PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage

I enjoyed my relaxing week in Lakeland and enjoyed my practice, as it was nice to be in shorts and in a cart. I prefer to play more than just hitting balls to get my game prepared and I played a couple of tough games through the week with the guys from Lone Palm CC. I even had my caddie Davey as a better ball partner against my friends Randy and Austin on Thanksgiving morning.

We changed our plans and decided to go to Orange County National a day earlier so that I could practice on Sunday and Monday and have Tuesday fairly relaxed as with six days of pressured golf to follow, I thought eight days in the sun would be too much. On Tuesday I also had some interviews, I agreed to do a week long interview with CBS for a TV special of Q-School. They were to follow five players throughout the week and each day you gave an overview of how your day had gone.

Finals were held over two courses Crooked Cat and Panther Lakes at the Orange County National resort. The format for the week consisted of each player playing 54 holes on each of the courses. You alternated between the two for the first two days and then there was a redraw and this happened again after rounds four and five so that on the final day the leaders were in the last groups of the main golf course just like a regular tournament.

There were 156 men playing for 25 PGA Tour cards and 50 PGA Nationwide cards, 1st-25th place would gain a PGA card and 26th-75th place would gain a Nationwide card, the remaining players received a conditional card for the Nationwide tour. There were a number of famous golfers playing this week that you might not expect to see such as, Bob May who lost to Tiger in 2000 US PGA playoff and Carlos Franco a four time winner on PGA tour to name a few.

I played with former US Amateur Champion Casey Wittenberg and Nationwide Tournament winner Daniel Summerhays for the first two days. We played the Crooked Cat course on the first day, the weather was hot and humid. I had birdies on the second, fourth and fourteenth and I made two good up and downs for par on he eleventh and twelth to keep things nice and solid. It was a good solid start of three under par.

Before the second round there was an hour fog delay, but as soon as the sun burned through it was hot and sticky, we played the Panther Lake course today starting on the tenth hole. I turned at two over par and made a birdie and a bogey in the first half of my second nine, but I was really pleased as I birdied my last four holes to finish my round at two under par and five under for the tournament. It shows when you are patient on the greens that sometimes you are rewarded when you hit the ball close.

For my third round I was back on Panther Lakes, my playing partners for the next two days were Kyle Reifers a young American Pro and Carlos Franco, we had another hour fog delay and the weather stayed cold and it drizzled all day on and off, it was nice to have a cooler day as the heat drains you especially when you are playing a six round tournament. I was a little disappointed as I had opportunities to push forward and shoot a low score to take the pressure off, but didn't convert my chances and finished with a two under par round.

Round four was back on the Crooked Cat course, it was the most frustrating day of the week so far, I eagled my 8th hole and birdied my tenth hole to go to three under par and had a number of more opportunities but a missed fairway and a fatted wedge on the last led to two bogeys to finish my round at one under par and leave me in a tie for 50th place, I was only two shots back from the elusive 25th place. Every shot is vital this week and I felt I had let a couple slip today.

Another fog delay started my fifth round, this confirmed that my decision to stay on site had been a good one. Instead of trying to find a seat in the clubhouse each time there was a delay I was able to have an extra half hour in bed and then walk 50 yards across the car park to the driving range. I got off to a quick start and was cruising along at five under par, until my only bad swing of the day ended up in the water hazard on the par three fifteenth, I pared my way in for a three under par round and a tie for 31st place, this left me one shot back from the magic top 25.

I was glad to get to the final round as it has been a long week, and I finally put a good round together and finish with a good score. The weather was warm again, but a strong wind arrived. I made six birdies and one bogey on the front nine, I hit the ball close to the flags. My good play continued on the back nine and I had more opportunities to go lower. I made two bogies on the par threes and picked up two more birdies to finish my round at five under par, sixteen under for the tournament and I moved comfortably into the top 25 and at the end of the day finished in a tie for 14th and the result I had come for, my PGA tour card.

I had to go to a meeting tonight to meet Tim Finchem the Commissioner of the PGA tour, and have to spend tomorrow in induction classes to familiarise myself with the tour. This will be useful, as I will get to know the rules and the workings of the tour. I fly home for Christmas on Friday and will be home on Saturday afternoon. Then it will be a busy couple of weeks organising and planning the start to the 2008 season. I will be updating the website over the next few weeks with details of my schedule, sponsors and plans. I would like to thank everyone for the messages of support I really appreciate it.