Should Q-School Send Players To The PGA Tour?

From Doug Ferguson's story on the possibility that a change in the tour's fall finish will mean that only the Nationwide Tour can funnel players to the PGA Tour instead of a combination that includes PGA Tour Qualifying School.

J.B. Holmes and Dustin Johnson are among those who went straight from college and made it through Q-school, then won in their rookie season. A year ago, Rickie Fowler went from Q-school to a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

Some tour officials feel those players are exceptions, and that the quality of fields would be strengthened.

It also would add a layer of drama to the end of the year -- PGA Tour players who struggled and Nationwide Tour players who performed well, meeting in a cutthroat series of events.

Still to be determined is how the Fall Series, which typically is held after the FedEx Cup, would be effected.

It's toast.

But on this topic of Q-School, I'm of the belief that even in its emasculated form, the existence of the year-end qualifying tournament gives the PGA Tour a democratic air that no other sport has. Sure, some pitcher can get noticed in the Mexican League and pull a Roy Hobbs, but every year the PGA Tour offers the chance to produce a Hobbs. And as Ferguson noted, names like J.B. Holmes, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are pretty significant graduates. Gary Woodland, last week's winner and a steady force this year, is another Q-School grad.

So should the tour end Q-School spots that send players to the PGA Tour to help prop up the post-FedEx Cup events for the Golf Channel's benefit?