I am currently in Cleveland, Ohio at the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events. I got into them through the points I earned playing in the WGC-Mexico Championship and the Zurich Classic on the PGA Tour earlier in the season.
The playoffs are made up of players who finished 126-200 on the PGA Tour money list, and 1-75 from the Web.com Tour list. Everyone starts from scratch and the top 25 over the four events earn a PGA Tour card.
I am missing some tournaments in Europe to play these but with my card secured for next year, it’s a great opportunity to gain status in America. I will be returning for the Dunhill Links and British Masters before the final series events.
The first event of the Web.com Tour Finals did not go so well. My game felt OK but I was definitely competition rusty. I made a lot of bogeys from good positions and even missed a tap in on Friday, which led to a bit of an implosion! I am starting to feel sharp again now though and my confidence is returning.
It has been a strange experience playing these events. I have played on the European Tour for a good few years now and I feel very much part of it. I have some very close friends there, I know all the staff, I know how the tour works and I know most of the venues.
All of a sudden I feel like the new kid at school. I don’t know many other golfers, I don’t know the staff, the venues, even the yardage books are alien to me! My wife is now 32 weeks pregnant so she isn’t here, and my caddy couldn’t make the first two events. It takes me back to my first year on tour, where I felt like a bit of an outsider just trying to make my way in the world!
These playoffs are an exciting opportunity for me. To earn a PGA Tour card would be a dream come true. There will be some decisions to make regarding my schedule if things go well but it will certainly be a great problem to have.
