A Mixed Bag of Qualifiers

The PGA Tour welcomed 41 new or recycled members into its private little club Monday and each now has his very own chance at millions in prize money, potential fame and endorsement riches. Not to mention courtesy cars, free child care and free buffets, though the lines stretch from here to tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Hey, it’s the American way.

First, though, somebody needs to contact Tim Loustalot. He finished at 10 under par, which he thought wasn’t going to be good enough to qualify for the tour, so he jumped into his car and took off for Scottsdale, Ariz.

Surprise, Tim! You made it.

On the last day of PGA Tour qualifying school on the Weiskopf course at PGA West, only the low 35 players and ties earned PGA Tour cards for 1999, which worked out to 41 players at 10 under par or better.

Mike Weir, a 28-year-old Canadian, led the way at 408, 24 under, and was asked what he thinks it will feel like to play for the richest prize money total in PGA Tour history--$135 million.

“Well, that’s exciting,” Weir said.

Well, yes it will be that. But as far as the excitement quotient goes--not to mention stark terror and utter despair--the tour will be hard-pressed to equal the final 18 holes of the stomach-churning 108-hole marathon that determined who had a job and who didn’t.

Dicky Pride managed to survive with a closing round of one-under 71, so he figured he could offer an educated opinion of the six-day experience.

“You ever had your teeth pulled without anesthetic?” Pride asked.

This was one molar-jerking, bicuspid-yanking thing, all right.

Twenty players will be tour rookies in 1999, among them Deane Pappas, a 30-year-old South African who has played on the South African Tour since 1993 and who tied for second with Jonathan Kaye of Phoenix. Kaye played the PGA Tour this year on a medical exemption but didn’t keep his card.

Clarence Rose, 40, missed an eight-foot par putt at No. 18 and was at 10-under, which he thought was one stroke too many. He bowed his head and walked off toward the nearby pond. But then he made it, so no one had to drag the pond.

When Carlos Franco three-putted from two feet on No. 13, he started using his driver as a putter. It must have been pretty decent strategy because he also finished at 10-under and got his card.

Jay Williamson knocked his second shot into the water at No. 16 and figured he was toast. But he birdied the 18th hole when he rolled in a six-foot putt, then fell to his knees, grabbed his head and started to cry.

“I’m gonna watch this on TV and say ‘God, you look like an idiot out there,’ ” Williamson said. “My hands were shaking so bad. You must think I’m crazy.

“Now, I honestly feel I got through this thing and I have a chance to go out and win on the PGA Tour. That’s what you dream about. You don’t dream about having to play Q school.”

Nine players missed by one shot and in keeping with Q school custom, many of them were in the most heartbreaking ways.

Todd Demsey bogeyed four of the last six holes, three-putting the last. Tom Silva triple-bogeyed No. 10. Edward Fryatt bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18. Dino Lucchesi shot a closing 66 but missed a three-foot birdie putt on No. 18. Greg Bruckner closed with a 65 and wound up a shot short.

Then there was the case of Jeff Brehaut, who has been to Q school finals for seven consecutive years. He finished at 14-under and made it. That made Brehaut pretty happy.

“My marriage, the birth of my son and this day are the best days I’ve ever had,” he said.

It wasn’t too bad for Dave Stockton Jr., either. Stockton played only twice in the last two months on the PGA Tour because his baby girl was born 11 weeks prematurely and he chose to spend time with her and his wife Diane. He lost his card because he finished 132nd on the money list, but got it back with his 21-under total of 412.

Not everyone was as fortunate. Among those who failed are former PGA Tour winners Robert Gamez, Bob Gilder, Ken Green, Dave Barr and Donnie Hammond. As consolation prizes for finishing 42nd through 101st, they will get Nike Tour cards for 1999.

Before he knew his fate, Pride was scanning the huge scoreboard for some clue. He thought he would make it, but he wasn’t sure. What he was sure about was that his insides were just as fried as his sunburned face.

“You just can’t imagine anything like this,” he said. “You go up and you go down and you go back up again, if you’re lucky. You know where you want to be, but you just can’t think about it. You start thinking about the future and you’re done. It’s quite a week.”

By nightfall, it was nothing more than the week that was. No one seemed too upset that it was over. School was out, for another year.