Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
SITE
SEARCH
GOLF RESOURCE GUIDE:
News
|
||||
|
Click here for a recap of the most current action from the final stage of Q-School. Dr. Michael Lardon, a sports psychiatrist based out of San Diego, works with an array of golfers – including those who have won major championships. While he acknowledges the pressure associated with any of the PGA Tour’s Big Four is immense, such pressure pales in comparison to what’s found during the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School. “The swing is so big: You could either get a Tour card or end up working on the driving range,” says Lardon, who caddied for his brother Brad during the 1991 final stage. The six-round, 108-hole tournament begins Wednesday, Dec. 3 and runs through Monday, Dec. 8. A field of 163 players will alternate between the Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament courses at PGA West in La Quinta, with the top 25 and ties earning 2009 PGA Tour cards. Here are 18 players with ties to Southern California teeing it up at the final stage: Alex Aragon. The Torrey Pines High School graduate and Stanford alum tied for 18th at the final stage in 2005, then proceeded to miss the cut in 13 of 19 PGA Tour events in 2006. The 29-year-old was the San Diego Junior Golf Player of the Year in 1996. David Berganio Jr. A bulging disk began bothering Berganio in 2003, and he’s been playing off a major medical extension since then. The 39-year-old Los Angeles native has seen desert success before — he lost in a playoff to Phil Mickelson at the 2002 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Olin Browne. A three-time PGA Tour winner, Browne missed the cut in 16 of 27 events in 2008 but made headlines by assisting Captain Paul Azinger during a rousing U.S. victory at the Ryder Cup. Browne attended Occidental College in Los Angeles. Jay Delsing. The UCLA graduate has spent over 25 years as a tour professional. Delsing will be looking to continue the solid form he displayed during the second stage of qualifying, when he shot four consecutive rounds under par. Todd Demsey. Demsey, who has battled back problems and a brain tumor over the last decade was one of the feel-good stories of the final stage last season — the Torrey Pines High graduate shot a 64 on the last day to qualify for the PGA Tour. Now, he’s hoping for similar magic after struggling in ’08. Jason Gore. The luster of Gore’s dream 2005 campaign has officially worn off, as the Valencia resident now must head back to Q-school to retain full-time PGA Tour playing privileges. Gore showed flashes of brilliance in ’08 with three top-10 finishes, but he didn’t show much consistency. Jeff Gove. The Pepperdine graduate and San Diego County resident ranked near the top of the PGA Tour in ballstriking (eighth) for 2008, but he must improve on his putting (195th) if he wants to succeed at PGA West. Seung-Su Han. One of the most intriguing players in this year’s field, Han made the final stage as an amateur last year and decided to forego his last semester of collegiate eligibility at UNLV by turning pro this time around. He is based out of Irvine. Jeff Hart. The Pomona native and USC graduate has made it through qualifying school four times. Hart will turn 49 in 2009, so this might be his last attempt before the Champions Tour comes calling. Troy Kelly. The La Quinta resident has played the Nationwide, Gateway and Canadian Tours. A late eagle during the second stage at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont propelled Kelly into the final stage. Bob May. May turned 40 this past October, and a PGA Tour card would be quite the present. He will forever be known as the man who lost in a playoff to Tiger Woods at the 2000 PGA Championship, though he displayed solid form on the Nationwide Tour this year, finishing 39th on the money list. James Oh. A Los Angeles native, Oh seemed poised for greatness when he won the Nationwide Tour’s Mark Christopher Charity Classic at Empire Lakes as a 21-year-old in 2003. But it’s been a rocky road since then, with no other top-10 finishes since then. Ted Oh. Oh made a splash when he qualified for the 1993 U.S. Open at Baltusrol as a 16-year-old. The Torrance resident has spent most of his time on the European Tour this decade, but he came back to the United States this year and won the Long Beach Open. Chris Riley. One of many former PGA Tour winners in the field, the San Diego native is still searching for the consistent form that earned him a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2004. Riley remains a top putter, so if he plays well from tee to green he could definitely find himself among the top 25. Brian Smock. Smock is a journeyman pro hoping to play in his first official PGA Tour event. The Coronado resident averaged nearly 300 yards per drive on the Nationwide Tour this season. Kevin Stadler. The former USC standout struggled during 2008, never making more than three cuts in a row and notching just one top-five finish. Anything less than a 2009 PGA Tour card will be a disappointment for the son of The Walrus. Roger Tambellini. Another ex-USC golfer, Tambellini finished less than $25,000 shy of a 2009 PGA Tour card with his 31st-place finish on the ’08 Nationwide Tour money list. He made it through the final stage in 2003. Chris Tidland. Tidland appeared on his way to securing full-time PGA Tour status when he won the Nationwide Tour’s Albertsons Boise Open in September. But three missed cuts in his next four events and a tie for 42nd at the Tour Championship left the Torrance native 28th on the money list – and in his ninth consecutive final stage, the longest attendance streak among active players. |
||||
RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
I'm impressed! You've managed the almost iompsbsile.
| Comment at 7/6/2011 |
BION I'm ipmerssed! Cool post!
| Comment at 7/8/2011 |
Super inofamrtive writing; keep it up.
| Comment at 7/9/2011 |
pBXPTR , [url=http://pjdbmhpvklva.com/]pjdbmhpvklva[/url], [link=http://pqbsfbgaqgfa.com/]pqbsfbgaqgfa[/link], http://jkejtbisjliv.com/
| Comment at 7/10/2011 |
j0nFm1 , [url=http://kvfoxbscryha.com/]kvfoxbscryha[/url], [link=http://nbrytppdhbiu.com/]nbrytppdhbiu[/link], http://stughcgupzgg.com/
| Comment at 7/11/2011 |
