Toughest tour to gain a playing spot?
It’s not the PGA Tour.
It is the Champions Tour.
Brandt Jobe, the poster-guy for journeymen everywhere, broke down the door by shooting 18-under par last week at the TPC Scottsdale to earn one of five, let’s say that again, only FIVE fully exempt spots for the 2016 season.
Joining Jobe are Tom Byrum (17-under), Willie Wood (17-under), Jose Coceres (17-under) and Mike Grob (16-under). That’s the fewest number of qualifiers on any tour.
Another seven received conditional status but it is basically swimming upstream in a quest to make it into the top 30 on the money list.
One of the difficulties is that the Champions Tour has no 36-hole cut, it is not a full-field tour.
It is tough, very, very tough.
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The final round was hit with tragedy when Garry Hanchera, the 64-year-old caddie for Gene Jones, suffered a heart attack while working the final round and died.
Hanchera collapsed in the 14th fairway. Jones’ playing partner Mike Goodes administered CPR and chest compression until help arrived but it was too late.
Hanchera lived in Van Nuys, Ca.
