A closer look: What the Fall Series means to the players

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WHAT'S AT STAKE?
It's well known that the final weeks of the PGA TOUR season are crunch time as players are vying for spots among the top 125 on the money list. Those who are successful earn their TOUR cards for the following year. It is also well known that winning a PGA TOUR event earns a two-year exemption on TOUR, and invitations into select events such as the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship. Lesser known are other perks at stake during the PGA TOUR Fall Series -- a top-30 finish on the season-ending money list earns invitations to the following year's Masters and the U.S. Open. In addition, a top-70 finish on the money list will yield trips to several invitationals, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament.

PGA TOUR FALL SERIES SUCCESS
The Valero Texas Open recently announced a tournament-record $8.5 million for charity and will be among the top ranked of all 2008 TOUR events in terms of charitable giving.

FALL SERIES RE-ENERGIZING CAREERS
Last year, several players used wins in the Fall Series as a springboard to strong 2008 campaigns.

• Justin Leonard (Valero Texas Open) finished eighth in the 2008 FedExCup standings and played for the victorious Ryder Cup squad

• Chad Campbell (Viking Classic) also played for the United States Ryder Cup team in 2008 and notched a total of six top 10s this year.

• Mike Weir (Frys.com Open) finished sixth in the final 2008 FedExCup standings on the strength of three top 10s in the PGA TOUR Playoffs.

• In 2008, Will MacKenzie captured the Viking Classic after missing a portion of the season due to a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. In July, his wife Alli also gave birth to couple's first child, Maverick Noah. Once again healthy with a victory under his belt, MacKenzie looks to a bigger and better 2009.

STRONG FIELDS
Fields in the PGA TOUR Fall Series have included players such as Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Chad Campbell, Hunter Mahan, J.B. Holmes, Charles Howell III, Woody Austin, Zach Johnson, Sean O'Hair, Rory Sabbatini, Mike Weir, Scott Verplank, Robert Allenby, Paul Azinger and Chris DiMarco.

• Leonard, Campbell, Holmes and Mahan were mainstays of the victorious United States Ryder Cup squad captained by Azinger.

• Love, a 19-time winner on TOUR and former PGA Championship winner, posted a tie for third at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Battling back from a left ankle injury suffered in the fall of 2007, the top 10 was Love's first since winning the Wyndham Championship in 2006.

• Former Masters winner Fred Couples will captain the United States Presidents Cup squad in 2009.

• Allenby ranks tied for second on the PGA TOUR in top 10s in 2008 with eight of them, trailing only Jim Furyk's nine.

FIRST-TIME WINNERS
First-time winners in the Fall Series include 24-year-old rookie Dustin Johnson, who won the Turning Stone Resort Championship and jumped to 41st on the PGA TOUR Official Money List. Johnson joined the TOUR in 2008 with a strong resume as a former All-American from Coastal Carolina and a member of the 2007 United States Walker Cup team. With the win, Johnson put himself in the mix for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year with other winners Andres Romero (Zurich Classic of New Orleans, made the cut in all four majors with two top 10s) and Chez Reavie (RBC Canadian Open).

20SOMETHING WINNERS IN 2008
There have been 13 different winners (15 total) in their 20s in 2008 vs. seven winners in their 20s for 48 events in 2007. Is the "Tiger Woods influence" taking effect, with younger players taking a more prominent position on TOUR? Other prominent players in their 20s yet to win this year include Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Charles Howell III and Jeff Quinney.