Adam Scott might be set at least until the end of 2018 on the US PGA tour thanks to his Masters triumph, but for 13 other Australians a job for next season isn’t close to sewn up yet.
Only Scott (through 2018), Geoff Ogilvy (2015) and Marc Leishman (2014) are officially exempt for the new season, which starts in October as the tour moves to a wrap-around schedule.
To secure a spot in the 2013-14 season, golfers must either win one of the seven maximum tournaments left on the schedule this year or push into the top 125 on the season-long points list, which also makes them eligible for the play-offs.
Jason Day, currently 10th on the list is a certainty to play in the post-season.
Scott (12th), Leishman (55th) and Ogilvy (79th) will also contest the playoffs which progressively wipe players out until the top 30 contest the Tour Championship in Atlanta where the final points winner takes home a $US10 million ($A10.99 million) bonus.
Matt Jones at 78th and John Senden (98th) are also looking safe bets to remain inside the top 125 but Aaron Baddeley (114), Greg Chalmers (115), Stuart Appleby (132), Nick O’Hern (161), Cameron Percy (164), Robert Allenby (169), Scott Gardiner (170), Steven Bowditch (181), Alistair Presnell (185), Nathan Green (186) and Rod Pampling (187) are all up against the wall with time running out.
“It’s definitely go time,” Baddeley, a three-time tour winner, whose exemption from his 2011 win runs out this year, said.
“I need some good finishes to get points and make the playoffs because once you get there anything is possible.”
Allenby has two get out of jail free cards for his high position on the all time career money list.
Big guns Day, Scott, Leishman and Ogilvy aren’t playing this week at the Greenbrier Classic but the rest of the Australian tour contingent is in West Virginia.
Appleby, who famously rescued himself with a final round 59 and victory at the Greenbrier in 2010, has already used both career lifelines Allenby could call on.
Players ranked between 126-200 will play in a four tournament play-off series with the top 75 players from the secondary web.com tour.
The top 25 of that tour will already be guaranteed a place on the main tour the following season, leaving 25 more spots to go to the best performers over the playoff month.
Mathew Goggin (16th), Bronson La’Cassie (40th), Nick Flanagan (51st), Aron Price (53rd), Ashley Hall (55th) and James Nitties (69th) are currently inside the mark on the web.com tour.
