P.G.A. Money Bubble a Moving Target.

After last week's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, or commonly referred to as the JTSHFCO, Davis Love III finds himself on the bubble, the 125th man on the money list for exemption on the 2009 PGA Tour. Love III has other options to play in 2009 due to his career achievements, but he's the bubble boy nonetheless. Tour rookie Marc Turnesa won the event going wire to wire for his 1st tour victory. He became the 4th rookie to win on tour this year. Let's look at what happened to last week's 11 players on and around the dubious bubble.....

120 Jeff Overton - Now at 122.
121 Brad Adamonis - Moved to 113th position.
122 Patrick Sheehan - Slipped to 124.
123 Jay Williamson - Down to 127.
124 Vaughn Taylor - Fell to ominous 126th spot.
125 Martin Laird - 128th, gave up bubble spot to Love III.
126 Matt Jones - 129th.
127 Jason Gore - Big fella dropped to 130.
128 Rich Beem - 133 for Beemer, wrong direction.
129 Tom Lehman - Not playing sent him to 134th.
130 Jason Day - Aussie down 1 to 131st.

Adamonis was the only one of the eleven to make a positive move. A couple of familiar names are now occupying the spots in and around the infamous bubble. David Toms has managed to fall to 120th and Mark Calcavecchia owns the 123rd spot.

Next up in the quest to keep their day jobs is the Frys.com Open, Oct 23-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Grayhawk is golf commentator Gary McCord's home course. Why I mentioned that is not readily apparent. Mike Weir defends.

Til' next,

Bubble Boys Battle for Top 125 at Turning Stone.

If only everyone was paid for performance. Teachers, brick layers, cops, waitresses. Oh, waitresses already are. That's why I think it's inexcusable to stiff a waitress if she's anything above Medusa. Well the boys of the PGA Tour are smack dab in the middle of pay for performance. Only the top 125 survive with the prize of having a job for another year. The 2nd installment of the Fall Series, the Turning Stone Resort Championship, is the drama bearer. The total purse of 6 million, with just over 1 million to the winner, makes this the richest event in the series.

Davis Love III, ranked 155 on the money list, has his sights set on this week. He's run out of exemptions, over his injury steak, and thinks he's got a lot of golf left. Who am I to argue? I hope we see him making Freddy proud in next year's President's Cup. Davis is the kind of guy that only makes the entire tour better, so I'm counting on a resurgence.

Take a guy like Vaughn Taylor, currently the poster/bubble boy, the 125th man on the money list. Everyone within shouting distance, ahead or behind him is coveting his spot come year end. Proof in the pudding is that the seven players right behind him are all entered this week. Jason Gore, Charles Warren, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Marc Turnesa, James Driscoll, and Michael Allen all have Taylor in their sights. Livelihoods are at stake here. There's more pure melodrama now than at any, millionaires only, limited field event.

An interesting side story is the higher ranked players trying to increase their ranking to get into prestigious events. The top thirty on the money list at year's end are entitled to automatic Masters and US Open invites. Sponsor's exemptions this week include Joey Sindelar, Danny Lee, US Amateur champion, Notah Begay III, whose tournament benefiting Native American youth was held here earlier this year, and Ryder Cup assistant captain Olin Browne. The Atunyote Golf Club is the host and will play to a par 72 at 7,482 yards.

The Patriots are finished, so watch some golf.

Til' next,