No You MAY Not!!!

We here at We Make It Rain not only enjoy golf, but follow it as fans. However, due to its nature, golf doesn't readily avail itself to the blog format, as it is hard to capture the thrillingness and excitement of golf on paper, and unless you have seen me play, it isn't particularly funny. But, I came across something interesting this week. The PGA Qualifying School.

Now, those that follow sports know that Q-School might be the most grueling and mentally taxing event in sports. The golfers that do not earn enough money on the PGA tour in a given year (or win, or earn other exceptions), have to play in one, six round tournament in order to return to the Tour for the following year by finshing in the top 24.

The fact that Q-School finished this week, and the fact that it took place on two courses at Orange County National - Crooked Cat and Panther Lake - two course that I have played multiple times myself, do not in and of themselves make it interesting. (For those that don't know - the two courses are designed completely different, one being more "American" style and the other more "links" oriented). Neither does the fact that Frank Lickliter won after shooting a 29 under 403, or that familiar names (to golf fans anwyay) Carlos Franco and Duffy Waldorf earned their tour cards for next year. (Who knew that they had to go to Q-School)?

What made this year's Q-School interesting was who didn't make it. Think back to 2000, the PGA Championships at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky. Tiger had already won the U.S. Open and the British Open. He was looking for three in a row on his way to the "Tiger Slam". He nails a birdie on 18 on Sunday, but is tied when his competitor nails a birdie on 18. Three hole playoff. Tiger birdies the first hole, 16. Both players made incredible pars on 17. Tiger hit a tree twice on his drive, after just hammering his tee shot left. From there, Tiger hit into the left rough, and then into the right bunker. His bunker shot is a thing of beauty as it lands within two feet of the cup. Tap in par. His opponent's approach shot catches the edge of the green, but he has 40 or so feet for birdie, which he narrowly misses. That opponent, who stared down Tiger down the stretch of a major, forcing a playoff, and nearly forcing a second was the immortal Bob May.

And now, in the finicky world of golf, Bob May cannot even play on the PGA Tour next year. He asked if he could come play on the Tour, with the real pros, and after shooting a 13 under 419 and tying for 27th place, the PGA Tour said, "No you may not". (He missed the playoff by one stroke). Welcome to the Nationwide Tour Bob. You will always have your own Valhalla. Remember, it could be worse. You could be Ian Baker-Finch.