Plenty of players are trying to make the last ditch push. It is no surprise to see every player ranked from No. 114-135 is entered in the tournament. Others lower can still hold out hope of a miracle – after all Davis Love III claimed victory last year and he jumped from No. 186 to 76th, the largest move in the event’s history. The runner-up Jason Gore also booked his place after starting the week in 166th.

The man at 124th, Australian Matt Jones, has been here before. In 2008 he finished 127th but made the playoffs as it was the final year of having 144 players in the opening event. In 2009 he would be the first man outside looking in, finishing 126th on the points list. Just two years later once again he found himself just off the pace in 127th and had to get his place on tour back via the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

He turned his fortunes around by winning the Shell Houston Open in 2014, sending him towards the penthouse and despite backing it up with a decent year last season, 2015-16 has been a different story.

Without a single top-10 in 26 starts Jones is staring down the barrel of conditional status should he fail to fire at Sedgefield. The bad news is his five starts at the venue has elicited three missed cuts and a 69th placing. The good news, his most recent trip in 2013 was a T5, including a final round 62.

Whee Kim sits on the bubble at 125th. The South Korean had his card this year only through the fact he finished inside the top 125 on the money list last season, a luxury he doesn’t hold this year. But he is boosted by his third place last week, which rocketed him into the playoff mix.

In 126th and 127th respectively are former winners on TOUR in Scott Stallings (three wins) and Kyle Stanley. More proof that every season is a new one where every point counts. You cannot stand on your wins past the two-year exemption you receive and must find a way to continue your form. You can at least play out of the past champion category in a worst case scenario, although you get limited starts from there.

Going a little further down the line you have Steve Wheatcroft at 135th. A particular heartbreaking spot for him given he was in great shape to lock up his future a few weeks back at the RBC Canadian Open. But a bladed bunker shot into water on the 72nd hole as he was looking for a win cost him not just a chance at the trophy, but a potential playoff spot as well.

A long way further down the line sit several players around the 200th spot bubble hoping to at least get a shot in the web.com Finals.

Two-time TOUR winners D.A. Points (197th) and Matt Every (198th) are just inside the mark although Every is exempt next season courtesy of his win in the 2015 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

D.H. Lee (199th), a two-time winner in Japan and Alex Prugh (200th) hold the final two spots currently on the list as they tee it up to try and protect their place.

Behind them sit eight players with them in the crosshairs. Lucas Lee (204th), Tom Gillis (211th), Brendon Todd (212th), Dicky Pride (214th), Darron Stiles (218th), Arjun Atwal (233rd), Jarrod Lyle (237th) and Robert Allenby (239th) would like to make a move.

Rhein Gibson (202nd) is also in the field but he sits high enough (35th) on the web.com list to secure a place in the finals. Lyle is in the last start of a medical, looking for $201,796 for a full TOUR card, or at least a significant enough finish to get conditional status or a spot in the web finals.

Perhaps Lyle is one of the greatest examples of how it can be a battle. Now a two-time cancer survivor he has left his two young girls and wife back in Australia as he desperately fights to give them the best life he can provide. Try telling a man who was told he was almost certain to die twice he has it easy.

Good luck to all at Sedgefield this week, we know those who make the grade have certainly earned it.