The European Tour Q School

Learn the secrets of playing Golf well, this video reviews the highs and lows of the european tour Q school.

Home of Golf.TV Presented by: Golf Iniside Circle GolfInsideCircle.com Andy: Hi and welcome to #15 Homeofgolf.tv and today I’m joined by Ross Biddiscombe who is the author of Golf on the Edge. Ross: Hi Andy nice to see you. Andy: Welcome Ross and you’ve been writing a couple of books over the last couple of years, all folks done the Q School and the highs and the lows. Ross: That’s right. Andy: The first book was on the 2007 season and then last year you had a second book out and that’s all about the follow up on that is that right? Ross: That’s right yeah I picked up on the idea of a Q School Book. I 2006 I have spoken to lots of golfers over the years and there’s so many stories about qualifying school almost every professional has been through it. It’s painful. It’s a torture chamber. They hate to go back. I never seen anything in print about it so I figured there was a book there and I went along and I written too. First one was called Golf on the Edge Triumph and Tragedies at Q School. It came out last year and focused really on the tragedies. There are so many guys that don’t make it. There’s up to a 1,000 plays that start the system the Q School only 30 or so get through it so that’s like a roulette wheel, you want to put all your career on number 13 if it doesn’t come up— Andy: I mean there’s 6 rounds is it that they have to play. Ross: Well you can play 14 rounds. There’s first stage there’s a second stage, there’s a final stage and if you start at the very first stage you will play 14 rounds to get through. The very final stage though is where the cards are handed out as a 6 rounded event and nobody plays 6 rounds of golf in tournaments. Andy: No. Ross: And just the concentration levels and the battle luck, well the system marvelous story. Andy: And you thought of 7 guys for 12 months to find out the pressure they go through some youngsters are just on the scene and I guess were some had more visions than kids where they— Ross: Well that’s the delight of it as a writer because it’s not just about you know the shot of the golf course, it’s about what’s happening at home you know will my wife let me go to Q School and spend 13,000 pounds. Andy: Exactly yeah. Ross: Will I have to go back to the PGA and become a golf pro in a shop somewhere. So there’s really human drama, golfer’s are just people we forget that sometimes we think there are robots in the golf course and we see them on TV and they play great golf but these guys it’s like you know you are either probably was nurse or a policeman every year, somebody said to me come back and you’re going to take a test. If you don’t pass the test you can’t be a policeman or a nurse for the next 12 months. That’s the pressure, there are mortgages to pay, there are mouths to feed and these are the golfers that put their lives on the line every year at Q School. Andy: And like at some they must come down to a path. Ross: Oh absolutely, you know they dream. Andy: The whole dream is on that light. Ross: The dream has 8 foot putt in fact the book was almost called an 8 foot dream because I have seen it. You in little at Scotland were here at some time and live just down the road. He was one of my guys in the first brook and— had an 8 foot putt for his career and of course he can’t think of that when he’s making the putt but afterwards if he makes or if he doesn’t make it there are tears. There are tears of joy. There are tears of absolute bereft sadness. Andy: And so this year you’re heading off to the Q School which is the 28th of November down in Spain? Ross: Yeah the final stage is the 20th of November and to start me off I wrote my second book about the Q School which came out this summer, Q School complete, Golf on the Edge Q School complete. Andy: Yeah. Ross: And that really is a bet and the young players coming through that was the 2008 school we have Chris Wood, Danny Willett, Kellen McKully. These are young players who have a different kind of story; they came to Q School using it as a spring board to be a pro. Andy: It’s almost assuming that Chris Wood was going to make it but you don’t know in that kind of environment. Ross: Read the book I mean there was a moment on second stage Chris wasn’t even at first at final stage or at second stage. There was a moment where this guy clearly the best player in the field. He nearly didn’t make it. There was a hole, the 10th hole. He’s 6 had been left on the previous tee by his caddy and Chris needs a 6 iron to get on to the green he’s right on the mark. You know a bogey there and Chris Wood would not be on tour as we’ve seen in the field. Andy: That’s the difference between making it and not making it. Ross: That’s the whole deal, and everybody at Q School has that story. There’s a moment where they might not make it. There’s a moment where they do make it and that’s the drama, that’s the joy off these schools. Andy: We’re checking on to the European website during the Q School. Who should we look out for? Ross: Well this year is interesting because it’s sort of walk cup year for the Q School. Every 2 years that the Great Britain and Ireland Team played in the Walker Cup in September and then go. Most of them go to Q School and 6 went in this year including Stiggy Hodgson who everybody seem to think was the star of the Walker Cup team this year but also there was Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear of Scotland, Matt Haines of England, Chris Paisley and they all played at the first stage in September. Andy: Yeah. Ross: They hopefully will get to the final stage in November. Will they all get through? Well no, I mean it’s totally against the odds that all 6 will get through. I would expect Stiggy as a good chance and believe me every one of those boys will have a moment. His 8-foot putt will be the difference. Andy: And you’re going to be there following that. Ross: I’ll be there following it, yeah. Andy: Well there’s going to be players, their family, kids back in home the mortgage on the line and their come back they end on so well this year there’s going to be some pressure there. Ross: Yeah, there’s always going to be people you know hoping on the turf for years and simply find themselves back on the Q School. Scott Drummond is a good example. His win at the PGA Championship 5 years ago gave him exemption for all the last 5 years and it ends this year. Andy: Yeah. Ross: Scott is not going to make the top 115 almost certainly unless he has a you know really good end of the season and so after all that glory it went with 5 years ago Scott Drummond the former PGA Champion will be at Q School. Andrew has done that he was there had people have had plays a great careers great wins in the past but some time are the great many of them come back into the drama that is Q School to restart their careers. You know can they do that against all the background of previous triumphs. It’s very difficult. Andy: And the problem is something is not Rory come here with few events to play a few years back here at this very event and make it look so easy don’t they. They are just high place in one of them and that’s it you’re through, you know you make the top. Ross: You talk to the old lads and they’ll say no. People like I mean Lee Westwood I have just spoken to him and his Q School story was classic. He was a young pro who didn’t really have any. He didn’t have the kids, didn’t have the mortgage, didn’t have the background, didn’t have the fear and just waltz through Q School. He doesn’t even remember anything about it hardly, you know he just did it, that was it, he was on his way he was going to be a great player. Rory didn’t even get to final stage of Q School. So there are a few that just— Nick, the same just waltz through it but you speak to them now and you say what would happen if you went back and the look on the face says it all. They don’t want to go back to Q School. Andy: It’s like a driving test game. Ross: Absolutely, the do not want to go back to this because it’s just 1 tournament. If your game is a little bit off. There will be 30 players who will play better than you and you will not get your tour card and that’s the tragedy. Andy: And the exemption category 11 B is that allowed in to play all the tournaments next year or any— Ross: No, there’s still a packing order. There will be certain sweeps like the Middle East Sweep in this start of the season and the Q School guys don’t normally get into that, they won’t get into the major so f this league. Even the PGA Championship is unlikely that the Q Schoolers would get the starts, but they’ll easily get 25 maybe even 30 chances which his more of this more in your first season to keep your card. Andy: And I guess then the pressure is to find a sponsor to support them for the travel. How much will it cost to play? Ross: Well if you’re going to do a whole season, well you’ve got Q School to start with. It’s a 13,000 pound entry. You’ve got all your accommodations. Units throw 3 grand at the idea of getting through Q school then you’ve got to play 25 events. Andy: Yeah. Ross: You know 2000 pound event is probably a good average. That’s 50 grand you got to come up with a 50,000 pound loan at the bank money just to request you know in some way find that money. It’s incredible to take to the pressure off and again every— you know these players some time play week to week. If I make the cut I might make some money. I’ve got money for next week, I don’t make the cut you know the pressures of even more. It’s incredibly difficult life. I would wish it on myself that’s for sure. Andy: Alright that’s a fantastic insight to the Q School, I recommend everyone to get a copy of this book and test. Ross: On the website. Andy: On the website. Ross: golfontheedge.co.uk. Andy: golfontheedge.co.uk. Thanks very much Ross. We really appreciate it. We can go and watch some golf now. Practice day today and tomorrow we’ve got 4 days of contestant golf around Carnoustie Kingsbarns in the old course. Question of the day is what’s your golfing dream? You see all these guys, all the professionals, amateurs thinking one day they can play on the tour. What was your golfing dream is it to win them up meadow or is it catches day just let us know? 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