Late Monday afternoon, Rich Barcelo, his wife Teresa and their two young children caught a flight in Charleston, S.C., and returned to Tucson for the winter.
"It was an eventful year," he said. "I won my first tournament, finished in the Top 25 for the first time, was disqualified for the first time, missed a tee time for the first time and withdrew from a tournament because of injury for the first time."
Barcelo is a happy dude but not for the first time. This is the third time the Sahuaro High School grad has earned full playing privileges on the PGA Tour.
A few hours earlier in San Antonio, Ronnie Black boarded a plane. Destination: Tucson. Plans: Enjoy the winter.
"I earned more money this year than I have in any year, on any tour," the longtime Tucson resident said. "It's funny, but I probably played in too many tournaments. I was mentally worn down at the end."
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Tucson's two touring pros, Barcelo and Black, thus completed a 10-month odyssey in which they earned a living in 23 states, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Panama, England and the Dominican Republic.
In pro golf, you go where the money is, and for Barcelo, it included the Moonah Classic in Australia. For Black, it included the Banco Popular Open in Puerto Rico.
Barcelo finished 21st on the Nationwide Tour money list and, coupled with his PGA Tour earnings, pocketed $210,475. He will very happily be able to bypass the crucible of Qualifying School and enjoy December without the attendant anxiety.
"This year I have the luxury of having an off-season," he said. "For the last 10 years, I've been getting ready for Q-School and, believe me, I won't miss it."
Black is 45th on the Champions Tour money list, which doesn't include the $72,478 he earned in three forays to the PGA Tour. He had never earned more than $306,000 annually over three decades as a touring pro.
But unlike Barcelo, he is eager to play again, at the Champions Tour Q-School late next month in Scottsdale. Only the top 30 Champions Tour earners are fully qualified to play the 2010 schedule. So Black will go to the TPC Scottsdale and engage in a difficult event in which only the top five finishers earn 2010 tour privileges.
"I finished tied for fourth last year at Q-School and lost the playoff," he remembers. "That meant I missed a lot of tournaments (five of seven) early in the year. It's quite an advantage to get through Q-School and be able to pick and choose your events all year. I feel good about it."
Black played so well during the summer (he was No. 2 at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in New York, earning $130,000) that he qualified for the final 11 events.
At 51, he appears to be peaking for his prime years on the Champions Tour.
Barcelo, who turned 34 this season, played on the PGA Tour in 2004 and 2007, and in both of those years, he earned more ($223,597 and $334,244) than he did during this breakthrough season on the Nationwide Tour.
"On the Nationwide Tour, the 15th- and 20th-place finishes don't add up to much," he said. "But without a doubt this has been my best year in golf. I missed five or six tournaments with an injured elbow, but when I was playing, I gave myself more opportunities than ever. I know I can compete on the PGA Tour. I've been there twice. I know what to expect."
Barcelo's final week, at the Nationwide Tour Championship, was a wild and unpredictable ride.
He arrived at No. 19 on the money list and was mathematically guaranteed a spot in the Top 25, unless those in money spots Nos. 26-32 finished, in order, 1-through-7 in the event and he didn't earn a cent.
That's pretty unlikely, because last-place money in the no-cut event was $3,200.
But on Saturday afternoon, the didn't-earn-a-cent scenario came true. Barcelo's playing partner, Craig Barlow incorrectly entered a 5 as Barcelo's score on the 18th hole. Barcelo had made a bogey 6 but didn't realize the mistake until he was having lunch with his caddy.
Knowing he would be disqualified, Barcelo phoned tour officials and said his score was wrong. He was later paid $3,200 but it didn't count as official money. Instead of playing Sunday, he spent much of what he called "an unsettling day" checking computer projections for the Top 25.
It was in some ways more worrisome than the six-rounds of Q-School.
But by Sunday evening, comfortably in the Top 25 by $11,000, Barcelo accompanied the other 24 soon-to-be-PGA Tour regulars to a champagne ceremony. They all toasted one another.
For Rich Barcelo and Ronnie Black, 2009 will forever be a vintage year.
