NBC's 'Ticket to the TOUR' documents quests for cards

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It's a recurring drama that plays out every fall -- professional golfers on the brink of realizing their goal of becoming PGA TOUR members, either through the months of intense competition on the Nationwide Tour, culminating with the Nationwide Tour Championship, or through the grueling six-day marathon known as the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

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In the end, 50 players succeed -- "THE 25" leading money winners from the Nationwide Tour based on season-long excellence, plus the 25 who emerge from the Q-School final.

Ticket to the TOUR presented by Colombia Travel, a 90-minute NBC Sports' special airing Saturday, January 2, at 4:30 p.m. ET, goes inside the ropes at the 2009 Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston, S.C., to document the intensity of the final week of the 11-month season with careers on the line. The program takes an intimate look at how the players, as well as family and friends, handle the pressure and nerves as they battle for a place on the PGA TOUR.

Produced by PGA TOUR Entertainment in high definition, Ticket to the TOUR presented by Colombia Travel not only focuses on "THE 25" who make it, but also those who miss out and head on to the final stage of Q-School at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. - for a final shot at 2010 PGA TOUR membership. Those finishing outside the top 25 will return to the Nationwide Tour, the PGA TOUR's Official Proving Ground.

Ticket to the TOUR presented by Colombia Travel captures the stories of players outside of the headlines, providing a glimpse at the lives of golfers on the verge, where their career paths can go in two very different directions.