November 1, 2010 - The hard work has paid off for Jim Herman and Keegan Bradley, who completed successful seasons on the Nationwide Tour to earn their PGA Tour cards for 2011. Herman and Bradley, both with Met Area ties, will be playing alongside Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson next year as they finished in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list, automatically earning full PGA Tour status for next year.

Herman, 31, and a former assistant professional at Trump National-Bedminster, will have a PGA Tour card for the first time in his career. He began 2010 on a high note as he won the Moonah Classic in Australia, the second event on the 2010 calendar. He also registered two other top-ten finishes, including a tie for seventh at the last event of the season, the Nationwide Tour Championship, securing his 2011 Tour card. Herman earned $238,847 this season in 25 events.

Herman’s only PGA Tour start came at this year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach where he made the cut and tied for 47th. He advanced out of the U.S. Open sectional conducted by the MGA at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J.

Bradley, 24, a St. John’s University graduate and the nephew of LPGA great and World Golf Hall of Fame member Pat Bradley, had five top-ten finishes on the Nationwide Tour this season as a rookie. When the heat was on down the stretch, Bradley remained cool as he recorded four of those top-ten’s from September to the end of the season. Bradley finished 14th on the money list, earning $264,760 in 28 events.

The paths to the PGA Tour for Bradley and Herman are quite different. On one side, you have the rookie, making his way through the professional tours at a young age and accomplishing every player’s dream of getting to the PGA Tour quickly. On the other, you have the grinding Nationwide and mini tour player who spent time working as a club pro to sharpen his game, always hoping to make it to the big dance.

Looking to join Bradley and Herman on the PGA Tour in 2011 are New Jersey native Chris Nallen and former Met Open winner Andrew Svoboda, who finished 31st and 46th, respectively on the Nationwide Tour money list. This makes Nallen exempt into the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School and at both players at the very least will have full Nationwide Tour status in 2011.

Q-School is in full swing and former MGA tournament winners Martin Catalioto of Hilton Head, S.C., and Sunny Kim of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., as well as Chris Damiano of Scarsdale, N.Y., have all advanced to the second stage, which begins November 16. GlenArbor assistant professional Rob Labritz, the low club pro at the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, is exempt into the second stage along with Met Open runner-up Danny Balin of Burning Tree, who is exempt because of his top-ten finish at this seaon’s PGA Professional National Championship. More information on how other local players fared at Q-School can be found here.