By John Reger
PGATOUR.com Contributor

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Looking out on the driving range at PGA West the day before the beginning of the PGA TOUR’s National Qualifying Tournament, it has the appearance of a regular week during the season.

Equipment vans are nearby and representatives are milling around, fulfilling any need a player might have before the start of the six-round event. Titleist Pro V1 range balls are sitting in a large trash can with plastic baskets near by. Caddies without bags are hanging around hoping to get some work this week.

TOUR veterans such as Paul Stankowski, Alex Cejka, Cameron Beckman and Brent Geiberger stand side by side with unknowns. Some are excited to be here, others not so much, but all are hoping to garner one of the 30 full exemptions to next year’s tour.

This is the most democratic of sports. Finish 125th or better on the money list and a golfer earns the privilege of returning the following year.

For many who fail, the winter is spent attempting to return through what many consider the hardest tournament in golf. The top 30 and ties earn their PGA TOUR card for 2007. The next golfers nearest 50 total earn exempt status on the Nationwide Tour. The remaining golfers of the 163 entered in the finals earn conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.

Sixteen years have passed since Duffy Waldorf had to qualify for the PGA TOUR, but the veteran knew when he finished 131st on the money list, he would be here trying to earn his card.

“We are performance based on the TOUR,” Waldorf said. “You don’t make the cut of 125 and you go back to Q-School.”

There are ways to fall out of the top 125 and stay on the TOUR. If golfers finish 126th through 150th they earn conditional TOUR cards and can usually get into 15 events.

Another way is by having past champion status, which is what Waldorf used last year. That is a one-time exemption that players use when they have won a PGA TOUR event.

“Even though you do lose your card, there are ways to keep playing out here,” said Waldorf, who might even try and get sponsor’s exemptions next year if he doesn’t earn his TOUR card this week. “There is a lot of competition out here now and it is harder than ever to keep your card.”

Waldorf has won four times on TOUR, but he is hardly the only one here this week who has had success in professional golf.

Lee Janzen is a two-time winner of the U.S. Open and has won eight times, but finished 146th on the money list. It was the second consecutive year he finished lower than 125. He used a one-time top 50 all time TOUR money list exemption this year.

Chris Riley won the 2002 Reno-Tahoe Open and was a member of the 2004 Ryder Cup Team, but used up his two-year exemption for winning an event and had to return to Q-school for the first time since 1998.

Carlos Franco has also been on a prestigious national team. The four-time winner on TOUR was also a member of the 1998 and 2000 Presidents Cup.

There are 15 golfers at the event who have won on the TOUR, six of whom are multiple winners. There are three golfers (Waldorf, Skip Kendall and Jeff Brehaut) here that were medalists at previous q-school finals.

Then there are the multiple visitors to the finals. Michael Allen has been here 12 times from 1990 to 2006, earning his card seven times. Steve Haskins has been to the finals 11 times, but never earned his tour card. There are seven other golfers who are making their 10th appearance at the finals this year.

One of them is Jeff Brehaut. In his last five appearances, Brehaut has earned his card every time.

Esteban Toledo has been to the finals 10 times, and earned his card twice (1993, 1997) and has had his share of disappointments at the finals.

“You don’t want to have to come here, but I am ready,” Toledo said. “I feel good about my game.”

For 57 golfers this is their first appearance at the finals.