Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

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alphington
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Joined: March 3rd, 2021, 5:50 am

Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by alphington »

I'm preparing to start in career mode for the first time based on recent PGA tour schedules and more or less the top 200 players.
I'm wondering what others do regarding choosing field and cut sizes for your tournaments.

Do you start all 200 players in all/most events as Highfade recommends, or do you have a range of field sizes as in Lord Hearteater's seasons?

Also, in tournaments where you have set eligibility requirements such as a top 10 finish, how do you pick the number of the starting field before actual player eligibility numbers are known - or does the program override your choice in these cases and just enter all eligible players no matter what field size you picked?

As far as i know, the actual PGA Tour cuts are set to achieve around 65 to 70 players progressing to the weekend, so for realism this seems best to replicate, but just wondering how others do this.

Thanks!
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Jimbo
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Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by Jimbo »

Hi Alpha-the cut is 70 and ties but the opening field is 150.
If there's 150 regular players registered then you have "Monday Morning Qualifyers to round out the field.
Two hundred is a good number but you're going to have to find a way to "pare down" the member from week to error.
The big names willoften take the week off if it'$ a smaller purse or they could be playing in a WCG event like last week. Those events are the big weeks for the lesser golfers.
If you can develop a macro for that you're a better man than I!
alphington
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Joined: March 3rd, 2021, 5:50 am

Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by alphington »

Thanks for the info Jimbo, unfortunately I've no skills in developing something that could model all that! :bookh:

It's making me think that I might just put all 200 into most/all events seeing as how we can't model the real structure very well anyway. I suppose in the real world, you only have so many daylight hours in which to get the whole field thru 18 holes whereas for us it's not a factor.
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Jimbo
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Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by Jimbo »

I think that as long as your cut is accurate the opening number won't be an issue.
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Dixieman
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Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by Dixieman »

Alphington,

The field size for a "standard" PGA Tour event is 156, but there are quite a few exceptions. Some tournaments are designated as "invitational" events (even though the word "invitational" might not appear in the tournament name) and have a reduced field. For example, the field size for the Sony Open in Hawaii is 144; 132 for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, etc.) The field size for the Masters Tournament is usually in the 80's or 90's and it may change from year to year. The field size for the other three majors is 156. The field size for the WGC events is 78, with no cut.

The standard cut line for a PGA Tour event is now 65 and ties. It used to be 70 but it was reduced to 65 last year. The cut line for the Masters is 50 and ties. There are some other cut line exceptions also: The cut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is 60, and it comes after the 3rd round instead of the 2nd. They also make the cut (65) at The American Express (years ago known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic) after the 3rd round.

Here's a link to the 2019-2020 PGA Tour Player Handbook, which gives the field sizes for each tournament. I can't find a link to this year's handbook. https://qualifying.pgatourhq.com/static ... _10_19.pdf
Doug
alphington
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Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by alphington »

Jimbo wrote: March 30th, 2021, 4:47 pm I think that as long as your cut is accurate the opening number won't be an issue.
good point Jimbo thanks
alphington
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Joined: March 3rd, 2021, 5:50 am

Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by alphington »

Dixieman wrote: March 30th, 2021, 6:05 pm Alphington,

The field size for a "standard" PGA Tour event is 156, but there are quite a few exceptions. Some tournaments are designated as "invitational" events (even though the word "invitational" might not appear in the tournament name) and have a reduced field. For example, the field size for the Sony Open in Hawaii is 144; 132 for the Waste Management Phoenix Open, etc.) The field size for the Masters Tournament is usually in the 80's or 90's and it may change from year to year. The field size for the other three majors is 156. The field size for the WGC events is 78, with no cut.

The standard cut line for a PGA Tour event is now 65 and ties. It used to be 70 but it was reduced to 65 last year. The cut line for the Masters is 50 and ties. There are some other cut line exceptions also: The cut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am is 60, and it comes after the 3rd round instead of the 2nd. They also make the cut (65) at The American Express (years ago known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic) after the 3rd round.

Here's a link to the 2019-2020 PGA Tour Player Handbook, which gives the field sizes for each tournament. I can't find a link to this year's handbook. https://qualifying.pgatourhq.com/static ... _10_19.pdf
Thanks Doug, this is all good info and the Handbook is a great resource.
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Still Linksing
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Re: Choosing field and cut sizes in career mode

Post by Still Linksing »

I use 128 player field and top 56 go through.
Keeps it inline with previous Links versions so I can do comparisons between games.
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