Wednesday, March 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
SO, YOU'RE a scratch golfer or better, do very well in regional tournaments, win all sorts of money via Nassaus and no doubt do rather well against various high-rollers whenever you can. Because of this success you think that maybe the tour is the spot for you.
So let's see just what par golf on tour would accomplish:
Last year, a record 1,153 applications were received for qualifying tournaments, with 17 regionals held to reduce the final qualifying field to 188 players.
The final event, normally six rounds and 108 holes, was reduced to five rounds because of incessant rain. The tournament ultimately was canceled and became a five-day, 90-hole event.
The top 40 and ties (a total of 49 players) secured their prized PGA Tour cards for the 1997 season.
Assuming one had made it through to the final, even-par golf of 360 was necessary to secure the all-important tour card.
That was for this year.
Last year, a rookie would have been eligible to play in 36 official events after securing his card for the 1996 Tour, excluding the Tournament of Champions (now the Mercedes Championship), the four Majors and other exclusive events such as the Tour Championship (top-30 money winners).
Of those 36 tournaments, playing even-par golf for the year our mythical rookie tour pro would have failed to make the cut in just five.
The 31 cuts our pseudo player made would have netted him $186,101.26 for the year -- good enough to retain his card for this year, as he would have placed 111th in the tour standings.
His average placing would have been 51st, with his three top tournaments money-wise being T12 Mastercard Colonial ($30,357); T18 Canon Greater Hartford Open ($18,257); and T17 at the Nissan Open ($17,400).
So despite what many think, playing par golf would have made a handsome living.
* STORMY WEATHER: Bitterly cold weather, strong winds and intermittent rain greeted 18 four-man teams in the recent Las Vegas Country Club pro-member tournament. The best tee shot of each team was selected in this modified scramble event, then all players played their second shot from the selected drive's position with their own ball until holing out. Each professional, meanwhile, played his own ball from tee to green. One best-ball net and one best-ball gross was used for scoring with members receiving 80 percent of their handicap. Bob Henderson (LVCC) and unattached Ron Faria along with amateurs Kirk Anderson and Byron Lebow, handled the conditions particularly well and placed first with a score of 128. Joe Lescenski (Legacy), Roger Whincup (Wildhorse), Diane Jett and Woody Hensley shared second spot with Joe Roth (Canyon Gate), Eric Clark (Angel Park), Ken Land and Bill Pike. Their scores were 131. Low professional was Joe Roth's 2-over-par 74, a most commendable score considering the conditions.
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