FAQ

1. What is the difference between the PGA TOUR and PGA?
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership group of professional golfers that plays more than 100 official-money tournaments on three Tours - the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. Its headquarters are located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., southeast of Jacksonville. The PGA is the Professional Golfers' Association of America, a membership organization for the nation's club professionals. The PGA runs the PGA Championship, Senior PGA Championship and Ryder Cup Matches, among other championships. The PGA headquarters are located in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.. The PGA TOUR and PGA of America were affiliated until 1968, when the tournament players, a small subset of the total PGA membership, broke away to form the Tournament Players Division and gain more control of their finances and tournament schedule. The Tournament Players Division was renamed the PGA TOUR in 1975. While the two organizations work closely together today, the PGA TOUR and PGA of America are separate entities.

2. How can I write to a player?
Address to the particular player in care of the

PGA TOUR
112 PGA TOUR Boulevard
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 32082
904-285-3700

3. Where is the PGA TOUR located?
The TOUR headquarters are at the above address. Ponte Vedra Beach is located just southeast of Jacksonville, Fla. The headquarters site is adjacent to the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass and its Stadium Course, where THE PLAYERS Championship is held each March.

4. How do you become a member of the PGA TOUR?
There are five ways to become a PGA TOUR member eligible to compete in events subject to TOUR regulations. These include: 1. Finish within the top 30 and ties at the annual Qualifying Tournament; 2. Win a cosponsored or approved TOUR event; 3. Finish among the top 150 players on the official money list in a year (through Sponsor Exemptions, Foreign Exemptions, Open Qualifying or Section Qualifying, etc.); 4. Win during the course of a TOUR season an amount of official money (by playing in TOUR events through Sponsor Exemptions, Foreign Exemptions, Open Qualifying or Section Qualifying, etc.) equal to the amount won in the preceding year by the 150th finisher on the official money list; and 5. Finish in the top 20 on the official Nationwide Tour money list. All members shall be age 18 or older.

4. How do you become a member of the Champions Tour?
In order to be eligible, all players must be at least age 50 prior to the first tournament obligation. Those eligible for membership include: 1. The top 30 players available from the prior year's money list (with a floor or 50); 2. The top 30 players available from the All-Time Money List - not exempt in No. 1; 3. Four players in the Career Victory Category, ages 50 and 51 (not exempt at No. 1 or No. 2); 4. Seven players available from the National Qualifying tournament; 5. Five players invited by the tournament, with two spots restricted to PGA TOUR or Champions Tour victory or membership status; and 6. Two players from Open Qualifying.

5. How do you become a member of the Nationwide Tour?
Nationwide Tour membership can be gained in a number of ways, including: 1. Winners of Nationwide Tour cosponsored events in the last calendar year or during the current year; 2. Past Champion of current week's event; 3. Players finishing 21st to 55th on the final official Nationwide Tour money list from the previous year; 4. The number of finishers, nearest 50, in order of finish from the immediately previous PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament; 5. Former fully exempt PGA TOUR members; 6. PGA TOUR members age 48-49; 7. Lower finishers at the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament; 8. Weekly open qualifying; 9. Host PGA Section selections; 10. Sponsor exemptions; 11. Top 25 from the previous event; and 12. Past champions on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and veteran members of each Tour. Other variables are included in figuring out eligibility.

6. What is Monday qualifying?
In every PGA TOUR open event there is an open qualifying round conducted by the PGA Section where the event is being played. The four low scores will advance to that TOUR event. This opening qualifying round is normally held the Monday of tournament week and is open to all professionals and amateurs with a United States Golf Association handicap of 2 or less.

The PGA section qualifying round is also held in conjunction with PGA TOUR open events. This is for all PGA members who belong to that section where the event is being played. Two low scores advance to the event. The Monday preceding tournament week is normally used for this competition. The current section champion or player of the year is also exempted into PGA TOUR open events.

The Champions Tour has separate Open Qualifying procedures. In every Champions Tour open, full-field event there is an Open Qualifying round conducted by the PGA Section where the event is being played. The Open Qualifying round takes place on the Monday of tournament week and the low two (2) scores will gain entry into the main tournament in accordance with applicable Champions Tour policies and procedures. To find out more log on to 'Champions Tour Qualifying Information' at /story/8077184

7. What is Q-school?
The PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament is held in three stages at the end of each season. The top 30 places and ties from the final stage (contested over 108 holes) gain membership and playing eligibility for the subsequent calendar year on the PGA TOUR. The number of players who advance from the first and second stages (over 72 holes each) is determined by the amount of players in the field at that particular site. Entry fees in 2004 for the PGA TOUR are as follows: first-stage qualifying is $4,500, second-stage qualifying is $4,000 and finals is $3,500. The number of finishers nearest 50 at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament qualify for the Nationwide Tour. The Champions Tour has a separate Qualifying Tournament, which includes two stages and a 108-hole final where eight players earn exempt status and seven conditional status.

10. How can you become a caddie?
Caddies are hired by players on all three Tours or provided by the tournaments. Players are required by PGA TOUR guidelines to have a caddie in order to compete in events. Caddies must register at tournament sites and their conduct is the responsibility of the players who hired them. Caddies are asked to follow a PGA TOUR dress code for shirts, pants/shorts, shoes and the caddie bib or uniform supplied by the tournament. Guidelines are also established for areas where caddies are permitted both on and off the course at particular times.

11. How are pairings decided?
In PGA TOUR cosponsored and coordinated tournaments, groupings are drawn in threesomes for the first two rounds based on categories that include:

Category 1:

• PGA TOUR members currently in a tournament winners category. Non-members, who if they were members, would be in a tournament winners category.
• PGA TOUR Life Members (member for 15 years and won 20 events).
• Top 25 on Official PGA TOUR Career Money List through the end of the preceding year.

Category 1A:

• Tournament winners who no longer qualify for category 1 and who played in 5 or more PGA TOUR events or 10 or more combined PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour events in the prior year.
• Former winners of THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship who no longer qualify for category 1.

Category 2:

• PGA TOUR members who play out of the Top 125 and Top 125 Non-members categories.
• Players with 50 or more career cuts and who played in 5 or more PGA TOUR events or 10 or more combined PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour events in the prior year.
• Players within the top 50 on the current Official World Golf Ranking list.

Category 3: All others.

Following the cut, groupings are drawn in twosomes unless otherwise determined by the tournament director because of weather conditions or lack of daylight. The pairings after the cut (low 70 and ties) are determined on the basis of tournament standings at the conclusion of the preceding rounds, with higher scores starting first. Ties will be decided by the order of starting the round last played, with later starting times assigned to the earlier starter in the previous rounds.

12. How did the four majors come about?
The recognized four professional majors include the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. The Masters is an invitational event of the Augusta National Golf Club, founded by legendary amateur and World Golf Hall of Famer Bobby Jones. The tournament began in 1934. The U.S. Open, the national championship of the United States, is organized by the United States Golf Association, which administers the Rules of Golf in the United States, among other duties. The U.S. Open began in 1895. The British Open, golf's oldest championship, began in 1860 and is organized by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, which oversees the Rules of Golf outside the United States. The PGA Championship, which began in 1916, is run by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, the membership organization for the nation's club professionals (not to be confused with the PGA TOUR).

13. What are the World Golf Championships?
The four World Golf Championships events feature players from around the world competing against one another in varied formats (match play, stroke and team). The championships rotate through a variety of venues worldwide. Roughly half of the golf courses are in the United States, with the other half in venues represented by the International Federation of PGA Tours, which is composed of golf's organizing bodies.

The World Golf Championships were developed to enhance the competitive structure of professional golf worldwide while preserving the traditions and strengths of the individual Tours and their events. The first three jointly sanctioned championships -- the Accenture Match Play Championship, NEC Invitational and American Express Championship -- were launched in 1999. The addition of the World Cup, a two-man team event, was announced in December 1999 and debuted in December 2000.

Fields for the World Golf Championships are filled primarily through the Official World Golf Ranking, which is endorsed by all the sport's major professional organizations and governing bodies, and individual Tours' Official Money Lists/Orders of Merit.

14. How are purses at PGA TOUR events distributed?
The standard formula for PGA TOUR events provides a first prize of 18 percent of the total purse all the way to 0.200% for 70th place. For example, a tournament with a $4-million purse would award $720,000 for first place and $8,000 for 70th place.

15. What performance awards are given to PGA TOUR players?
The Player of the Year on all three Tours receives the Jack Nicklaus Trophy. Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year are named on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour. The Nationwide Tour has a Player of the Year Award. All these awards are based on a vote of the membership. The Byron Nelson Award goes to the scoring average leader on each the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour. The Vardon Trophy also goes to scoring average leader on the PGA TOUR. The Arnold Palmer Award is presented to the leading money winners on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.