Prepare to Meet THE 25

I admit that I possibly do not spend as an awful lot time blogging approximately the Web.Com Tour as I need to. After all, despite the fact that we awareness on gamers who get their Tour cards capitalizing on sponsor exemptions or operating their way through the European Tour, the Web.Com Tour remains the primary direction to the PGA Tour. It's wherein most Tour hopefuls cut their enamel learning the ropes of Tour existence... And the place to which most players who fail to preserve their Tour cards go back.

This week we examine the identity of THE 25, the players who by virtue in their play for a whole season at the Web.Com Tour have earned the primary 25 Tour cards to be offered this season.

The guy in the photo below? That's Patton Kizzire and, if I've done my math correctly, there's absolutely NO WAY that he won't be the winner of the first Golden Ticket, the fully-exempt card awarded to the Web.com Tour Money List Leader for the season. (The other Golden Ticket goes to the winner of the Web.com Playoffs, the 4-event series that begins the second full week in September.)

This week's event, the WinCo Foods Portland Open, WILL determine the other 24 players to lock up their Tour cards. (Although I'm not sure how they'll handle #23, Patrick Rodgers. Rodgers locked up a Tour card by his play on the PGA Tour this year.) With something like $145k going to the winner of this event, almost anybody in the field has a chance to make THE 25, although a number of the players near the top of the list are safe.

Some of the names currently in THE 25 will probable be acquainted to you.

• Martin Piller, #2 on the list, is LPGA player Gerina Piller's husband. He's been on the Big Tour before, and two wins this season (plus his outstanding play in the other events) guarantee him enough dough for a 2016 card.
• Dawie van der Walt, the South African at #3, has played a few events on the Big Tour before but has spent most of the last five years on the Web.com Tour... but not next year!
• Jamie Lovemark, #13, is a two-time REMAX Long Drive Champion and has been on and off the Big Tour for a few years, mainly due to struggles with injuries.
• Steve Marino, #14, had to return to the Web.com Tour this year to regain his Tour card.
• Rod Pampling, #18, has been splitting his time between the two tours in an effort to regain his Tour card. A good showing this week could lock it up for him.

And of course there are a number of up-and-comers you may not know yet but soon will -- players like Si Woo Kim who, at #7, will probably make it to the PGA Tour for the first time. This was a breakthrough season for him and it should be fun to see how he does full-time playing against the big boys.

If you want a brief replace of the impending drama, you can test this submit at PGATOUR.Com regarding the fundamental storylines this week and this submit will provide you with more info on the bubble boys.

Coverage begins today on GC at 6pm ET and, given that the WinCo is being held on the Witch Hollow course at Pumpkin Ridge GC in Oregon -- site of two US Women's Opens, a US Amateur and a US Women's Amateur, btw -- the telecast will probably be live. If the FedExCup Playoffs aren't dramatic enough for you, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Web.com finale this week!