Nationwide Tour to become primary avenue to PGA Tour

• By Rex Hoggard
• May 9, 2012 6:49 PM ET

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Change is coming to the PGA Tour, and it’s coming fast.

On Wednesday commissioner Tim Finchem told the media that the dramatic change to the current Nationwide Tour/Q-School model, which will make the secondary circuit the primary avenue to membership via a three-event series, will be completed by next month’s Policy Board meeting at the AT&T National.

“We are almost done,” Finchem said.

According to last month’s “green sheet,” which is circulated to Tour players, there are currently two options for the Nationwide Tour/Q-School proposal.

The first plan, called the “jump ball” option, would give the top 15 to 20 players off the regular season Nationwide Tour money list “some” money, a theoretical advantage as a reward for season-long performance, and start everyone else – the next 55 or so players on the Nationwide Tour and Nos. 126 to 200 in PGA Tour earnings – at zero.

The second option is to create a divisor to merge the two money lists and have all players begin the three-event finals series with some money.

The plan will be discussed in more detail at the next Player Advisory Council meeting at the Memorial tournament.