Duval among a failing group of tour veterans

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- It has not been a good week for a group of PGA Tour veterans and tournament winners at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament at PGA West.

Three former major champions -- David Duval, Rich Beem, Lee Janzen and Shaun Micheel -- are not going to earn PGA Tour exemptions for 2012. Duval is T70, Beem T115 and Micheel T109 early in final-round play. A fourth major winner, Lee Janzen, is T43 and still contending for one of the 25 tour cards available.

Another group -- Scott McCarron, Carlos Franco and Robert Gamez, all PGA Tour winners -- also will fail to earn playing priveleges next year. McCarron, now a resident of La Quinta, is T143, Franco T134, and Gamez T127.

A threesome of former tour winners are in position to return to the PGA Tour -- Vaughn Taylor (T9) and Bob Estes and Jeff Maggert (both T23).

-- John Strege