Strong Phoenix Open Field Taking Shape
By Courtesy of The Phoenix Open
Davis Love III, the third leading money winner on the PGA TOUR last
year leads an impressive group of early commitments for Phoenix Open
2000, set for January 24-30 at the TPC of Scottsdale. Love will be
making his first Phoenix Open appearance since 1995, although he has
played twice in the Valley since -- in the recent Williams World Challenge
and in the 1998 Finals of the Andersen Consulting World Championship
of Golf. Love will be joined by at least six of his recent US Ryder
Cup teammates, as Hal Sutton, Justin Leonard, Jeff Maggert, Jim Furyk,
Steve Pate and Tom Lehman -- fresh off his victory in the Williams
World Challenge -- are also in the field. In all, 86 of last year's
top 125 money winners have already committed to play.
Along with Sutton, at least eleven other former Phoenix Open champions
will be playing, including defending champion Rocco Mediate, Jesper
Parnevik, Steve Jones, Vijay Singh, Bill Glasson, Lee Janzen, Mark
Calcavecchia, Nolan Henke, Tommy Armour III, Paul Azinger and Tom
Purtzer.
Other notables include international stars Sergio Garcia and Jean
Van De Velde, the ever-popular John Daly, as well as Chris Perry and
David Toms who each finished among last year's top ten PGA TOUR money
winners. Last week, The Thunderbirds announced their sponsor exemptions
which include rookies Casey Martin and Gary Nicklaus.
Players have until Friday, January 21 to commit to play in the
Phoenix Open. Eligible players earn one of (35) priority ranking
categories based on their past performance. The more established
players in the lower numbered categories can “bump” players
in the higher numbered categories, much like cars "on the bubble"
during Indy 500 Time Trials. So, an early commitment by a higher
category player is no guarantee of a spot. The following is an alphabetical
list of the current field with each player's priority ranking category
in parenthesis:
Robert Allenby (20)
Stephen Ames (20)
Billy Andrade (9)
Tommy Armour, III (18)
Woody Austin (20)
Greg Avant (16)
Paul Azinger (1)
Craig Barlow (20)
Doug Barron (20)
Ben Bates (26)
Chip Beck (12)
Rich Beem (9)
Notah Begay, III (9)
Ronnie Black (20)
Jay Don Blake (20)
Eric Booker (20)
Mike Brisky (20)
Mark Brooks (1)
Olin Browne (9)
Tom Byrum (20)
Mark Calcavecchia (9)
Jim Carter (20)
Greg Chalmers (20)
Barry Cheesman (20)
Stewart Cink (20)
Michael Clark II (26)
Russ Cochran (20)
James Contreras (16)
John Daly (1)
Robert Damron (20)
Marco Dawson (26)
Jay Delsing (20)
Chris DiMarco (20)
Scott Dunlap (20)
Joe Durant (9)
Ed Fiori (23)
Steve Flesch (20)
Dan Forsman (20)
Harrison Frazar (20)
Edward Fryatt (26)
Fred Funk (9)
Jim Furyk (9)
Sergio Garcia (21)
Brian Gay (26)
Brent Geiberger (9)
Kelly Gibson (26)
Bill Glasson (18)
Matt Gogel (26)
Mathew Goggin (26)
Steve Gotsche (26)
Jeff Gove (26)
Paul Goydos (20)
Scott Gump (20)
Dudley Hart (20)
Steve Hart (26)
J.P. Hayes (9)
Bob Heintz (26)
Nolan Henke (18)
Gabriel Hjertstedt (9)
Glen Hnatiuk (26)
Ryan Howison (26)
Bradley Hughes (20)
Mike Hulbert (12)
John Huston (9)
Lee Janzen (1)
Brandt Jobe (22)
Steve Jones (1)
Pete Jordan (26)
Skip Kendall (20)
Greg Kraft (20)
Neal Lancaster (26)
Franklin Langham (20)
Tom Lehman (4)
Justin Leonard (2)
J.L. Lewis (9)
Frank Lickliter (20)
Davis Love, III (1)
Steve Lowery (20)
Andrew Magee (20)
Jeff Maggert (7)
John Maginnes (20)
Casey Martin (12)
Len Mattiace (20)
Bob May (26)
Billy Mayfair (9)
Blaine McCallister (26)
Scott McCarron (20)
Rocco Mediate (9)
Shaun Micheel (26)
Sean Murphy (26)
Gary Nicklaus (12)
Frank Nobilo (12)
Jesper Parnevik (9)
Steve Pate (9)
Carl Paulson (24)
Dennis Paulson (20)
David Peoples (26)
Tom Pernice, Jr. (9)
Chris Perry (9)
Kenny Perry (20)
Dicky Pride (20)
Tom Purtzer (5)
Charles Raulerson (20)
Chris Riley (20)
Rory Sabbatini (20)
Tom Scherrer (20)
Scott Simpson (9)
Vijay Singh (1)
Jerry Smith (26)
Craig A. Spence (26)
Paul Stankowski (20)
Steve Stricker (20)
David Sutherland (20)
Kevin Sutherland ((20)
Hal Sutton (6)
Esteban Toldeo (20)
David Toms (9)
Kirk Triplett (20)
Ted Tryba (9)
Bob Tway (20)
Brett Upper (15)
Omar Uresti (20)
Jean Van De Velde (21)
Scott Verplank (20)
Duffy Waldorf (9)
Mike Weir (9)
Kevin Wentworth (20)
Mark Wiebe (20)
Jay Williamson (26)
3 Open Qualifiers TBD
2000 PGA TOUR PRIORITY RANKING CATEGORIES
1. The last ten PGA or US Open winners and all winners before 1970.
2. The last ten winners of THE PLAYERS Championship
3. The last ten winners of the Masters
4. The last ten winners of the British Open
5. The last ten winners of the World Series of Golf
6. The last three winners of THE TOUR Championship
7. The last three winners of World Golf Championship events
8. The last five annual money list leaders
9. Tournament winners during the past two years
10. Members of the last named Ryder Cup Team
11. Career Money List Exemption
12. (5) Sponsors Exemptions
13. Commissioner's Exemption - N/A at Phoenix Open
14. National PGA Club Professional Champion - limit 3 events
15. PGA Section Champion/Player of the Year
16. (2) qualifying members of the local PGA Section
17. (3) open qualifiers
18. Past ten winners of the Phoenix Open not otherwise eligible
19. PGA TOUR Life Members
20. PGA TOUR members in Top 125 on prior year's money list (in order)
21. Non-PGA TOUR members in Top 125 on prior year’s money list
22. World Golf Championship member
23. Major medical extension
24 Prior year's leading money winner on Buy.Com TOUR
25. Top 10 and ties from the previous week's event
26. Top 35 & ties from the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and
numbers 2-15 on the prior year's Buy.Com TOUR money list
27. Buy.Com TOUR battlefield promotion,3 Buy.Com event wins in one
season
28. Minor medical extension
29. Numbers 126-150 on prior year's PGA TOUR money list
30. Reorder Category
31. Beyond 150th on money list
32. Past champion of a PGA TOUR event
33. Special temporary member
34. Team Championship winners
35. Veteran members |
Talking Stick Golf Club - South Course