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PGA TOUR Staff

There was a lot at stake when the seven tournament Fall Series began back on Sept. 20 at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Over the seven weeks, $32 million in prize money was awarded and more than $12 million generated for local charities.

For individual players, the Fall Series afforded an opportunity to make significant changes in playing status for the 2008 season and many responded positively.

Among other things, the following playing privileges were up for grabs:

• The Top 20 money winners (British Open exemption)
• The Top 30 (Masters invitation, U.S. Open exemption)
• The Top 70 (Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard invitation)
• The Top 75 (Memorial Tournament invitation)
• The Top 80 (Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial invitation)
• The Top 125 (full exempt status on the 2008 PGA TOUR including THE PLAYERS
Championship)
• The 126-150 group (keeps some playing privileges and are exempt to the PGA TOUR
Qualifying Tournament Finals).

A total of 25 players took advantage of the seven events to play their way into improved playing status for next year, including nine who made perhaps the most critical improvements -- the players who moved into the Top 125 and kept their fully-exempt playing privileges for the 2008 PGA TOUR season and FedExCup race.

Here's who moved up by category:

Top 30
Steve Flesch (26th from 70th)
Heath Slocum (30th from 34th)

Top 70
Justin Leonard (33rd from 99th)
Mike Weir (35th from 82nd)
Daniel Chopra (48th from 116th)
Chad Campbell (49th from 85th)
George McNeill (61st from 114th)
Fredrik Jacobson (63rd from 89th)

Top 75
Brian Davis (71st from 76th)
Robert Garrigus (74th from 93rd)

Top 125
Jesper Parnevik (90th from 139th)
Johnson Wagner (98th from 131st)
Michael Allen (95th from 154th)
Mark Hensby (102nd from 146th)
Bill Haas (104th from 126th)
Shigeki Maruyama (105th from 140th)
Cameron Beckman (112th from 147th)
Alex Cejka (120th from 128th)
Mathias Gronberg (125th from 150th)

Top 150
Chris Stroud (133rd from 167th)
Kent Jones (134th from 165th)
Parker McLachlin (137th from 156th)
Jeff Gove (143rd from 152nd)
Marco Dawson (145th from 153rd)
Daisuke Maruyama (149th from 192nd)

Unfortunately, with nine players moving into the Top 125, nine had to move out. Falling out of the Top 125 were Ben Curtis (who is still exempt in 2008 thanks to his 2003 British Open and two wins in 2006), Brett Quigley, Ted Purdy, Craig Kanada, Harrison Frazar, Joe Durant (exempt in 2008 thanks to a 2006 victory), Bob Heintz, Doug LaBelle II and Steve Allan.

In addition to those players who made substantial improvements in their placing on the money list, the Fall Series also crowned seven champions who will travel to Hawaii to open the 2008 season at the winners only Mercedes-Benz Championship.

With the exception of Flesch, who had claimed a place in Kapalua earlier in the year at the Reno-Tahoe Open, new to the field at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship are Campbell (Viking Classic), Leonard (Valero Texas Open), rookie McNeill (Frys.com Open), Weir (Fry's Electronics Open), Chopra (Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro) and Stephen Ames (Children's Miracle Network Classic).

For McNeill and Chopra, the wins were the first of their careers while Weir and Leonard ended victory droughts. The win for Flesch capped a career year for the lefty while Campbell's victory brought a happy ending to season that had been disappointing for the Texan. Ames' victory in the season's final event marked a great comeback from back problems he began suffering from last year.

The Fall Series was designed to provide TOUR members with a competitive environment following the conclusion of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Over seven weeks, golf fans saw dramatic moves up and down the money list, local fans got to witness in person TOUR golf in seven different markets and players, charities and sponsors alike all benefited. All in all, a great conclusion to the 2007 PGA TOUR season.