The annual grind starts today, Tuesday 12/2/08. Imagine going on a job interview that lasts for 5+ hours every day for 6 straight days and where every single move you make is graded. I can only imagine how excruciating it must be. Some of the participants already have their Tour membership secured for 2009 through excellent play on the Nationwide Tour. Guys like Spencer Levin, Bryce Molder and Ricky Barnes are just trying to improve their position on the pecking order for getting into events on the West Coast swing. For them, this week is not very pressure-packed.

For the rest of the field, however, it will be a severe test of both patience and nerves. There are some familiar names that are a little surprising to see in this field. There are PGA Tour event winners like Carlos Franco, John Huston, Jason Gore, Ryder Cup vice captain Olin Browne, former PGA champion Mark Brooks and Notah Begay III. Also included are Kevin Stadler, Joe Durant and the nearly legendary Bob May, always to be known as one of the very few who forced Tiger Woods to dig deep into that amazing reservoir of his for a Major victory.

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