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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Moore sets sights on PGA Tour

USA Today

UNLV golfer Ryan Moore plans to turn professional later this month, use his seven maximum exemptions into PGA Tour events, crack the top 125 on the money list and earn full playing privileges for 2006 – without having to attend qualifying school in December.

“I’m not going out there trying to get a bunch of top-10s,” Moore, 22, of Puyallup, Wash., says. “I’m going out there trying to win.”

That might sound audacious, but like many ambitious collegians, Moore has plotted his career path almost down to the penny. He needs to make between $650,000 and $700,000 this year, or about $100,000 per event. Last year’s No. 125, Tag Ridings, won $623,262.

Moore likely will make his pro debut June 23-26 at the Barclays Classic in Harrison, N.Y., followed by the Cialis Western Open outside Chicago and John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Good finishes at those consecutive tournaments could lead to additional exemptions later in the year.

Should he fall short of the top 125, Moore says he’ll face the nerve-fraying uncertainty of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament.

“I’m not too good for that. If I don’t make it, I’ll be out there working hard like everybody else,” he says. “I’ll try to get my card anyway I can.”

Regardless, he’ll be eligible for at least one major championship next season: The Masters, which invites the top 16 players from the previous year, no matter their status. Moore tied for 13th this year.

“We’ve weighed every option possible a hundred times,” Moore says. “I’m just going to go pro at the time that’s most helpful for me. … That’s the first priority.”

Indeed, Moore’s quandary also includes eschewing British Open tradition for paychecks. Invited as an amateur, he would lose his spot July 14-17 at the fabled Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, by turning pro. He would also miss being a part of the field in Jack Nicklaus’ last British Open.

He could qualify by doing well at the Western Open and John Deere Classic in hopes of being the top player otherwise not exempt for St. Andrews.