Posted by Jason Sobel
For the next four days, we'll hear plenty about players trying to finish inside certain money boundaries at the Chrysler Championship, the PGA Tour's final full-field event of the season. Some of this discourse will be overblown; after all, guys who finish outside of the top 125 should still be able to play at least 20 events next season.
Then again, some of the story lines are actually pretty compelling. I've picked out one player on each of the five major money dividing lines to keep an eye out for in Tampa.
• Ernie Els: At 30th on the money list, the Big Easy is in danger of failing to qualify for the Tour Championship for only the third time in the past 13 seasons. In 1998, he played only 15 events and finished just outside the top 30. Last year, a midseason knee injury prevented him from making any starts after July. This year has been different. Still bothered by that injury, Els has played 16 events, earning six top-10 results but never seriously contending for a title. There's not much time to resurrect his season, and you can bet the folks at East Lake -- with Tiger Woods still iffy on next week's event and Phil Mickelson a no-show -- would love to have his star power.
• Troy Matteson: Upon first glance, Tom Lehman might seem to be the best story of those trying to seal a spot in the top 40 and an automatic berth into next year's Masters. Four weeks ago, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain skipped the American Express Championship and a guaranteed $35,500 check to attend Byron Nelson's funeral -- an admirable act, but one that might ultimately cost him a shot at playing Augusta National next year. Then again, Lehman has played the event 13 times already. Matteson has never even played in a major. The rookie has jumped from 172nd on the money list four weeks ago to 42nd right now, but it could have been much better. A final-hole bogey dropped him from solo second to T-2 last week at Disney, costing Matteson $92,000 and a likely place in the Masters field. "I didn't think the Masters would be something I would worry about until I was in my mid-30s, even if you get in at all," Matteson, 26, said last week. "There's a lot of great players that don't get into that event every year, so if I ever get into that event, it will be a thrill of a lifetime."
• Eric Axley: At the beginning of last season, Axley was kicking around the mini-tours, without any status even on the Nationwide Tour. Then he Monday qualified for that circuit's Rex Hospital Open, won the event and finished 16th on the money list to claim a PGA Tour card. He's made the most of it recently, winning the Texas Open and finishing T-3 in Greensboro. Now Axley has a chance to play with the big boys. If he places within the top 70 on the money list, he'll be exempt into several invitational events next season. He's currently No. 71.
• Brian Bateman: Poor Bubba Dickerson. The former U.S. Amateur champion is sitting right on that precarious 125th position, but likely isn't playing this week. It's not his fault. Originally the seventh alternate in the Chrysler field, he worked his way up to third alternate on Wednesday, but can only sit and wait to see if enough players withdraw for him to get into the field. If Dickerson is forced to sit out, that places the focus on Bateman, last week's No. 125 who missed the cut at Disney and dropped a spot on the money list. He controls his own destiny in that situation. Bateman needs only make the cut to retain full playing privileges for next season.
• Tag Ridings: Think this guy's hoping for deja vu all over again? At this event two years ago, Ridings entered as 137th on the money list, but shot a final-round 64, buoyed by seven birdies in his last 10 holes, to finish T-11 and slide into the 125th position. He enters this week at No. 151, a mere $3,401 behind Henrik Bjornstad. Remember, those who place 126th through 150th still keep partial PGA Tour status, but players outside of that golden number are usually relegated to the minor leagues. Ridings is hoping to avoid that fate.
