A Primer On Monday Q's

What is a Monday qualifier? 

An 18-hole qualifier played on a Monday (or Tuesday on the Champions Tour) in which a few players advance to a three- or four-day tournament held later in the week. The qualifiers are played on most major tours worldwide, including the PGA, LPGA, Korn Ferry, Champions and Asian Tours. The DP World Tour only holds qualifiers occasionally. 

‍How many players qualify? 

• PGA Tour: Four

• Korn Ferry Tour: Eight

• LPGA Tour: Two

• Champions Tour: Three

‍What is the entry fee? 

It varies based on a player's tour status, but it is generally $500 for a player without status. 

Here’s the breakdown for a Monday Q on the PGA Tour:

• PGA Tour member: Free

• KFT member: $100

• Canada/Latin Tour member: $300

• Everyone else: $500

‍Is there a purse? 

Sadly, no. 

‍Can anyone play in a Monday qualifier? 

Yes (kind of). Only players with enough status are exempt into the Monday Q; everyone else must play a pre-qualifier. The pre-qualifier is held on Wednesday or Thursday of the previous week. The number of players who get through is based on how many are already exempt and signed up for the Monday Q. Make a cut on the PGA Tour, and regardless of status, you get to skip pre-qualifiers for the rest of the season.

 There are no pre-qualifiers on the LPGA Tour, and the Monday Q field is limited to 48 players. Only a few spots are available for non-members, and those are available only if members don't fill the field.

 On the Korn Ferry Tour, anyone with a handicap index of 2.0 or below can sign up. 

‍Has a Monday qualifier ever won? 

Yes! A lot!

PGA Tour: Four times, the last being Corey Conners at the 2019 Valero Texas Open.

LPGA: Three times, most recently when Channette Wannasaen won the Portland Classic two weeks ago.

KFT: Five times, the latest being (the GOAT) Spencer Levin this season.

‍What percentage of Monday qualifiers make the cut? 

In the 2018-2021 seasons I kept detailed stats and the average was 28 percent

‍Who are some players who changed their careers through Monday qualifiers? 

The list is long, but here are some of the notables: 

Patrick Reed: In 2012, Reed Monday Q'd six times and played well in many of those events. It helped him earn a spot in the final stage of Q school that season, where he earned his PGA Tour card.

Brooke Henderson: The 13-time LPGA winner got her first win at the 2015 Portland Classic after a successful Monday Q. 

Corey Conners: Enough said.

Cameron Young: Young turned pro and entered the Pinnacle Bank Monday Q on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020. He made it through and finished T-11, earning a spot in the following week's event. He never looked back, earning status on the PGA Tour without having to go to Q school.

Others on the list include Will Zalatoris, Russell Knox, Doc Redman, J.T. Poston and Scott Parel (Champions). 

‍Who Monday qualified for the most PGA Tour events in one season? 

In a record that will never be broken (in my very biased opinion), T.J. Vogel Monday Q'd eight times in 2018. Although he made just three cuts in those events, it's an astounding feat. 

His scores for the successful Mondays Qs were 63, 64, 64, 65, 65, 66, 66 and 66.

‍Are Monday Qs played on the tournament course? 

On the LPGA, sometimes. The other tours they never are. As the popularity of golf has grown, the PGA sections, which run the Monday Qs, have had more trouble finding courses willing to host. Because of the budget restrictions, the qualifiers are often played on less-than-ideal courses.