Golf Central

Imagine if you had to go to job interview with your potential boss for four days straight, and pass every question perfectly -- and then had to do it again -- for another four days straight, perfectly.

And then, when you pass that stage, at the final stage when you might actually get the job, you have another series of six more interviews, and better-qualified candidates suddenly get involved ... that's Qualifying School, folks, and it's something that anyone who has ever been through it before shudders thinking about.

Thousands try every year. It is golf's ultimate survival-fest, pressure golf at its highest, because a job is on the line - and only a few dozen succeed each year.

What it's all about:

Essentially, Qualfiying School on any of the world's major golf tours, is a set of staged tournaments to determine a select few professional golfers who will qualify for a year's employment - the Holy Grail, a "Tour Card". Both of the main Qualifying Schools, those on the PGA and European Tours, are currently in full swing, having passed the first stage already.

Future stars of the game, and some rebounding veterans, will come out of the ashes when the smoke clears. Some great players will never recover from failed attempts. Family livelihoods and mortgages are on the line this month - but from the thousands of professional golfers who have started the process, only a handful (slightly more than 50) will get full-time employment after the final stages this month.

The vast majority of pro golfers will ever play full-time on a regular professional competitive circuit, let alone make it through "Q-School".

It's certainly not glamourous either - away from the bright lights of big-time tournament sponsors, players drive themselves to the tournaments, pay for their own food and lodging (and fines) and usually have a buddy caddy for them or carry their own bag.

Some players (we'll get to them later) will make it through sooner or later, but it makes for compelling theatre, one that esteemed golf writer John Feinstein has called "Golf's Fifth Major."

European Tour Q-School:

Second-stage tournaments: (Nov. 7-10, 2007) Four venues - Arcos Gardens, PGA Golf de Catalunya, Golf Costa Ballena and Sherry Golf Jerez, all in Spain.

Final-stage tournament: (Nov. 15-20) six rounds at San Roque Club, Old and New courses, Cadiz, Spain.

What happens: The second-stage fields will be cut to the lowest 19-20 finishers and ties, after which they will be joined for the final stage by returnees from the bottom half of the European Order of Merit.

Who to watch: It's time to prove themselves for European Walker Cup future stars Lloyd Saltman and Rhys Davies in the second stage. If they survive this week in Spain, they will be joined in the final stage by the likes of former Ryder Cupper Andrew Coltart, who lost his European Tour card after 14 years, and fellow former Euro Tour veterans like Gary Orr, David Howell, Joakim Backstrom and Joakim Haeggman.

PGA Tour Q-School:

Second stage tournaments: (Nov. 14-17) Six venues - Lake Jovita and Hombre GC (Florida), TPC Craig Ranch and The Woodlands (Texas), Royal Dunes GC (Arizona), and Oak Valley GC (California).

Final stage tournament: (Nov. 28-Dec. 03) six rounds at Orange County National, Winter Garden.

What happens: The second-stage fields will be cut to the lowest 19-20 finishers and ties, after which they will be joined for the final stage by returnees from the bottom half of the PGA Tour money list, or any other players who have exemptions.

Who to watch: The big name is future superstar Colt Knost, who has an amateur record anyone other than Tiger Woods would envy and skipped exemptions into all of the 2008 majors to turn pro this autumn. A handful of other top American amateurs-turned-pro, and "Big Break" reality-show survivors like Anthony Rodriguez and Tommy "Two Gloves" Gaines. .... Other than that, in the final stage watch out for returning veterans off the PGA Tour like Lee Janzen, Steve Lowery, Tripp Isenhour and Paul Stankowski and hot hands like Tag Ridings, if they decide to play.

What Survivors of Q-School have said:

"Pepto Bismol and Ambien and I sleep like a baby." - Ron Whittaker.

"This is brutal. It's the worst golf experience you can have," - Sweden's Henrik Nystrom.

"It's like a big four or five day funeral, and at the end they just cart the bodies away." - Donnie Hammond.

"Six straight days of root canal." - Steve Flesch.

Success Stories:

Hell yeah. George McNeill (Frys.com Open), Brian Bateman (Buick Open) and Mark Wilson (PODS Championship) were all first-time winners on the PGA Tour after surviving the 2006 Q-School. In McNeill's case, he was the 2006 Q-School champion (after nine tries!), and still received this legendary caption on In Golf We Trust for his anonymity.

Scott Verplank played for years on the PGA Tour when he had to go back to Q-School due to injuries and poor performance in 1997 - and won it. The rest is history - seven more Tour wins, two Ryder Cup appearances, and a current World Golf Ranking of No. 24. Michael Allen, who is part of the furniture of the PGA Tour when he's not getting kicked off of it (he has had to make 10 trips to Qualifying School) avoided another trip this year, but despite not winning in 294 Tour events, he's won $3.7 million. Perseverance pays off.

Future Stars?

The sky is the limit for people like the above-mentioned Colt Knost, Rhys Davies and Lloyd Saltman, who all have the amateur pedigrees, the temperaments and most of all the talent to succeed on the big stage. Ryder Cups, major championships, tour victories and riches await them - but for now, they are stuck in that big crapshoot called Qualifying School.

Is It All Over If You Fail?

No! A certain number of top finishers from the Final Stages of both European and PGA Tour Qualifying Schools with receive exemptions to play on the "minor-league" or "feeder" tours for both circuits - the Nationwide and the Challenge Tours. So it is in no way over ... if you can make the final stage and play well. There are always sponsors' exemptions as well ... if you have a good agent.

Extra Reading:

John Feinstein's book: Tales from Q School: Inside Golf's Fifth Major

David Gould's book: Q School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament