Bubble watch: Children's Miracle Network Classic

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Jeff Overton returned from an emergency apendectomy to finish T18 at last week's Ginn sur Mer Classic.

Nov. 5, 2008
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

The Children's Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart marks the 48th and final event of the 2008 PGA TOUR season, and a final shot for some players to finish in the top 125 on the money list to earn exempt status on TOUR in 2009. Here's an inside look at the players just inside the 125 line, and the players hoping to climb into it.

2008 MONEY LIST: Click here for full list | CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK CLASSIC: List of participants | First-round tee times

Aiming for the top 125

Rank	Player	2008 money	Playing Children's Miracle?	Comment
115	Richard S. JOHNSON	$874,615	Yes	Since winning the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee in July it's been a tumultuous stretch for the diminutive Swede, with only one finish in the top 53. No worries, though, since that win locked up his card for a couple years.
116	Bo VAN PELT	$870,329	Yes	Back-to-back missed cuts dropped Van Pelt four spots. Unless something dramatic happens, this will be the lowest he's finished on the money list since 2002 when he was 191st. Each of the last four years Van Pelt has finished 64th or better.
117	Angel CABRERA	$868,182	No	The 2007 U.S. Open champion is exempt through 2012 thanks to his victory at Oakmont. Otherwise, it's been an alright year for the Argentine, with more than $860,000 in earnings in 17 events on TOUR.
118	Davis LOVE III	$867,237	Yes	Not that he needed to finish in the top 125, but DLIII pretty much locked that up with a T3 at Turning Stone, a T6 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and a T11 at the Frys.com Open. Still, this could be the lowest Love has ever finished on the money list.
119	Jason BOHN	$866,786	Yes	In his first action since the U.S. Open Bohn missed the cut last week, though it was nice to just see him upright. Bohn, who has been sidelined because of three complicated back surgeries, has had an injury-riddled couple of years. Prior to 2007, he had finished in the top 45 on the money list in two of his first three years on TOUR.
120	Brad ADAMONIS	$862,413	Yes	Another missed cut -- his third in his last four events -- dropped Adamonis three spots on the list. One more, depending what else happens, could mean trouble for the 35-year-old rookie. Just making the cut, however, likely would lock him up for another year.
121	Tim PETROVIC	$856,611	Yes	He didn't break 70 last week, but Petrovic still managed to finish T18 at the Ginn sur Mer Classic, where he picked up just over $52,000. As a result, he moved up one spot on the money list, and unless he misses the cut should be all but assured of playing privileges in '09.
122	Nick WATNEY	$855,863	Yes	This week is just a cash-grab for the former Fresno State star, who is secure through '09 thanks to his win in New Orleans last year. His last action was at the Frys.com Open, where he tied for 20th.
123	Michael ALLEN	$847,863	Yes	That opening-round 63 at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open must seem like forever ago for Allen, who, despite finishing third in that tournament, squandered away a shot at securing his card and a win with a final-round 70. He hasn't broken 70 in his last five rounds and is obviously in a tough spot.
124	Shane BERTSCH	$841,248	Yes	Not playing last week clearly hurt Bertsch, who is teetering on the brink after playing the season on a major medical extension. A T68 the week before at the Fry's.com Open didn't help much, either.
125	Jeff OVERTON	$840,809	Yes	Two weeks ago Overton had an emergency appendectomy. Last week he was busy finishing in a tie for 18th at the Ginn sur Mer Classic. You have to root for this kid just for gutting it out the way he is.
126	Martin LAIRD	$803,072	Yes	Slowly but surely Laird has climed a couple of spots the past few weeks. If he can finish in the top 20 he should be able to climb at least one more.
127	Charles WARREN	$800,694	Yes	Warren picked an inopportune time to miss the cut with rounds of 74-77 at last week's Ginn sur Mer. Consequently, he slid four spots in the money list and out of the top 125. He'll need a strong finish to get back in.
128	David TOMS	$799,114	No	It hasn't been the kind of year David Toms is used to having. But with his status secure through 2011 he can forget about this year, his worst in a decade, and focus on 2009.
129	Patrick SHEEHAN	$795,329	Yes	A missed cut last week dropped Sheehan off the bubble and outside the top 125. Now he'll be forced to finish in the top 15, more than likely, to keep his card.
130	Mark CALCAVECCHIA	$784,810	No	No word yet on whether or not Calc, sidelined because of knee surgery, will be able to defend with Woody Austin at the Merrill Lynch Shootout, but all signs point to a healthy recovery. Calc is currently exempt through '09 thanks to his win at last year's PODS Championship.
131	Bob TWAY	$775,072	Yes	Champions Tour? Champions Tour? Tway will turn 50 next year but isn't ready to surrender his TOUR card just yet. He picked up a little more than $32,000 in a tie for 27th last week, though will need to do a lot better to finish in the top 125.
132	Jay WILLIAMSON	$758,862	Yes	Now is not the time to miss five straight cuts. Watching Williamson lately was a lot like watching the Cubs in the playoffs this year. He'll need something big -- top 5 or 10 big -- to even have a chance at getting into the top 125.
133	Matt JONES	$753,589	Yes	Just two sub-70 rounds in his last 10 haven't helped the Aussie, even if he didn't drop a spot after a T27 last week. Of course he didn't move up any, either. He might as well fire at every pin this week.
134	Steve ALLAN	$743,970	No	Allan went from being tied for the lead early in the final round of the Frys.com Open to finishing seventh, and it cost him. A missed cut along with a second-round 82 last week really cost him. Not playing this week will really, really cost him.
135	Bob ESTES	$727,429	Yes	The good news is that Estes jumped four spots on the money list thanks to a T12 last week. The bad news is that he'll need something much better this week.