Q-school getting tougher in second stage

One down. Two to go. That's where the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament stands right now -- and things certainly aren't getting any easier.

Players who have won more than 60 PGA TOUR events, as well as 10 European Tour titles, are entered in the four second stage events that began Wednesday. All are contested over 72 holes and two more will be held next week.

The second stage event being held on the Mountain Course at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., may be the toughest. There are 13 players with TOUR wins entered -- including Jim Gallagher Jr. with 5 and Billy Andrade and Carlos Franco with four each.

Former PGA champ Mark Brooks headlines the field at Deerwood Country Club in Kingwood, Texas. He has seven TOUR titles to his credit while Mathias Gronberg, also playing there, has won four times on the European Tour.

Another seven-time TOUR champ, John Huston, is competing at Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Fla., along with three-time winner Robert Gamez.

Nolan Henke, who has won three times on TOUR, and Per-Ulrik Johansson, a six-time European Tour champ, are entered in the second stage event at Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, Fla.

Each field consists of roughly 78 players and a percentage of those -- generally the low 19, 20 or 21 and ties -- will advance to the finals, which will be played Dec. 3-8 at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. There this week's survivors will run into event more players with experience on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour.

The finals will be contested over 108 holes and only top 25 and ties will earn PGA TOUR playing privileges for 2009. The rest will have some degree of status on the Nationwide Tour.