AJGA Qualifier Crack

As we drove the long highway back to home after Sean competed in another AJGA qualifier event, I found myself unable to suppress the thought that there is an addictive quality to these events.

At its simplest, the top 10% of finishers in AJGA qualifier events earn a tournament exemption, whereas the next up to the top 50% of the field earn a "performance star".

These tournament exemptions and performance stars are like cash, to be spent to gain entry into full AJGA events.

They are the currency of the AJGA's Performance Based Entry system. The more tournament exemptions and stars a player holds in his or her account, the better his chances of gaining entry into an event.

Exemptions and stars awarded to the better players in these qualifier events earn them opportunities to play in more AJGA events, where they have chances to earn more tournament exemptions and stars.

So, why are we playing qualifiers? Sean has had near fully exempt AJGA status this year, and has already played 2 of 4 planned full events. But that status is lost for next year.

The game plan was for him to earn tournament exemptions and stars from his efforts therein, which he could bank for next year. But he hasn't earned anything but experience in those first two full events.

So we decided to go ahead and enter him in some qualifier events as something of a back up plan. If there was a strategy involved, it was to enter him in a qualifier for every full event he didn't earn a prize in. But now I feel as if I should put him in as many qualifiers as possible.

He has played in two qualifiers so far, and has come away with bling from each: a tournament exemption from his first, and a performance star for his effort this past weekend. Which should be enough to get him into one AJGA event next year. Which is fine and dandy.

But it not enough. Because he'll lose the tournament exemption he currently owns once he uses it next year.

In the final analysis, you have to look at your child this year and project where he can be next year. And I have Sean projected to be even a better golfer. If you look at his game right now, he is a middle of the pack AJGA player.

But it is obvious he is improving quickly. Next year, he could very well prove to be an excellent AJGA player. And so you want to put him in a position to take advantage of that better skill level.

And so this year is the time to lay the ground work for the next.

It dawned on me on the drive home that the summer comes and goes pretty quickly. There aren't a great many qualifier opportunities to take advantage of before the deadlines pass for entry into the late season full events. To enter a season without much in the way of AJGA status while hoping to play some AJGA events invites a game of tail chasing.

So just this morning, I decided to enter him into another qualifier.

We'll be taking a long trip to Texas for him to play in a full event. I figure that by playing in the qualifier that is scheduled to precede the event, which will cost only one extra night stay, he'll get two bites at the exemption/star apple during one big trip.

It will cost Sean the wear and tear that comes from playing 5 straight tournament rounds, something that he and I talked about before making the decision.

But other than that, strategically, it is the right thing to do. And Sean seems up for it.