PGA Tour finalizes new qualifying structure

• By Rex Hoggard
• Jul 10, 2012 11:00 AM ET

After nearly two years of debate and doubt, the PGA Tour unveiled its new structure for qualifying on Tuesday.

The new plan will make the Web.com Tour the primary avenue to Tour membership beginning with the 2013 season via a three-event finals series that will be played in September, opposite the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The field for the finals series will include the top 75 players from the regular-season Web.com Tour money list and Nos. 126 to 200 in PGA Tour earnings. The top 25 players from the Web.com Tour money list will earn Tour cards, and the remaining 25 cards will be determined in the finals series.

“With the Web.com Tour becoming the pathway to the PGA Tour, it was important to continue rewarding season-long performance on the Web.com Tour,” Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.

“We wanted it to be objective and equitable to all competitors and be easy to understand for players, fans, television viewers, sponsors and the media alike. This structure accomplishes that and will no doubt result in an exciting, compelling conclusion to the Web.com Tour season.”

Although the top 25 from the secondary circuit will already be exempt, and the leading player on the regular-season money list will be granted fully exempt status and a spot into the 2014 Players Championship, all 150 players will participate in the finals series to determine the priority ranking for the following season.