Qualifying WDitis: "This is for the right to play for our national championship. Show a little respect and go the distance."

Watching the Golf Channel highlight package from Golf's Longest Day you hate to dwell on the negative. But I will!

Adam Schupak wonders about all of the WD's--22 to be exact who couldn't be bothered to finish the 36-hole Sectional qualifier at the Colonial site--and offers a solution. Worse, many quit mid-round, which disrupts the pacing in a group and is particularly obnoxious if a player in the group has a chance to qualify.

Not surprisingly, most of the WD's were PGA Tour members saving their energy for the 29th major this week in Memphis.

I think it’s high time the USGA penalize players who withdraw from the qualifier. If the USGA wanted to eliminate the problem in an instant, it could decrease the number of spots available at sites based on WDs, but that wouldn’t be fair to the players who keep playing. So here’s what I propose: If a golfer WDs from the sectional, he forfeits the opportunity to skip local qualifying the following year (a privilege granted to Tour pros). I bet that would make guys think twice about walking off in the middle of a round. For one, it’s not fair to your playing partners. It can screw up pace of play. Threesomes became twosomes having to wait behind threesomes. In fact, so many players withdrew at Colonial that I witnessed three empty holes on the South Course.

This is for the right to play for our national championship. Show a little respect and go the distance.