PGA Tour Fall Series
Encyclopedia
The PGA Tour Fall Series is a series of events on the PGA Tour
that covers the end of the calendar year.
This series was created in 2007 as part of the reorganization of the entire tour schedule. The new structure includes a regular season and the FedEx Cup
playoffs, which will determine the season champion. This slate of tournaments had the working title
"Quest for the Card" before the PGA Tour finalized the name.
The Fall Series began as a group of seven events (now down to four for the 2011 season) that will determine who joins the 30 FedEx Cup finalists in receiving full-season exemptions to the following year's tournaments. These will be the golfers who did not qualify for the FedEx Cup finals, but finish in the top 125 on the money list at the end of the Fall Series. Golfers finishing outside the top 125 can only enter the following year's tournaments based on other exemptions or through qualifying, e.g. "Q-school
."
The winner of each Fall Series event, as in the case of all other PGA Tour events, receives an exemption for the remainder of that season and the entirety of the following two seasons, and also receives an automatic invitation to the following year's PGA Championship
. However, winners of Fall Series tournaments do not receive invitations to the following year's Masters unless they qualify by other means. Masters invitations for PGA Tour winners not otherwise exempt are extended only to winners of tournaments that offer a full FedEx Cup points allocation. Those who finish the season in the Top 30 of the PGA Tour money list also earn a spot in the Masters.
In 2007, the Fall Series began the week after the final FedEx Cup event, The Tour Championship
. In 2008, the first event took place the week before The Tour Championship. The Fall Series then took a week off before resuming with its final six events.
Major changes came to the Fall Series in 2009:
In that year, the Fall Series began with the Turning Stone Resort Championship
, and then took a week off for the year's major team event, the Presidents Cup
. It was intended to continue with three more events leading into the HSBC Champions, but the Viking Classic was canceled when several weeks of nearly continuous rain made the course unplayable. The Fall Series then took off for the HSBC Champions before ending with the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
The 2010 Fall Series schedule saw one change from previous years before it was announced. The Turning Stone Resort Championship moved to August, becoming an alternate event opposite another WGC event, the Bridgestone Invitational
. This left four Fall Series events, but the gap was filled by a new event, the McGladrey Classic
.
In 2011, the Viking Classic, moved to July and became an alternate event to The Open Championship
, leaving four events.
Source: Official 2008 PGA Tour schedule
on Sirius XM Satellite Radio channel 146.
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
that covers the end of the calendar year.
This series was created in 2007 as part of the reorganization of the entire tour schedule. The new structure includes a regular season and the FedEx Cup
FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR-like points race. Bill Haas is the current champion...
playoffs, which will determine the season champion. This slate of tournaments had the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
"Quest for the Card" before the PGA Tour finalized the name.
The Fall Series began as a group of seven events (now down to four for the 2011 season) that will determine who joins the 30 FedEx Cup finalists in receiving full-season exemptions to the following year's tournaments. These will be the golfers who did not qualify for the FedEx Cup finals, but finish in the top 125 on the money list at the end of the Fall Series. Golfers finishing outside the top 125 can only enter the following year's tournaments based on other exemptions or through qualifying, e.g. "Q-school
Qualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
."
The winner of each Fall Series event, as in the case of all other PGA Tour events, receives an exemption for the remainder of that season and the entirety of the following two seasons, and also receives an automatic invitation to the following year's PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. However, winners of Fall Series tournaments do not receive invitations to the following year's Masters unless they qualify by other means. Masters invitations for PGA Tour winners not otherwise exempt are extended only to winners of tournaments that offer a full FedEx Cup points allocation. Those who finish the season in the Top 30 of the PGA Tour money list also earn a spot in the Masters.
In 2007, the Fall Series began the week after the final FedEx Cup event, The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event...
. In 2008, the first event took place the week before The Tour Championship. The Fall Series then took a week off before resuming with its final six events.
Major changes came to the Fall Series in 2009:
- The Fall Series was once again scheduled to start after The Tour Championship.
- The Valero Texas OpenValero Texas OpenThe Valero Texas Open is an official tournament on the PGA Tour. It dates back to 1922 when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. In 2003, it was the site of the...
left the Fall Series, moving to mid-May. - The Ginn sur Mer ClassicGinn sur Mer ClassicThe Ginn sur Mer Classic was a PGA Tour golf tournament that lasted for two years, 2007 and 2008. It was announced in June 2007 as a replacement for the Running Horse Golf Championship, another proposed new tournament that collapsed before its first outing...
was completely dropped from the schedule. - The Viking Classic moved from September to the date vacated by the Ginn.
- Although the HSBC Champions is not a Fall Series event, its elevation to World Golf ChampionshipsWorld Golf ChampionshipsThe World Golf Championships are a group of four annual events for male professional golfers created by the International Federation of PGA Tours, with a fifth to be added in 2012...
(WGC) status also affected the scheduling of the Fall Series.
In that year, the Fall Series began with the Turning Stone Resort Championship
Turning Stone Resort Championship
The Turning Stone Resort Championship was a PGA Tour professional golf tournament. It was played for the first time from September 20 to 23, 2007. It is hosted by the Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, in Verona in Upstate New York...
, and then took a week off for the year's major team event, the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
. It was intended to continue with three more events leading into the HSBC Champions, but the Viking Classic was canceled when several weeks of nearly continuous rain made the course unplayable. The Fall Series then took off for the HSBC Champions before ending with the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
The 2010 Fall Series schedule saw one change from previous years before it was announced. The Turning Stone Resort Championship moved to August, becoming an alternate event opposite another WGC event, the Bridgestone Invitational
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour...
. This left four Fall Series events, but the gap was filled by a new event, the McGladrey Classic
McGladrey Classic
The McGladrey Classic is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour named for its main sponsor, McGladrey, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm. It had its first playing in October 2010 in St. Simons Island, Georgia at the Sea Island Seaside Golf Club...
.
In 2011, the Viking Classic, moved to July and became an alternate event to The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, leaving four events.
2011 schedule
- September 29 – October 2: Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- October 6–9: Frys.com OpenFrys.com OpenThe Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is a golf tournament in the Fall Series of the PGA Tour. It is played annually in October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament is held at the TPC at Summerlin and since 2008 it has been hosted by recording star Justin Timberlake.The event...
, San Martin, CaliforniaSan Martin, CaliforniaSan Martin is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It takes its name from St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of early pioneer Martin Murphy, who built the first Catholic church in the area... - October 13–16: McGladrey ClassicMcGladrey ClassicThe McGladrey Classic is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour named for its main sponsor, McGladrey, an accounting, tax and business consulting firm. It had its first playing in October 2010 in St. Simons Island, Georgia at the Sea Island Seaside Golf Club...
, Sea Island, GeorgiaSea Island, GeorgiaSea Island is an affluent resort island located in the barrier islands just off the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia in the United States. The resort complex is located in an unincorporated Glynn County.... - October 20–23: Children's Miracle Network Classic, Lake Buena VIsta, FloridaWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
Former Fall Series events
- Valero Texas OpenValero Texas OpenThe Valero Texas Open is an official tournament on the PGA Tour. It dates back to 1922 when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corporation took over naming rights in 2002. It is played at The Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. In 2003, it was the site of the...
, San Antonio, Texas — moved to May effective in 2009, then to April in 2011. - Ginn sur Mer ClassicGinn sur Mer ClassicThe Ginn sur Mer Classic was a PGA Tour golf tournament that lasted for two years, 2007 and 2008. It was announced in June 2007 as a replacement for the Running Horse Golf Championship, another proposed new tournament that collapsed before its first outing...
, Port St. Lucie, FloridaPort St. Lucie, FloridaPort St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. The population of Port St. Lucie was 88,769 at the 2000 census but grew rapidly during the 2000s. In 2009 the State of Florida estimated the City's population at 155,251. Port St. Lucie forms part of a metropolitan area called...
— discontinued after 2008 - Turning Stone Resort ChampionshipTurning Stone Resort ChampionshipThe Turning Stone Resort Championship was a PGA Tour professional golf tournament. It was played for the first time from September 20 to 23, 2007. It is hosted by the Atunyote Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, in Verona in Upstate New York...
, Verona, New York — moved to August in 2010 then discontinued the next year. - Viking Classic, Madison, MississippiMadison, MississippiMadison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, USA. The population was 14,691 at the 2000 census. The population is currently 16,930. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is currently the highest income city in the state...
— moved to July in 2011.
Source: Official 2008 PGA Tour schedule
Television and radio
Every round of all Fall Series events will be televised on Golf Channel and broadcast via satellite radioSatellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
on Sirius XM Satellite Radio channel 146.