Mark Murphy will chase a place on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica this week. Pictured here during the 2012 Hassan Trophy by Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ieFormer Big Break Ireland winner Mark Murphy may have to travel as far as Peru to keep his tour dreams alive.

While he came up short at the qualifying schools for the US and European Tour last season, the Waterville man will be back in action on Tuesday at the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica qualifiying tournament in Florida.

He’s one of 126 players in the field at Sun N’ Lake Golf Club’s Deer Run course in Sebring who will bid for twenty spots over 72 holes.

If he comes through, the former Irish amateur international will play a 15-tournament schedule with $150,000 purses in nine countries, starting in mid-March.

In common with the mini tours in Europe, the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica will give its top-5 - “Los Cinco” – a spot on the second tier tour next year. In this case its the Web.com Tour.

According to the PGA TOUR:

Players ranked 6-10 on the 2013 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season ending Order of Merit will be exempt to play the final stage of the Web.com Tour’s 2014 Qualifying Tournament.

The top 60 players on the 2013 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season ending Order of Merit will be exempt to keep their card for the 2014 season of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

Subject to final approval, there will be some sort of eligibility on PGA TOUR Canada for the top performers from the first half of the 2013 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.