Dong-Hwan Lee of South Korea wiped away a single tear when he realized he had earned a job on the PGA Tour. Moments later, Edward Loar stood tall as he spoke about two shots into the water on the last two holes at Q-school that sent him back to the minor leagues.
Amid this familiar contrast of emotions, a sense of nostalgia swept across the California desert late Monday afternoon.
"To get this one is extra special, knowing that next year guys won't have this opportunity," said Scott Langley, one of 25 players who earned cards in the final edition of this six-round tournament that offers a ticket to the richest tour in golf.
The PGA Tour next year will end a half-century of tradition when Q-school will only provide cards to the secondary Web.com Tour.
The PGA Tour is changing its structure to make it more competitive than ever. The players who failed to reach the FedEx Cup playoffs will meet in a series of four tournaments called "The Finals," and the 25 players who earn the most money from those events will get their cards
That was on the mind of so many players who sweated out six days over two golf courses at PGA West.
Lee birdied his last three holes for a 5-under 67 on the Stadium Course to win Q-school, which gives him the highest priority of the 25 players who earned cards, along with a $50,000 first-place check. Ross Fisher of England, who won two matches at the Ryder Cup two years ago in Wales, was among those who finished one shot behind.
Fisher has played plenty in America, mostly the majors and World Golf Championships because of his world ranking. But when he heard about the PGA Tour's change, he skipped the season-ending European Tour event in Dubai to get ready for Q-school.
"This game can go high and it can go low," Fisher said. "Last year for me was not great. This year has been a work in progress. But it was the last year of Q-school, and it was nice to create a bit of history to be one of the guys at the last one."
Camilo Villegas, who won back-to-back FedEx Cup playoff events in 2008, had to return to Q-school and missed his card by two shots. Villegas said he would hope for sponsor exemptions to try to get back his full status.
Heath Slocum, only three years removed from a FedEx Cup playoff win in which he beat Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington with a birdie on the last hole, also failed to get through. Slocum needed a birdie on his last hole, but a bad swing came at the wrong time. He pulled his tee shot into the water and made bogey. A day earlier, Slocum's ball moved a fraction of an inch before a putt and he called a one-shot penalty on himself.
"They say crazy stuff happens in Q-school, and it does," Slocum said. "That's never happened before.
That's one shot. You never know when one shot can help."
Among those earning their cards was Erik Compton, who only four years ago nearly died of a heart attack while driving himself to the hospital. He made it in time to survive and get a second heart transplant.
"This is hell week," said Compton, who said he slept only two hours each of the last two nights. "There was a sense of urgency for me. I don't know if my health is going to hold up. If I could only go to the Web.com Tour, I probably would beat myself up."
Ottawa's Brad Fritsch was the lone Canadian to finish among the top-25. He had already earned his card by virtue of his position on the Web.com Tour's money list, but improved his standing with a seventh-place finish at Q-school.
Fritsch flirted with the lead on Monday and closed with a 4-under 68.
That was the same score posted by Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford who fell two shots shy of a PGA Tour card. He tied for 32nd and will play on the Web.com Tour again next year.
