It’s that tension-filled time of year where PGA Tour cards are on the line, and while the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Standings seem to take precedence, the 25 on the Web.com Tour are just as, or more, important. Secure a spot in the top 25 of the season-long ranking and you’ve got your Tour card. Miss out, and you’ll need to grind your way through the Web.com Tour Finals and try to claim one of the last 25.
All of which makes the next two videos so compelling.
Playing at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz, two players in particular showed just how much tension defines every shot. Kevin Dougherty approached the 18th green in 26th position. He needed one final birdie to push himself inside the line and earn his Tour card for the first time. Shorting himself with his third shot, Dougherty needed to chip in. Here’s what happened.
This shot from Kevin Dougherty for a @PGATOUR card.
An absolute gut-wrenching result.
Kevin Dougherty will continue the quest in the #WebTour finals. pic.twitter.com/J4r0GddEGT
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 20, 2018
Absolutely brutal. Dougherty will have another chance during the Web.com Tour Finals, but for now his Tour card will have to wait. For the polar opposite, take John Chin. Chin finished his round Sunday with a 31 on the back nine, punctuating it with a birdie on the last, when a bogey would have made his standing ultra-dicey. To no surprise, he was rather excited when the last putt dropped. He’ll now own a Tour card for the first time in his life.
SOUND UP!
John Chin: “Come on!”
He birdies the last to move from 41st on the money list at the start of the week @PortlandOpen to projected 10th, which would earn him a @PGATOUR card! pic.twitter.com/sm8iI2RwBB
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 20, 2018