Maginnes: I tried to quit, but the field wouldn't let me

Editor's note: John Maginnes, a 10-year PGA TOUR veteran who now works as an analyst for the PGA TOUR Network on XM Satellite Radio, writes a weekly column for PGATOUR.com. He now tries to try to put into perspective the overwhelming pressure players feel at the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.

Barry Williams, my caddy, burst into the clubhouse that day, grinning broadly.

(WireImage)

MORE MAGINNES

Tiger Woods has won every conceivable award that a male athlete can win. He has been named Male Athlete of the Year by the press and Player of the Year by his peers -- many times, I might add -- but he has never won a Ginny.  • Full column,  click here

"You are not going to believe what just happened," he said. His excitement roused John Morse and I out of our funk. We had been sitting at the lunch counter in the clubhouse ever since we had completed the final round of the second stage of Q-School.

I had been in the first group off the back nine and John had been in the first group off the front. We had both closed with 69s to reach 1 under for the tournament. It had become obvious soon after we finished, though, that we were going to fail to advance to the finals by a single shot. The soda in our cups had not been soda for at least an hour.

Maybe two.

But wait. I am getting way ahead of myself. The year was 2002, and the venue was the second stage of Q-School at the Hombre in Panama City Beach, Fla. If you have to go to Q-School you may as well go to the beach, right?

I had just finished another disappointing year. This time it was on the Nationwide Tour. I finished high enough on the money list to have a place to play the following year. However, I had told myself that if I did not get my PGA TOUR card back for the 2003 season I was going to find another line of work. Of course, I told myself that every year.

This time I might have actually meant it, though.

It seems like the pressure of Q-School should be diminished if you have a Tour to play on the following year. Well, it should be, but it isn't. I always chose the Hombre for three reasons. First, it's a tough golf course where you have to execute every shot or you can make a big number. Plus, a perfect drive on virtually every hole at the Hombre is 260 yards.

The bombers have to leave their drivers in the trunk, and a short guy like me only hit a few of them a day. And last but not least, the third reason to go to Panama City Beach is the restaurants and the movie theater that is right across from the hotel where I always stayed. A little escape from reality is essential at Q-School, even if it is a bad movie.

After three rounds I was right in the middle of the pack, at least three shots off the number. The low 21 players were to advance to the finals. I assumed that I would need to shoot 68 in the final round to advance.

Although I struggled all day, something kicked in late in the round. Sometimes when you are against the wall the nervousness abates and a clarity is achieved that wasn't previously there. The funny thing is that up to that moment I thought that I had been thinking clearly all week.

On the front nine, my final nine holes, I made a couple of birdies early. When I was standing on the eighth tee I thought that I needed to birdie the final two holes to advance. I hit a wonderful 5-iron there that settled 20 feet behind the hole and I drained the putt. On the ninth hole, I was facing a 15-footer for birdie.

I was aware of the situation; I knew that this very well could be the last significant putt that I ever hit. (Yes, I know that sounds dramatic, but we all hit our last significant putt at some point.) I read it just outside the right lip and put one of those strokes on it that you know is perfect as soon as the ball leaves the putter. Unfortunately, the ball took a little more break than I thought and lipped out.

(WireImage)

MORE Q-SCHOOL

Rick Rhoden and Scott Masingill each shot 4-under-par 68 on Tuesday to lead the final stage of Champions Tour Q-School.  • Full story,  click here • Complete Q-School Coverage

So that was that. John and I met in the clubhouse feeling more than a little defeated. Barry kept running down the stairs to the scoreboard to keep us posted. This was Barry's first Q-School experience so he wasn't quite as ready to give up hope as John and I were.

A couple of hours later there were 12 players finished at 2-under par or better with three groups left on the golf course. Nine players left to finish, and word had come from the officials that 6-under par was the worst score among that group on the golf course.

So John and I ordered another, and I called my agent. I told him to see if USA Network was still interested in having me on the broadcast the next year. Ironically enough he had already spoken with them -- a meeting was set for the following week in New York. Nothing like a little confidence in your client.

About 15 minutes later Barry came running into the grillroom, positively breathless. Before he had an opportunity to explain, PGA TOUR Rules official Arvin Ginn popped his head through the door. With a wry smile he announced that all the 1 unders needed to come to the scoreboard to get their information for the finals. John and I sat there, dumbstruck. Then Barry told us what happened. Some kid had come to the final hole 6 under.

No. 18 is a long par 4 with water guarding the front left portion of the green. The hole location that day was on the front left, very close to the water. This poor kid had driven his ball into the left rough and then dumped his second shot into the water.

He dropped in the rough and then drowned his fourth shot for good measure. He finally managed to get his sixth shot onto the back fringe. From there he rolled it down to 3 feet. Now, that 3-footer for an 8 still would have knocked John and me out but fate was on our side. He missed that one, too, and tapped in for his 9 to join the rest of us at 1 under.

The TOUR had done away with playoffs at Q-School long ago. The number was 21 and ties. We were part of the "and ties" so we were going to Palm Springs for the finals. I finished in the top 10 there and had a ticket back to the PGA TOUR. I would love to tell you that the kid who made the 9 got his TOUR card at the finals as well, but I can't.

As a matter of fact, I can't even remember his name. Whenever I tell that story, I am reminded of some advice that an old pro in Durham, N.C., had given me when I turned pro 11 years before. Johnny Cake told me that playing for a living is not at all like playing for trophies.

He said that when you are a pro and you make a 9 on a hole, 90 percent of the field doesn't care. The other 10 percent wishes that you made 10.