1987 pga tour qualifying school

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1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates explained

This is a list of the 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates. 54 players earned their 1988 PGA Tour card through Q-School in 1987. The tournament was played over 108 holes at Pine Lakes Golf Club and Matanzas Golf Club, in Palm Coast, Florida . Those earning cards split the $100,000 purse, with the winner earning $15,000. [1] John Huston was the medallist. Jim Hallet finished in second place. After several attempts in the mid-1980s, Hallet finally made it on to the PGA Tour. [2]

Tournament summary

Several former PGA Tour winners entered the tournament trying to regain full-time status. They included Dave Eichelberger , John Fought , Barry Jaeckel , Bobby Cole , and Leonard Thompson . [3] Eichelberger and Thompson were the only ones that were successful. Fought was disqualified in the first round for signing an incorrect scorecard. [3]

List of graduates

Sources: [1] [4]

Notes and References

• News: Innisbrook pros Buttner, Huston earn '88 PGA Tour cards . St. Petersburg Times . Bob . Harig . December 8, 1957 . 2C, 3C . newspapers.com . subscription.
• News: Cady . Steve . 1988-01-10 . Golf: Worldwide Odyssey Leads to PGA Tour . The New York Times . 2021-02-02.
• News: Johnson . Mark . Qualifying School PGA's Toughest Test . 2021-02-20 . January 17, 1988 . Chicago Tribune.
• Book: Gould, David . Q-School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament . St. Martin's Press . 1999 . 978-0312203559 . New York . 282–284.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article " 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates ".

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About: 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates

This is a list of the 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates. 54 players earned their 1988 PGA Tour card through Q-School in 1987. The tournament was played over 108 holes at Pine Lakes Golf Club and Matanzas Golf Club, in Palm Coast, Florida. Those earning cards split the $100,000 purse, with the winner earning $15,000. John Huston was the medallist. Jim Hallet finished in second place. After several attempts in the mid-1980s, Hallet finally made it on to the PGA Tour. Sources:

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PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club

Instruction

Think you're good enough for Q-school? Read this before you answer.

You probably haven't heard of Jeff Kellen. And if you have, it was probably for what he did at a mini-tour event in 2014, when he made nine birdies in a row to shoot a back-nine 27. Or maybe you saw him (without knowing who he was) when he served as a swing model in a series of Golf Digest instruction stories.

Kellen was a top player at Illinois State, and turned pro in 2011. Since then, he's dedicated virtually every waking moment to trying to make it to the PGA Tour. He pounds the ball, hitting 185-yard 8-irons and long, straight drives. He's a terrific putter, and isn't afraid to go low. He's shot 62 a dozen times, and if he came to your average American private club, he'd probably make 10 or 12 birdies on his first trip around.

But for the group of players trying to make it through the three stages of Q-school required to get onto the Web.com tour, Kellen doesn't stand out. Everybody in the field is a terrific player. Kellen has tried to qualify three times and has made it to the second stage once, last year. He's putting up the $5,000 entry fee and going for it again this year, starting in Nebraska City, Neb., in two weeks.

About 950 players will compete at 12 locations starting Sept. 27 for about 400 spots in five second stage venues a month later. The best 156 from there will make it to the finals a month after that, and where they finish in that tournament will determine how many Web.com events they can enter in 2017.

You have to play a lot of good golf on three separate weeks, against a lot of good players, just to get even conditional status on the Web.com tour--from where it's another giant leap to get to the PGA Tour. It's one of the hardest challenges in sports.

But say you're a good stick at your home club. Maybe you've won a club championship or two. You might be wondering how your game stacks up against somebody like Kellen.

Unless you're shooting 65s and your game can travel, it doesn't.

Even if you hit a lot of balls, you probably have a day job. For five years, Kellen has been doing nothing but practice and play golf. Last year, he moved to Long Island to train with instructor Mike Jacobs at Jacobs' high-tech studio in Manorville. Kellen has broken down every aspect of his swing and optimized it for maximum efficiency. He's hit thousands of balls and rolled thousands of putts, and that's just this summer.

Eavesdropping on one of their work sessions in this final lead-up to Q-school is much different than watching a run-of-the-mill fix-my-slice lesson at the range down the street. Jacobs and Kellen are concerned with very small differences in the movement of Kellen's hips in the downswing--the difference between perfectly puring shots and hitting them slightly off the toe in a way that is almost invisible to the casual watcher. Jacobs doesn't say much at this point. He's there to help Kellen connect accurate feedback to the shots he's hitting, so that Kellen can essentially coach himself during a tournament by recognizing negative swing patterns very quickly. That's an important skill when you're on your own at a tournament and a run of three or four bad holes can mean you're going home and trying again next year.

The work is part of a comprehensive plan for Kellen's season that centered more on practicing and improving his skills than competing in mini-tour events. "I tried it the other way for a few years, playing a lot of tournaments and even changing my swing," says Kellen. "All it did was substitute different inconsistencies for the ones I had. I came to Mike so I could learn what was really happening with my swing, and to own it."

As Q-school approaches, Kellen has switched from hard-core swing instruction to working on shaping different full and short game shots, and sharpening his competitive instincts. "Playing hard golf courses helps," says Kellen. "Money games, tournaments--competition takes many forms. It could be for $1, or for a beer. But it has to be something. There's nothing worse than handing something over."

He doesn't go into his pocket very often.

You better go hit some balls. A lot of them.

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Golf’s Q-School Explained

The players who earn their card at Q-School will join the “in the money” players from the previous years who have received exempt status for their play in the current year.  For example, Ian Poulter finished in the top 125 this year in the number 45 spot, therefore he has automatically earned his TOUR card for next year and is exempt from further qualification.   A player can finish outside the 125 and still be exempt under certain conditions such as winning specific tournaments like majors or the Tour Championship.

Q-School dates back to 1965. The 2012 edition involves four stages:

• Pre-Qualifying Stage: Five tournaments are held in September in warm-weather locations in the United States. All of these tournaments are played over three rounds. In each tournament, roughly 35 to 40 players, plus ties, advance to the next stage.
• First Stage: Thirteen tournaments held in October all in the United States and each are played over four rounds. The participants are a mixture of Pre-Qualifying Stage winners and players who were exempted from Pre-Qualifying.  Approximately the top 25 players plus the players that tie in each tournament will advance to the Second Stage.
• Second Stage: Six tournaments which are held in November and played over four rounds. Like the First Stage, certain players can receive exemptions to this stage. The top 20 plus tied players in each tournament will advance.
• Final Stage: One tournament played over six rounds in late November-early December. The field consists of Second Stage winners and players who received exemptions into the Final Stage. In this stage, the top 25 players, plus ties, earn PGA TOUR cards for the following year.

There are other ways to earn exemptions, for example, Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters, and so he automatically retains a TOUR card for 5 years.  No matter how it’s achieved, earning one’s TOUR card is never an easy endeavor.  The process ultimately ensures that only the world’s top players are permitted to compete on TOUR.  Either way it certainly has us thinking… wouldn’t it be nice to earn a PGA TOUR card and quit your 9-5?  For now, we can only dream.

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1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates

This is a list of the 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates. 54 players earned their 1988 PGA Tour card through Q-School in 1987. The tournament was played over 108 holes at Pine Lakes Golf Club and Matanzas Golf Club, in Palm Coast, Florida . Those earning cards split the $100,000 purse, with the winner earning $15,000. [1] John Huston was the medallist. Jim Hallet finished in second place. After several attempts in the mid-1980s, Hallet finally made it on to the PGA Tour. [2]

Tournament summary

Several former PGA Tour winners entered the tournament trying to regain full-time status. They included Dave Eichelberger , John Fought , Barry Jaeckel , Bobby Cole , and Leonard Thompson . [3] Eichelberger and Thompson were the only ones that were successful. [4] Fought was disqualified in the first round for signing an incorrect scorecard. [3]

List of graduates

Sources: [1] [4]

• ^ Cady, Steve (January 10, 1988). "Golf: Worldwide Odyssey Leads to PGA Tour" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 2, 2021 .
• ^ a b Johnson, Mark (January 17, 1988). "Qualifying School PGA's Toughest Test" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 20, 2021 .
• ^ a b Gould, David (1999). Q-School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament . New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 282–284. ISBN   978-0312203559 .

Opinion & Analysis

Survive and advance: a step-by-step guide to getting through q-school.

It’s the most nerve-wracking job interview you’ve ever heard of. Except it’s not a job interview, it’s a golf tournament.

The field is made up of players shooting the lowest scores of their lives, and those whose game is in a downward spiral. A notoriously grueling event that goes by a nickname many a hip-hop artist would envy. It is, of course, Q-School.

The event, formally known as the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament — a similar process exists to gain status on the LPGA, Champions, Mackenzie, and other tours — is a taxing process, especially for those who must start at the ground level. The Pre-Qualifying stage begins in late summer, comes with a hefty $2,700 entry fee, and like most job interviews brings a great deal of pressure to perform. Unlike most interviews, however, advancing to the next round is quite costly. The top-40 or so players from each of the six Pre-Qualifiers across the country who advance to the First Stage must cough up another $2,500 registration fee to keep their dreams alive.

The list of ways one can skip Pre-Qualifying and jump right into the First Stage in early fall is long. It ranges from exemptions for those who competed in any of the four major championships in the previous two seasons to those who are Nos. 6-25 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Skipping straight to the First Stage, however, doesn’t cut down on the cost. The price tag for jumping in at the First Stage is a cool $4,500. Each of the 12 First Stage sites includes a field of about 78 players, give or take, with only about 20 players living (metaphorically) to fight another day.

The cycle continues in the Second Stage. Did you  make a cut   in one of the last eight majors? Now’s your time to join the party. Are you one of the top-five ranked amateurs in the world? Welcome to the Second Stage. I hope you brought your checkbook, the entry fee for starting here is $4,000.

Many roads lead to Q-School, and some of them require a U-Turn. Matt Bettencourt found himself in the Second Stage despite racking up nearly $3 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. But 80 percent of his $2.875 million in winnings came from the work he did between 2009-11, and in 2016 Bettencourt earned just one FedEx Cup point in five starts on the big tour. With a shot to gain status on the Web.com Tour via Q-School, Bettencourt had three sub-par rounds, but his third-round 77 cost him the opportunity to advance to the Finals.

For every former PGA Tour player limping back to Q-School there are a dozen hopefuls looking to take their career to the next level, one nerve-wracking shot at a time. That’s the category Aaron Cockerill falls into. Cockerill spent the 2016 season on the Mackenzie (Canadian) Tour and gave this reaction after completing the First Stage.

If you ever want to get your heart rate up and feel some nerves .. just pay a bunch of money and go play four rounds of golf .. ???????? #qschool — Aaron Cockerill (@A_Cockerill) October 7, 2016

Cockerill earned a T9 finish at Stage One and a spot in the Second Stage, where he found even more success with a T4 finish.

Not every up-and-comer has the fairytale Q-School experience that Cockerill is having. Tyler Gann, another hopeful in search of his Web.com Tour card, almost let nerves cost him the opportunity to land his dream job. He carded a triple-bogey on the 71 st  hole of the 72-hole First Stage, but back-to-back rounds in the 60s in the second and third rounds kept him one shot clear of heartbreak.

Man, what a week. A stressful ending, but the result I wanted. On to 2nd stage! #SurviveAndAdvance — Tyler Gann (@Tyler_Gann) October 14, 2016

Stage Two wasn’t quite as forgiving for Gann, whose score of 2-under par for the tournament was nine strokes too many to qualify for the Finals.

Anybody ranked in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings but for some reason is searching for Tour status will join about 80-100 others who are exempt into the Final Stage after the $3,500 entry fee. Regardless of what road they took to get there, those who reach the Q-School Final Stage in Winter Garden, Fla., December 8-11 can breathe a sigh of relief.

The roughly 144 players who reach the Final Stage will assure themselves at least some status on the Web.com Tour in 2017. The number of tournaments they get access to, and some prize money, is the cherry on top they’re competing for. The Final Stage winner gains full exemption on the Web.com Tour in 2017 and $50,000 in prize money. Those finishing in the top-45 also earn some cash and full Web.com Tour exemptions, but are subject to periodic re-order at some point during the season depending on their Final Stage finish. Players finishing below 45 th  gain conditional status for the following season, sharing tournament spots with those who finished No. 76-100 on the Web.com Tour Regular Season Final Official Money list, and the No. 2-5 finishers from the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, MacKenzie Tour and PGA Tour China Final Official Money Lists.

After nearly four months, the job interview that is Q-School finally comes to an end. The pressure, however, does not. Those who earn Web.com Tour status will undoubtedly chase the ultimate goal of securing one of the 50 PGA Tour cards awarded to Web.com Tour players annually. Those who fall short of that will find themselves battling to simply retain their status on the Web.com Tour. The rest will take a U-turn right back to Q-School

Below is the list of players who will compete in the final stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament Dec. 8-11 at Orange County National’s Crooked Cat and Panther Lake Courses in Winter Garden, Fla. 

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Nick Heidelberger writes about all things related to golf, from the world's best players to the weekend warriors, although he can only relate to the latter. When he's not writing or golfing, Nick co-hosts the @AtTheTurnPod, hikes with his dogs and roots for his wife's soccer team. Twitter: @njheidelberger

10 Comments

Dill Pickleson

Dec 12, 2016 at 1:36 am

Sorry my friend didn’t make it although is top 10 on the pga tour in my (very large) country. The level of play is extremely high and I feel for those that make it all the way to the finals and miss out…..

GtownHotBrown

Dec 8, 2016 at 11:56 am

Got some boys competing this week. Good luck fellas. Bring it back to Kentucky!

Dec 6, 2016 at 6:11 pm

Great article but the entry fee information is not correct regarding Stage Two and the Final Stage. Once you have paid the full amount for Pre Qualifying ( if necessary ) and First Stage you do not pay anything else if you advance. The fee structure is broken down like that on the application for those who are exempt to the different stages. For example if you are exempt into the second stage you only pay $4,000 or if you are exempt directly to the final stage by position on the money list or World Ranking, you only pay $3500. How much you pay is also determined by how soon you pay before the deadline with $6,000 being the maximum. Hope this helps.

Nick Heidelberger

Dec 6, 2016 at 6:38 pm

Indeed! I misinterpreted the fee structure. The story has been updated to clarify the costs. Thank you!

Dec 6, 2016 at 8:38 am

A couple of names I recognise from Feinstein’s ‘Tales from Q School’ of a few years back. There are some very accomplished golfers on that list – just goes to show how high the standard is. These guys are indeed good.

Dec 6, 2016 at 3:08 am

“…….whose score of 2-under par for the tournament was nine strokes too many to qualify for the Finals”

OK then! Yep, there’s levels to everything. These guys are just too good! Back to this 9-5 job I guess.

Dec 5, 2016 at 7:19 pm

Step by Step guide to advance at Q School 1. Shoot low scores

Think I’ve figured out the secret

Dec 5, 2016 at 4:32 pm

so you have to have deep pockets or an angel investor to make it in golf…..

Dec 5, 2016 at 11:50 am

I’ve played in Q School a few times and did well in the majority of them (got to 2nd stage a couple years ago), and can tell you from personal experience how ridiculous the entry fees are– even more so since the PGA Tour cut ties with Q School, and now that it’s qualifying only for the Web.com Tour. The PGA Tour wants to keep old, fading veterans around on Tour (who got there from Q School in the first place) and prevent young, exciting up-and-comers from succeeding. Personally, I don’t think that’s the way to grow the game.

Johnnylongballz

Dec 5, 2016 at 6:30 am

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Vincenzi’s 2024 pga championship betting preview: rising star ready to join the immortals at valhalla.

The second major of the 2024 season is upon us as the world’s best players will tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for the Wanamaker Trophy.

The last time we saw Valhalla host a major championship, Rory McIlroy fended off Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and the creeping darkness that was descending upon the golf course. The Northern Irishman had the golf world in the palm of his hand, joining only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as players who’d won four major championships by the time they were 25 years old. 

Valhalla is named after the great hall described in Norse mythology where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The course is a Jack Nicklaus-design that has ranked among Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for three decades. 

Valhalla Golf Club is a par-71 measuring 7,542 yards with Zoysia fairways and Bentgrass greens. The course has rolling hills and dangerous streams scattered throughout and the signature 13th hole is picturesque with limestone and unique bunkering protecting the green. The 2024 PGA Championship will mark the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event. 

The field this week will consist of 156 players, including 16 PGA Champions and 33 Major Champions. 

Past Winners of the PGA Championship

• 2023: Brooks Koepka (-9) Oak Hill
• 2022: Justin Thomas (-5) Southern Hills
• 2021: Phil Mickelson (-6) Kiawah Island
• 2020: Collin Morikawa (-13) TPC Harding Park
• 2019: Brooks Koepka (-8) Bethpage Black
• 2018: Brooks Koepka (-16) Bellerive
• 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) Quail Hollow
• 2016: Jimmy Walker (-14) Baltusrol
• 2015: Jason Day (-20) Whistling Straits
• 2014: Rory McIlroy (-16) Valhalla

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).

Key Stats For Valhalla

Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Oak Hill to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Valhalla will play as a true all-around test of golf for the world’s best. Of course, it will take strong approach play to win a major championship.

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

• Shane Lowry  (+1.25)
• Scottie Scheffler  (+1.09)
• Jordan Smith  (+1.05)
• Tom Hoge  (+.96)
• Corey Conners  (+.94)

2. Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Valhalla will play long and the rough will be penal. Players who are incredibly short off the tee and/or have a hard time hitting fairways will be all but eliminated from contention this week at the PGA Championship. 

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds:

• Bryson DeChambeau  (+1.47)
• Scottie Scheffler (+1.11)
• Keith Mitchell  (+.90)
• Alejandro Tosti  (+.89)
• Ludvig Aberg  (+.82)

Strokes Gained: Total on Nickalus Designs

Valhalla is a classic Nicklaus Design. Players who play well at Nicklaus designs should have an advantage coming into this major championship. 

Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus Designs over past 36 rounds:

• Jon Rahm  (+2.56)
• Scottie Scheffler  (+2.48)
• Patrick Cantlay  (+2.35)
• Collin Morikawa  (+1.79)
• Shane Lowry  (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green on Very Long Courses

Valhalla is going to play extremely long this week. Players who have had success playing very long golf courses should be better equipped to handle the conditions of this major championship.

Strokes Gained: Total on Very Long Courses Over Past 24 Rounds: 

• Scottie Scheffler  (+2.44)
• Rory McIlroy  (+2.24)
• Will Zalatoris  (+1.78)
• Viktor Hovland  (+1.69)
• Xander Schauffele  (+1.60)

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships

One factor that tends to play a large role in deciding major championships is which players have played well in previous majors leading up to the event. 

Strokes Gained: Total in Major Championships over past 20 rounds:

• Scottie Scheffler  (+3.14)
• Will Zalatoris  (+2.64)
• Rory McIlroy  (+2.49)
• Xander Schauffele  (+2.48)
• Tommy Fleetwood (2.09)

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens

Valhalla features pure Bentgrass putting surfaces. Players who are comfortable putting on this surface will have an advantage on the greens. 

Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass Greens over Past 24 Rounds:

• Ludvig Aberg  (+1.12)
• Denny McCarthy  (+1.08)
• Matt Fitzpatrick  (+0.99)
• Justin Rose  (+0.93)
• J.T. Poston (0.87)

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways

Valhalla features Zoysia fairways. Players who are comfortable playing on this surface will have an advantage on the field.

Strokes Gained: Total on Zoysia Fairways over past 36 rounds: 

• Justin Thomas  (+1.53)
• Will Zalatoris  (+1.47)
• Xander Schauffele  (+1.40)
• Brooks Koepka  (+1.35)
• Rory McIlroy (+1.23)

2024 PGA Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (25%), SG: Off the Tee (22%), SG: T2G on Very Long Courses (12%), SG: Putting on Bentgrass (+12%), SG: Total on Nicklaus Designs (12%). SG: Total on Zoysia Fairways (8%), and SG: Total in Major Championships (8%). 

• Brooks Koepka
• Xander Schauffele
• Rory McIlroy
• Scottie Scheffler
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Shane Lowry
• Will Zalatoris
• Cameron Young
• Keith Mitchell
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Billy Horschel
• Patrick Cantlay
• Viktor Hovland
• Adam Schenk
• Sahith Theegala
• Min Woo Lee
• Joaquin Niemann
• Justin Thomas

2024 PGA Championship Picks

Ludvig aberg +1800 ( betmgm ).

At The Masters, Ludvig Aberg announced to the golf world that he’s no longer an “up and coming” player. He’s one of the best players in the game of golf, regardless of experience.

Augusta National gave Aberg some necessary scar tissue and showed him what being in contention at a major championship felt like down the stretch. Unsurprisingly, he made a costly mistake, hitting it in the water left of the 11th hole, but showed his resilience by immediately bouncing back. He went on to birdie two of his next three holes and finished in solo second by three shots. With the type of demeanor that remains cool in pressure situations, I believe Ludvig has the right mental game to win a major at this point in his career.

Aberg has not finished outside of the top-25 in his past eight starts, which includes two runner-up finishes at both a “Signature Event” and a major championship. The 24-year-old is absolutely dominant with his driver, which will give him a major advantage this week. In the field he ranks, in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, and has gained strokes in the category in each of his past ten starts. Aberg is already one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the planet.

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the great hall where the souls of Vikings feasted and celebrated with the Gods. The Swedes, who are of Old Norse origin, were the last of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms to abandon the Old Norse Gods. A Swede played a major role in the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, and I believe another, Ludvig Aberg, will be the one to conquer Valhalla in 2024. 

Bryson DeChambeau +2800 ( BetMGM )

Bryson DeChambeau is one of the few players in the world that I believe has the game to go blow-for-blow with Scottie Scheffler. Although he isn’t as consistent as Scheffler, when he’s at his best, Bryson has the talent to beat him.

At The Masters, DeChambeau put forth a valiant effort at a golf course that simply does not suit his game. Valhalla, on the other hand, is a course that should be perfect for the 30-year-old. His ability to overpower a golf course with his driver will be a serious weapon this week.

Bryson has had some success at Jack Nicklaus designs throughout his career as he won the Memorial at Muirfield Village back in 2018. He’s also had incredible results on Bentgrass greens for the entirety of his professional career. Of his 10 wins, nine of them have come on Bentgrass greens, with the only exception being the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He also has second place finishes at Medinah and TPC Summerlin, which feature Bentgrass greens.

Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to argue that Bryson isn’t one of the most exciting and important players in the game of golf. He’s also one of the best players in the world. A second major is coming soon for DeChambeau, and I believe he should be amongst the favorites to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy this week.

Patrick Cantlay +4000 ( FanDuel )

There’s no way of getting around it: Patrick Cantlay has been dissapointing in major championships throughout his professional career. He’s been one of the top players on Tour for a handful of years and has yet to truly contend at a major championship, with the arguable exception of the 2019 Masters.

Despite not winning majors, Cantlay has won some big events. The 32-year-old has won two BMW Championships, two Memorial Tournaments as well as a Tour Championship. His victories at Memorial indicate how much Cantlay loves Nicklaus designs, where he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 36 rounds behind only Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm.

Cantlay also loves Bentgrass greens. Six of Cantlay’s seven individual wins on the PGA Tour have come on Bentgrass greens and he also was one of the best putters at the 2023 Ryder cup at Marco Simone (also Bentgrass). At Caves Valley (2021 BMW Championship), he gained over 12 strokes putting to outduel another Bentgrass specialist, Bryson DeChambeau.

Cantlay finished 22nd in The Masters, which was a solid result considering how many elite players struggled that week. He also has two top-ten finishes in his past five PGA Championships. He’s undeniably one of the best players in the field, therefore, it comes down to believing Cantlay has the mental fortitude to win a major, which I do.

Joaquin Niemann +4000 ( BetMGM )

I believe Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world. He has three worldwide wins since December and has continued to improve over the course of his impressive career thus far. Still only 25, the Chilean has all the tools to be a serious contender in major championships for years to come.

Niemann has been the best player on LIV this season. Plenty will argue with the format or source of the money on LIV, but no one can argue that beating players such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith is an unremarkable achievement. Niemann is an elite driver of the golf ball who hits it farther than just about anyone in the field not named Bryson DeChambeau or (arguably) Rory McIlroy.

Niemann is another player who has been fantastic throughout his career on Bentgrass greens. Prior to leaving the PGA Tour, Bentgrass was the only green surface in which Joaco was a positive putter. It’s clearly a surface that he is very comfortable putting on and should fare around and on the greens this week.

Niemann is a perfect fit for Valhalla. His low and penetrating ball flight will get him plenty of runout this week on the fairways and he should have shorter shots into the green complexes than his competitors. To this point in his career, the former top ranked amateur in the world (2018) has been underwhelming in major championships, but I don’t believe that will last much longer. Joaquin Niemann is a major championship caliber player and has a real chance to contend this week at Valhalla.

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 2

In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here .

At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.

It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.

And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.

I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.

But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.

If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.

To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.

There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.

Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.

The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.

First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.

And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”

So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.

More from the Wedge Guy

• The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1
• The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
• The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game

Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title

The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.

After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year. 

Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.

Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.

The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child. 

Past Winners at Quail Hollow

• 2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
• 2022: Max Homa (-8)
• 2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
• 2019: Max Homa (-15)
• 2018: Jason Day (-12)
• 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
• 2016: James Hahn (-9)
• 2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)

Key Stats For Quail Hollow

Strokes gained: approach.

Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult. 

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

• Akshay Bhatia  (+1.16)
• Tom Hoge  (+1.12)
• Corey Conners  (+1.01)
• Shane Lowry  (+0.93)
• Austin Eckroat  (+0.82)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:

• Ludvig Aberg  (+0.73)
• Rory McIlroy  (+0.69)
• Xander Schauffele  (+0.62)
• Viktor Hovland  (+0.58)
• Chris Kirk  (+0.52)

Proximity: 175-200

The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard. 

Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:

• Cameron Young  (28’2″)
• Akshay Bhatia  (29’6″)
• Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
• Sam Burns  (+30’6″)
• Collin Morikawa  (+30’9″)

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs

Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week. 

SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:

• Patrick Cantlay  (+2.10)
• Rory McIlroy  (+1.95)
• Tommy Fleetwood  (+1.68)
• Austin Eckroat  (+1.60)
• Will Zalatoris  (+1.57)

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)

Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:

• Taylor Moore  (+0.82)
• Nick Dunlap  (+.76)
• Wyndham Clark  (+.69)
• Emiliano Grillo  (+.64)
• Cam Davis  (+.61)

Course History

This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow. 

Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):

• Rory McIlroy  (+2.50)
• Justin Thomas  (+1.96)
• Jason Day  (+1.92)
• Rickie Fowler  (+1.83)
• Viktor Hovland  (+1.78)

Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).

• Wyndham Clark
• Viktor Hovland 
• Austin Eckroat 
• Byeong Hun An

2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks

Tommy Fleetwood +2500 ( DraftKings )

I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.

Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.

Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.

For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.

I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.

Justin Thomas +3000 ( DraftKings )

It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024. 

Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.

The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.

Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.

Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week. 

Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings )

For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.

Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.

The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.

Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)

Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.

Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.

An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.

Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.

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News | QUALIFYING SCHOOL PGA`S TOUGHEST TEST

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In some ways, it`s like any local club pro championship or two-day minitour event-but only on the outside. If there were some way of seeing what the players are feeling, the annual PGA Tour qualifying school would look like the last day of the U.S. Open, the last mile of the Ironman Triathlon and the last reel of ”Halloween III” rolled into one.

Last year, more than 800 golfers shelled out as much as $1,837.50 each in hopes of playing their way onto the PGA Tour. Some endured 14 rounds spread over three qualifying tournaments; most were knocked out before the final stage, a six-round endurance test held Dec. 2-7 on two courses in Palm Coast, Fla.

The winners, 54 of them, will play for six-figure first prizes this year on some of America`s finest courses. The losers must beg for sponsor`s exemptions, forage in low-budget domestic tournaments, travel overseas, look for club pro openings or get into another line of work.

That`s why the qualifying school-even without the money, crowds and nationwide exposure-might be the most high-pressure series of tournaments in golf.

”In a normal tournament, you`re nervous on the first hole,” second-year pro Andy Dillard said between rounds in Palm Coast. ”Here, you`re nervous on every shot of every hole of every round. It`s like everybody who wanted to be a CPA has to take a test, and if you don`t finish in the top 50, you can`t be a CPA for a year.”

With a few notable exceptions (Greg Norman comes to mind), every pro who has joined the tour since 1965 has run the qualifying school gamut at least once in his career. Many high-powered pros, such as Curtis Strange, Paul Azinger, Bob Tway, Larry Mize and Scott Simpson, have gotten hammered at least once. Keith Clearwater failed four times in qualifying school, then won two tournaments and a rookie-record $320,007 last year. Mac O`Grady, who tried 17 times before making it on tour, has won $765,261 over the last three years.

The 1987 school, like most, was simply a long series of heartbreaks. Marty Schiene had his clubs stolen after the fourth round in Palm Coast, scrounged up a mix-and-match set and shot 81 the next day. John Fought, a former tour Rookie of the Year, was disqualified after the first round of the finals for signing an incorrect scorecard. Rex Caldwell, another tour veteran, was knocked out of a second-stage qualifier after making a 12 on a par-4 hole. ”Each shot is life or death,” said Mike Bender, who has gone through the qualifying school nine times. ”You can hit one in the trees and make triple bogey at any time.”

”You want to have the attitude that it`s just another golf tournament,” said Dany Briggs. ”But man, it`s your life.”

Briggs, who earned his tour card in December on his third try, can earn an exemption from qualifying for one year if he places among the top 125 on the tour money list this season; for two years if he wins a tour event; for five years if he becomes leading money-winner; or for 10 years by winning the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Tournament Players Championship or the World Series of Golf. If he finishes between 126th and 150th on the money list, he will be eligible for tournaments that need to fill out their fields, generally the small-money events.

Golfers in that last category can expect to play maybe 20 tournaments a year. Frank Conner, 150th on the 1987 money list, came to Palm Coast with the idea of ”just trying to improve my position.” It was his first qualifying school since 1974. Other veterans on hand included past tournament winners Dave Eichelberger, Barry Jaeckel, Bobby Cole and Leonard Thompson.

Eichelberger recalled that when he first qualified, in 1966, the school, then in its second year, consisted of one eight-round tournament. The field had only 99 players. ”That was everybody across the nation who wanted to play,” Eichelberger said. ”There were a lot of guys shooting 80s.”

The format has changed dramatically since then, and so has the entry fee. Gary Hardin, a club pro from suburban Philadelphia, said he paid $300 to enter a 1976 qualifying school in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Last year, he was fortunate enough to have a sponsor who put down the necessary $1,750, plus tax. ”It`s a joke,” Hardin said. ”It`s not something you take lightly.”

If the cost is high, so are the potential rewards. Tour purses will total close to $40 million this year, a tenfold increase since Eichelberger`s rookie season. The chasm between the haves and the have-nots gets wider every year.

But tour school is more than just a financial roadblock. ”It has nothing to do with money,” Mike Bender said. ”It has everything to do with dreams and goals.”

– – –

Joel Edwards knows about dreams. ”I`ve got a fire burning inside me,”

Edwards said, managing a weak smile. ”This is just the good Lord`s way of telling me, `You`re not ready yet, boy.` It`s just part of the plan.”

Edwards, 25, had just completed his fifth qualifying school odyssey, and for the fifth time he had failed to earn his tour card. A final-round 76 at The Woodlands in Texas had cost him a trip to Florida for the final stage. Standing in the pro shop next to his wife, Rhonda, Edwards spoke of a newly signed contract with his sponsors and a forthcoming trip overseas. He did his best to sound optimistic. ”I`m not a quitter,” he proclaimed.

Two weeks later, Edwards let his guard down.

”Mentally, the last two or three weeks have been a real strain,” he said. ”I`ve been kind of a different person. It`s not all been positive; it`s been 99 percent negative. I`m just starting to come out of it now.”

As for that conversation at The Woodlands, ”A lot of it was a front, to be honest with you.”

Edwards was still reeling from a recent visit to Herb Farrill, his former coach at North Texas State. Farrill noticed that Edwards was moving his head three or four inches on each swing, an old glitch that returned at the worst possible time.

Those inches added up to about 13,000 miles, the approximate distance between Edwards` home in Ft. Worth and Johannesburg, South Africa. The Edwardses have already left for the South African tour, where friends say the accommodations are nice and living expenses reasonable. A victory in any of 10 tournaments would mean an exemption for the European PGA Tour.

What matters most, however, is that Edwards will be playing. He spent 1986 and much of `87 as an assistant pro at Bear Creek Golf and Racquet Club, making good money through lessons but rarely seeing good competition. Then, he qualified for the U.S. Open at San Francisco`s Olympic Club. On the Tuesday of Open week, Edwards was on the practice green when David Frost, a tour player based in Dallas, told him to hustle over to the first tee. Waiting for him there were two other tour members, Mark Wiebe and David Graham. ”Of course, my heart was pounding,” Edwards said.

Edwards didn`t play well that day, or for the remainder of that week. But near the end of the round, Graham walked over to Edwards on the 18th green and told him: ”You know, you can play this game. You just need to play. Wherever you`ve got to go, whatever you`ve got to do, just play.”

Tears welled up in Edwards` eyes. He resigned from Bear Creek two weeks later, then logged 10,000 miles over the next three months flying and driving to tournaments as far away as North Dakota.

Later, Edwards picked up a book by Graham and read of a 1965 exhibition match in Australia. Eric Cremin, the 1949 Australian Open champion, played with young Graham that day and told him afterward, ”I think you could be a pretty good player.” Wrote Graham: ”He was the first person of that stature who had ever said that to me.”

Edwards understood.

Kids across the country line up 10-foot putts every day and say to themselves, ”This is for The Masters,” or, ”This is for the U.S. Open.”

Putting to win a major championship is the golfer`s ultimate dream.

But the ultimate in pressure?

”If you think of pressure,” Mike Bender said, ”think of a guy who`s putting to make par on the last hole to play on the PGA Tour. That`s tougher than putting to win a tournament, I don`t care if you`re playing for a million dollars.”

Bender, 31, tried and failed to gain his card seven times before tying for 27th at the 1986 school. Twice, he was stopped in the finals; five times, he missed qualifying for the big tournament by one or two shots. ”Some people would say I couldn`t get over that hurdle,” said Bender, who took part in his ninth qualifying school last year. ”But I just said, `Look how close I am.`

You have to be better mentally and physically-mostly mentally.”

His mind couldn`t take much more. Bender had played in Asia in 1981, and moved to Orlando and played mini-tour golf on and off for five years. ”I set a limit,” he said. ”If I didn`t make it last year, I would have felt I`d tried enough times. The hardest part is getting out there.”

Bender struggled as a tour rookie, making only $26,464 in 31 starts and finishing 181st on the money list. ”I thought it was going to be easier than it was,” he said. He compared himself to a basketball team that always seems to lose by one point: ”It`s the coaching. In golf, it`s course management and mental ability.”

In his ninth school, Bender found himself in another nip-and-tuck battle. He missed a six-foot birdie putt eight holes from the finish in Palm Coast, leaving him two over par for the day, five over for the tournament, with

”easily the hardest stretch of holes on the golf course” yet to come.

Bender was up to the challenge. He parred his way through that four-hole stretch, birdied No. 16 after hitting what he called ”the best 5-iron of my life” to two feet, birdied No. 17 with a three-foot putt and closed with a par for a satisfying 72. If Bender wins three tournaments this year, he will not play seven more important holes.

”I can`t explain it,” Bender said. ”You`re just trying to play one shot at a time, but all sorts of thoughts enter your mind. I have strong faith in the Lord, so I just prayed and kept the faith.

”Now the easy part begins.”

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The First Look: PGA TOUR cards, status on line at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry

The First Look

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This is it.

For 168 golfers heading to Northeast Florida to try to earn PGA TOUR cards at Q-School – for the first time since 2012 – just the final four rounds of Q-School presented by Korn Ferry are left on the calendar.

The field varies wildly from past PGA TOUR winners to young superstars-in-waiting keen to make their presence felt amongst the best in the world.

While the holiday season is right around the corner, it’s pressure season right now.

Here’s everything you need to know about Q-School’s Final Stage, happening Dec. 14-17.

FIELD NOTABLES: Wesley Bryan heads to Final Stage after sneaking into the field after his finish at The RSM Classic. Bryan, who made the cut at the Bermuda Championship alongside his brother George (in his PGA TOUR debut), was the last player to win three times on the Korn Ferry Tour. That status is technically on the line this week, too… There are a handful of recent PGA TOUR winners who find themselves at Final Stage including Brice Garnett, Austin Cook, Richy Werenski, Adam Long and Patton Kizzire. Kizzire emotionally opened up at The RSM Classic after finishing 129th in the FedExCup Fall standings… Three of the top five from the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking are in action including Ross Steelman, Fred Biondi and Sam Bennett – who earned Low Amateur honors at the Masters… Each of the top five from the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica (Totalplay Cup) and PGA TOUR Canada (Fortinet Cup) standings are set to tee it up. With a heavy heart, Hayden Springer – who finished No. 1 on PGA TOUR Canada’s season-long race in 2023 – is back in action after the death of his 3-year-old daughter, Sage, on Nov. 13… There’s plenty of international flare, as three of the top five from the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Australasia Order of Merit (David Michelizzi, Thomas Horan and John Lyras) along with Keita Nakajima (No. 1 on Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit) and Jeongwoo Ham (No. 1 on Korea Professional Golfers’ Association Points List), are looking to make a splash on TOUR.

Besides the various exemption categories, the balance of the field was made up of those who qualified out of Second Stage. Here are the medalists from each of the sites.

STORYLINES:

A long journey home

Seventy-nine players advanced to Final Stage via Second Stage, while the remainder of the field earned direct access to Final Stage through various exemption categories. Of the 521 players who started at Pre-Qualifying (there were eight sites), only two made it to Final Stage – Caleb Hicks, a 2023 graduate of the University of Texas Arlington, and 39-year-old journeyman Wes Homan.

What they’re playing for

PGA TOUR cards are up for grabs at Q-School for the first time in a decade. Here’s what the field will be playing for at Final Stage.

• Top five finishers (and ties) will earn PGA TOUR cards

• The next 40 finishers (and ties) will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season

• The first 25 finishers and ties are subject to the third reshuffle (12 guaranteed starts) and any remaining finishers within the category are subject to the second reshuffle (eight guaranteed starts)

• The next 20 finishers (and ties) at Final Stage will earn exempt status for the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season, while also earning conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership

• All remaining finishers at Final Stage will have conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership and conditional PGA TOUR Americas membership for the 2024 season

Final Stage medalist(s) will join heady company. Major champions Mike Weir (1998), Paul Azinger (1984), Fuzzy Zoeller (1974) and Ben Crenshaw (1973) were all past field-toppers.

How it works

The 168-player field will play two rounds at Dye’s Valley and two rounds at Sawgrass Country Club. Golfers will play in the same groups for the first two rounds before being re-paired for the third (and fourth) rounds.

The top half of the field will play the third round at Sawgrass Country Club and the fourth at Dye’s Valley, while the bottom half will play the opposite layouts.

There is no cut.

COURSES: TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley), par 70, 6,850 yards. Sawgrass Country Club (East/West Courses), par 70, 7,054 yards.

Sawgrass Country Club hosted THE PLAYERS Championship on its East/West Course from 1977-1981.

Dye’s Valley – designed by Pete Dye, Bobby Weed and player consultant Jerry Pate (who won THE PLAYERS in 1982), it opened in 1987 and has been a multi-time event host of the Korn Ferry Tour. Expect plenty of water and plenty of Pete Dye’s trademarks to challenge the game’s best in the Final Stage pressure cooker.

LAST TIME: Bo Hoag topped overnight leader Chan Kim by one shot to earn fully exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour as medalist at Final Stage in 2022. Hoag birdied each of his first five holes in his final round a year ago and shot a 6-under 30 for his opening nine holes. Chris Gotterup also got out of the gates quickly in 2022, birdied five of his first six holes in the final round. He couldn’t push Hoag any further on the back nine, however, and a double bogey on the par-5 15th was his eventual undoing in terms of trying to win medalist. Still, he earned guaranteed starts in the first 12 events via his top-10 finish. Gotterup finished tied for third with Chase Seiffert. Thomas Rosenmueller of Germany rounded out the top five.

HOW TO WATCH: Saturday: 12:30-4:30 p.m. ET (Peacock), 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday: 12:30-4:30 p.m. ET (Peacock), 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)

1972 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates

This is a list of the 1972 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates .

Tournament summary

List of graduates.

The event was held at Silverado Country Club , South course, in Napa, California in late October/early November. [1] After three 72-hole regional qualifiers, there were 81 players in the 108-hole final qualifying tournament. [2] [3]

Larry Stubblefield and John Adams tied for the lead and Stubblefield won a sudden-death playoff for the top position. [4] A total of 25 players earned their tour card. [2] Joe Inman , who recently graduated from Wake Forest University , participated in his first Q-school. However, he did not successfully graduate onto the PGA Tour . [5]

Sources: [4] [6]

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• 1 2 "Past champions: PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament" . PGA Tour. December 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
• ↑ Gordon, Frank (October 28, 1972). "Frankly Speaking – The PGA Qualifying School" . The Napa Register . California. p.   2C – via newspapers.com.
• 1 2 "Stubblefield PGA Medalist" . Los Angeles Times . California. Associated Press. November 5, 1972. p.   D15 – via newspapers.com.
• ↑ Lee, Joe (February 9, 1975). " 'Reflections of a Rookie' Is Recommended" . Asbury Park Sunday Press . New Jersey. p.   C9 . Retrieved July 4, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
• ↑ Gould, David (1999). Q-School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament . New York: St. Martin's Press. p.   250. ISBN   978-0312203559 .