Precisely why they need to drop the number.....

[HomerJSimpson]

I think cutting the list will have opposite effect on developing new talent. The step up to the full tour is a big one and new players need a chance to learn the ropes, often needing 3 or 4 years of settled time to develop their true potential. They won’t get this if keeping their card is much harder and becomes their primary focus.

I agree. Look at Hutsby as an example (seeing as he's in the GM family). First full year on tour and right on the cusp. He's young as most of the Challenge School graduates are and so it will take time to learn about basic things like being away from friends and family for long period, getting the body use to that amount of travelling and learning the courses and how to play European Tour golf.

Personally I am quite happy with the way things are as there needs to be a reachabletarget for new tour members to reach and the current number seems pretty fair. At a stretch cut it to 100 but then you'll have the same faces at Q school and taking away an opportunity for an up and coming player.

Everyone has used team sports as an analogy but look at it another way. Alex Bogdanovich is currently the 3rd best tennis player in Britain and a Davis Cup player. He is currently ranked 268 in the world and yet his season earnings are $43,545. He won't be able to retire but is hardly living hand to mouth and tennis doesn't even enjoy the same sort of prize money as golf.

 

[viscount17]

Interesting thread, surprising what can stir the passions - is winter too long already?

as I see it it's an issue of quality over quantity. having a preset number of cards available inevitably means that some of those holding them will be sub-standard (just like the football leagues, Dodger ). is it feasible to cut the number of cards in one year because the standard isn't good enough, and conversely, raise it in another when there are more quality players?

however those you want out aren't necessarily those at the bottom, that will include the newbies finding their way. no the ones that need to be cut are the klingons, happy to stay just above the cutline, probably those who never really had the talent to make it any higher.