As golf's elite seek a British Open title this week at Turnberry, those who could not earn a place in Scotland will play for a 720,000-dollar top prize at the US Bank Championship.
And then there is Brett Quigley.
The US veteran could have played in the season's third major championship after a top-five finish at last week's John Deere Classic, but instead decided not to go to Europe and play at this four million-dollar US PGA event.
Quigley, the tour's top money winner without a title after 11 seasons, wanted to be with friend and fellow pro golfer Chris Smith at the memorial service of Smith's wife Bev, who was killed in a car crash last month.
"My heart's not into playing the British," Quigley said.
"It's a tough decision to make and I know I'll catch some heat for it, but I know it's the right decision for me. I know I would get over there and be rushed and just not be excited to play.
"I know that sounds crazy for a major - British Open, Turnberry - there's a million reasons to go. I just feel like it's going to be better for me to go to Milwaukee and be with my family. It's just not for me."
Jerry Kelly, who won at New Orleans in April, also skipped the British Open to support his home-state event. At 25th on the US money list, Kelly ranks third in the field behind countryman Kevin Na and England's Brian Davis.
Sweden's Richard S. Johnson, who won last year at Milwaukee, is at Turnberry this week but eight former winners of the event are entered, including two-time winners Carlos Franco of Paraguay and Americans Scott Hoch, Jeff Sluman and Loren Roberts.
Among 18 non-US entrants are India's Arjun Atwal, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik and Mathias Gronberg and 12 Australians, including Nick O'Hern, Marc Leishman, Steve Elkington, Peter Lonard, Nathan Green, Greg Chalmers and Steve Allan.
Copyright 2009 AFP Global Edition
