that number could bring such heartbreak?

There was no heartbreak for Michael Allen at Turning Stone, although history will show that he finished second just as Jesper did two weeks later. Allen's runner-up performance meant that the 48-year-old has avoided qualifying school, possibly for the last time.

So far the graying and the balding have stolen the show from their flat-bellied counterparts. With each victory and defeat involving these veterans, we remember days gone by. We remember a blustery July a decade ago. We remember an unheralded Texan winning THE TOUR Championship in Houston. We remember the other lefty. What will we remember this week?