Rex Hoggard - November 27, 2012

• By Morning Drive Team
• Nov 27, 2012 7:46 AM ET

GolfChannel.com Senior Writer Rex Hoggard is in La Quinta, California this week for the Final Stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. This is the final year that Q School will provide a direct path to the PGA TOUR. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who lost to Tiger Woods 1 Down in the WGC-Accenture Match Play and played in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last week as the 33rd ranked player in the world, is a great example of a player who is taking advantage of the final opportunity to earn a PGA TOUR card through 1 week at Q School. He just wanted to give this a try.

Camilo Villegas and Heath Slocum are among the more surprising names in Q School this year especially when you consider the fact that they are multiple winners on the PGA TOUR and have won FedExCup Playoff events in the past. But they are also proof that nothing is permanent in professional golf and no matter how good you are one year, you can be back at Q School shortly after.

Every year at Q School there tends to be a veteran or two who are trying to make their way back to the PGA TOUR and this year he sees the name of 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel who has struggled since winning that Major Championship at Oak Hill. He has been playing much of his golf on the European Tour and he is trying to play his way back to the PGA TOUR.