Time's running out before the first TOUR reshuffle

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Harrison Frazar was one of the few players in his catagory to squeeze into the Northern Trust Open this week.

The reshuffle clock is ticking this week. And the guys who hear its constant tick-tock-tick sound the loudest may be Harrison Frazar and Brendon de Jonge. The more that clock ticks, the more time erodes from the built-in advantage with which both men started the season.

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Frazar and de Jonge began the year No. 1 and No. 2 in the exemption category for players who earned their playing privileges through either the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament or via their success on the Nationwide Tour. They get the first crack to play in tournaments, ranking right after those players in the magical top 125 and those playing on medical exemptions.

This is a nice edge for Frazar and de Jonge to hold, since those with a lower number get more opportunities to play early in the season. But there is a catch: the status in this category changes five times during the season when the TOUR reshuffles the standings.

And the first reshuffle -- tick, tick, tick -- is only two weeks away. The pressure doesn't compare in intensity to the six days of q-school, but it does induce a little dyspepsia.

For the reshuffle, the TOUR simply renumbers the 56 players in this category according to the amount of money won. That means a players with a poor number can improve his standing by playing well early in the year.

Likewise, a player who has underperformed will get a higher number and fewer opportunities. The better your number, the more chances you'll have to play. And the more chances to play, the more money you can potentially earn. And the more money you earn, the better your exemption number will be.

Frazar (the top finisher from q-school) and de Jonge (No. 2 money winner on the Nationwide Tour) started the season with a numerical headstart over others in their category.

Neither has played dreadfully, but each man has produced only modest results: Frazar has made two cuts in four starts, de Jonge has made three cuts in five starts. Neither has a top-10 finish and each has lost footing within the exemption category.

Frazar is currently No. 11 and de Jonge No. 16 in the reshuffle standings.

They've been passed by the likes of Webb Simpson and Scott Piercy, who jumped from the middle of the pack to No. 1 and No. 2. Simpson, a birdie machine from Wake Forest, already has two top-10s this season. Piercy, who contended at the FBR Open, has one top-10 and three top-20s so far.

Kaye

Veterans Jonathan Kaye and Ted Purdy have made substantial moves from the back of the pack; Kaye has gone from No. 53 to No. 10, Purdy from No. 43 to No. 7. Each has taken advantage of their limited opportunities.

Frazar and de Jonge can press their advantage this week at the Northern Trust Open, where only five guys from their qualification strata were able to squeeze into the field. Thirteen others were on the list as alternates -- including Simpson and Piercy -- but it would be easier for a fat, balding sports writer to get a date with Jessica Alba than it would be for all those guys to get in this week's Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.

That leaves next week's Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun as the big cash grab for players trying to improve their position in the reshuffle. With the top 64 players in the world competing concurrently at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, everyone else will be able to play.

It's the last chance for the 14 players who haven't won a dollar to make up ground before the deck gets reshuffled. Even Duffy Waldorf and Carl Paulson, who have yet to compete this year, can join the fun.

Until then, the clock is ticking.

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.