Horacio Leon leading after first round of Mackenzie Tour Q-School
Santiago, Chile’s Horacio Leon shot a 6-under 66 on Tuesday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Comox, British Columbia to take the first round lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Canada Q-School.
The 27-year old, whose older brother is two-time Mackenzie Tour winner Hugo Leon, carded six birdies and was without a bogey on the day to lead by one over Eric Onesi, Derek Barron, Chelso Barrett and Ryan Heisey after day one’s play.
“I kept it out of trouble and hit great shots all around. I was always in play and it was pretty stress-free,” said Leon, who held conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour last year and has played in 37 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
With cool, windy weather making the 7,025-yard Crown Isle layout play even longer than normal, Leon said he was pleased with how he kept the ball in play and out of the thick rough around the greens.
“I didn’t try to take on too much off the tee and just kept hitting solid shots all through the day,” said Leon.
Leon had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle to remove scar tissue a little over three months ago and Tuesday was only his third time walking 18 holes since the operation. The Chilean says the ordeal has given him a new perspective on playing the game.
“It helped me out to realize I just have to keep it easy and ‘keep the car running.’ I don’t try to overpower the course,” said Leon. “I’m just happy to be able to finish the round.”
Onesi, who earned medalist honours here at Q-School in 2015, has been a full-time member of the Mackenzie Tour the past two seasons. Heading into Q-School, Onesi felt good, and his first round score showed how relaxed he is at Crown Isle.
“I just feel comfortable here. I decided to come back here, even though I easily could have played in Florida and been closer to home,” said Onesi. “I have good vibes here and like making the journey.”
Hometown boy Riley Wheeldon, who hails from Comox B.C and grew up playing Crown Isle, is a former Mackenzie Tour winner and a member of The Five in 2013, was part of a group of four players tied for sixth at 4-under 68.
Former Golf Canada National Amateur Team member Blair Hamilton opened with a 1-over 73 and was T41.
Below is a breakdown of what exemptions are on the line this week at Crown Isle.
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -6/1st
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -5/T2
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -3/T11
40th (Conditional status): E/T33
The full leaderboard can be seen here
Sean Dale earns medallist honours, exempt status at Q-School
Jacksonville, Florida’s Sean Dale shot a 3-under 69 on Friday at PGA Golf Club’s Wannamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida, then prevailed in a playoff over Naples, Florida’s Edward Figueroa to earn medallist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA East #2 Q-School.
The 27-year old University of North Florida graduate birdied two of his final three holes and both holes of sudden death to secure the win and exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for 2017, completing a long journey back after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum last year and missing most of the season.
“Coming into this, I didn’t really have many expectations, but the game just kind of fell right back into where I was last year, and it feels great,” said Dale, who held Mackenzie Tour status last year but had to be shut down after the first two events of the season.
After opting for surgery on his shoulder, Dale went through more than seven months of rehab, gradually working his way back to where he could practice and eventually play.
“This is the first tournament back,” said Dale. “It was a lot of rehab and a lot of work to get here, so it just feels good to be back competing. I enjoyed the first two events season in Vancouver and Victoria, so I’m excited to see a little bit more of Canada this time.”
Figueroa, who led after each of the first three rounds, carded a 1-over 73 for a second straight day but earned Mackenzie Tour status for the third consecutive year.
Click here for scores.
Robby Shelton earns medallist honours at Q-School
Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton shot a 2-under 70 on Friday at Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club, then prevailed in a playoff over Lake Mary, Florida’s Jhared Hack to earn medalist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA East #1 Q-School.
The 21-year former University of Alabama star posted 15-under to match Hack’s clubhouse, then birdied the par-4 10th hole in the third hole of sudden death to secure the win and exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for 2017.
“I’m just excited to win this. It means a lot. I haven’t been playing great, but a win’s a win,” said Shelton, who will play on a sponsor exemption at the PGA TOUR’s Valero Texas Open next week, but said he’s relieved to have a guaranteed place to play this season.
“I got into Valero next week, but it’s not fun bouncing around back and forth. That’s all I’ve been waiting for, just a schedule and a place to know I can play,” said Shelton.
PLAYER NOTES:
Below are notes on the top 16 players from this week’s Q-School:
ROBBY SHELTON: 21-year old turned pro last June after a successful career at the University of Alabama, where he won seven times and won the Phil Mickelson Award as Freshman of the Year in 2014. Was named a 1st team NCAA All-American three times at Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide to a national championship in 2014. Finished T3 at the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship as an amateur in 2015.
JHARED HACK: UCF graduate owns 54 professional victories on various mini-tours. Played in 35 Web.com Tour events in 2015-16, recording three top-25s. Owns six top-10s on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
JORDAN NIEBRUGGE: Four-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State finished T6 as an amateur at the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews. Won the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links and played in the Masters in 2014.
JOEY PETRONIO: 23-year old University of North Florida grad earned three individual victories while playing for the Ospreys and was teammates with 2016 Mackenzie Tour member Taylor Hancock.
DANIEL MAZZIOTTA: Two-time winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, claiming victory at the 2014 Mundo Maya Open and 2015 Shell Championship.
GREYSON SIGG (a): Current University of Georgia Senior was named a 3rd team NCAA All-American and helped Georgia to the SEC Championship in 2016.
BRANT PEAPER: 23-year old played college golf at Indiana University, where he was named an All-Big 10 1st team member in 2013 and won twice individually. Made five cuts in 21 starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2014 and 2015.
KYLE PETERMAN: Western Illinois grad made three starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016 and qualified for the 2009 U.S. Open.
CHRIS BAKER: Austin Peay State graduate owns one pro win on the West Florida Pro Tour and will have Mackenzie Tour status for the first time.
MARK BLAKEFIELD: University of Kentucky grad made three starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2016 and will have Mackenzie Tour status for the first time.
J.C. HORNE: Played collegiate golf at the University of North Florida and has spent most of his professional career on the West Florida Golf Tour and the Florida Professional Golf Tour.
TAYLOR HANCOCK: Played collegiate golf at the University of North Florida. Was solo third through 36 holes at the 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Open and finished T12, one of 11 starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016. Finished 79th on the Order of Merit.
GRADY BRAME, JR: Southeastern Louisiana University grad won the 2014 and 2015 Louisiana State Amateur.
TADD FUJIKAWA: Was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Open in 2006 at 15 years old. Has made the cut three times at the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii, including a T20 in 2007.
LEE MCCOY: Former 1st team NCAA All-American at the University of Georgia. Finished solo fourth as an amateur at the 2016 Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR.
AUSTIN QUICK: Arizona State grad played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica the last two seasons, making nine cuts in 23 starts and finishing third at the 2016 Abierto Mexicano de Golf.
PGA TOUR to test distance measuring devices on three tours
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (March 28, 2017) – The PGA TOUR has announced that it will begin testing the use of distance measuring devices during competition at select tournaments this year on the Web.com Tour, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
Each of the three Tours will allow use of the devices by players and caddies at four consecutive tournaments, including Monday qualifiers. For these events, the PGA TOUR will temporarily enact a Local Rule in accordance with Decision 14-3/0.5 of The R&A/USGA Rules of Golf, which stipulates the device can be used to measure distance only (use of functions to measure slope, elevation or wind will not be allowed).
The Web.com Tour tournaments are: the BMW Charity Pro Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation, May 15-21 in Greenville, S.C.; the Rex Hospital Open, May 29-June 4 in Raleigh, N.C.; the Rust-Oleum Championship, June 5-11 in Ivanhoe, Ill.; and the Air Capital Classic, June 12-18 in Wichita, Kan.
PGA TOUR Latinoamérica will do its testing at the last four tournaments of the schedule’s first segment: the Essential Costa Rica Classic, April 20-23; the Quito Open, June 1-4 in Ecuador; the Puerto Plata DR Open, June 8-11 in the Dominican Republic; and the Jamaica Classic, June 15-18.
The Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada will test at: the GolfBC Championship, June 15-18 in Kelowna, British Columbia; the Players Cup, July 6 – 9 in Winnipeg, Manitoba; the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, July 13 – 16 in Thunder Bay, Ontario; and the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval, July 20 – 23 in Mirabel, Quebec.
“For years there has been significant discussion and debate about whether distance measuring devices would have a positive or negative impact on competition at the highest levels of professional golf,” said Andy Pazder, Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer of the PGA TOUR. “The only way we can accurately assess their impact is to conduct an actual test during official competition on one or more of our Tours. We look forward to seeing how these tests go and carefully evaluating the use of the devices over those weeks. Our evaluation will consider the impact on pace of play, optics and any other effects they might have on the competition.”
Once the test and comprehensive evaluation is completed, the PGA TOUR will share the results with its Player Advisory Council on all of its Tours for additional review and discussion.
Jake Knapp takes medallist honours at Q-School
THE RECAP: Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp cruised to victory on Friday at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #2 Q-School, shooting a 3-under 68 at the Country Club at Soboba Springs to earn medallist honours and exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour in 2017.
The 22-year old finished the week seven strokes ahead of Valencia, California’s Nick Delio, taking advantage of his length off the tee and an improved wedge game to conclude the week at 16-under 268.
“I had the advantage on a lot of the holes to be able to take some of the hazards out of play, so if I knew if I could drive it straight and have a lot of shots between 100-150 yards, that would give me opportunities to make birdies,” said Knapp.
After playing his way onto the Tour mid-way through last season, Knapp made two of seven cuts and said he’s looking forward to having another chance at competing in Canada this Summer.
“Overall, getting a little redemption back,” said Knapp of his goals for the season, speaking optimistically after working on tightening his wedge game in the offseason. “My game’s changed enough now where I think it’s going to fit the courses a little bit better. It’s about being able to score a little better and ideally put myself in a position to win.”
Vancouver, British Columbia’s Stuart Macdonald was the top Canadian, closing with three straight birdies for a closing 68 and a T9 finish to earn exempt status for the first four events of the season.
FINAL SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties earned Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of the cut-offs for status:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -16/1st
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -6/5th
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): E/T16*
*(Dearborn, Michigan’s Evan Bowser prevailed in 4-for-1 playoff)
40th (Conditional status): +7/T36
THEY SAID IT:
“I love Winnipeg. That’s where my family’s actually from, and I get to stay with family that week and go out to Gimli and hang out with them.” – Jake Knapp, on which city and tournament (Players Cup) he’s looking forward to most in 2017.
“I really enjoyed my time on that Tour, and it’s helped me develop my game a lot. I’m really excited to get back up there and have some guaranteed starts, especially at the start of the year.” – Jake Johnson, who closed with a 6-under 65 to finish solo fifth.
“I was thinking, ‘you can do this, just stay strong.’ I was little disappointed to be in the playoff, because I was only one shot away, but everyone could find one shot to pick up somewhere, so I said ‘it’s okay, you have a chance right here.’” – Evan Bowser on prevailing in a 4-for-1 playoff to secure exempt status for the first four events.
PLAYER NOTES:
Below are notes on the top 16 players from this week’s Q-School:
JAKE KNAPP: Former standout at UCLA, where he recorded two individual wins and qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open. Made two of seven cuts on the Mackenzie Tour last season.
NICK DELIO: 2008 California Amateur Champion won the Dakotas Tour Order of Merit in 2013.
KEVIN LUCAS: Played collegiate golf at the University of Nevada-Reno and won the Money List on the 2014 eGolf Tour.
CAMERON DAVIS: Turned pro in 2016 after a standout amateur career that included individual wins at the 2015 Australian Amateur and 2016 World Amateur. Finished T15 at the PGA TOUR’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba in 2016.
JAKE JOHNSON: Played college golf at Sacramento State and held Mackenzie Tour status each of the last two seasons, making three cuts in nine starts.
CHASE WRIGHT: Won the Indiana State Open in 2010 and record six top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour from 2014-16.
FEDERICO ZUCHETTI (a): Texas Tech Senior won the 2013 Italian International Amateur and the 2015 St. Andrews Links Trophy.
CHRIS KILLMER: Former University of Washington Husky won the Players Cup in 2012 and has earned conditional status on the Web.com Tour each of the last two years.
STUART MACDONALD (a): Member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team and recent Purdue University graduate. Finished third at the 2016 Canadian Amateur Championship.
JAMIE MARSHALL: University of Arkansas grad helped the Razorbacks to a runner-up finish at the 2009 NCAA Championship. Owns one pro win on the Adams Tour.
WYNDHAM CLARK (a): University of Oregon Senior is currently the No. 1 ranked player in Golfweek’s Men’s Collegiate Rankings on the strength of two individual wins this season.
MATT HANSEN: Two-time NCAA All-American at UC-Davis finished 66th and 67th, respectively, on the Order of Merit the last two seasons on the Mackenzie Tour.
JARED SAWADA: Played collegiate golf at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has played in the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii twice, including a T69 finish in 2017.
NAHUM MENDOZA III (a): Current San Diego State senior was named a 2nd team NCAA All-American in 2016 and represented the United States in the Palmer Cup.
NIGEL LETT (a): University of Oregon Senior helped the Ducks to NCAA Team Championship last year along with close friend and Mackenzie Tour alum Aaron Wise.
EVAN BOWSER: Played collegiate golf at Oakland University and qualified three times for the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Miscellaneous notes:
- Weather: 21 degrees Celsius, sunny, winds 14 km/h.
- Former PGA TOUR member Matt McQuillan finished with a 7-under 64 to move up 41 spots into a tie for 22nd.
- Canadians to earn status (5): Stuart Macdonald (-3/T9), Eric Banks (E/T16), Matt McQuillan (+3/T22), Raoul Menard (+4/T25), David Rose (+5/T28)
- Click here for scores.
Jake Knapp opens two shot lead at Q-School
THE RECAP: Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp carded a flawless 6-under 65 on Thursday at the Country Club at Soboba Springs to take the third round lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #2 Q-School.
Knapp was without a bogey and made six birdies on the day to reach 13-under through three rounds, two strokes ahead of Sydney, Australia’s Cameron Davis with one round to go.
“It was great keeping the bogeys off the scorecard,” said Knapp. “Even the mistakes that I made, I kept them in relatively playable positions, and I was able to create a stress-free round.”
A long hitter off the tee, Knapp admitted he didn’t have his best ball-striking day but benefited from offseason work he’s put into his game around the greens, getting up-and-down whenever he needed to.
“Normally, when I’m playing well it means I’m striking the ball really well, but I’ve had times where my short game has had to pick me up, too, and that’s helped me a lot,” said Knapp.
Two strokes behind Davis in solo third was Valencia, California’s Nick Delio, while former Players Cup champ Chris Killmer was a shot further behind in solo fourth.
CURRENT SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties will earn Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of where the cut-offs stand:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -13/1st
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -5/5th
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -1/T12
40th (Conditional status): +5/T35
BACKGROUND ON THE LEADER: A standout at UCLA, where he recorded two individual wins and qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open, Knapp decided to forgo his senior season with the Bruins to begin his pro career in January 2016.
He spent the 2016 season adjusting to the nuances of the professional game with some success, and played his way onto the Mackenzie Tour thanks to a solid performance after Monday Qualifying at the GolfBC Championship.
Now a year into his pro career, the 22-year old says he’s more used to the fast-paced world of playing for your livelihood.
“I think for me,” said Knapp, “professional golf has been much faster. In amateur and college golf, you have an event, and then an off week. It’s not as quick and you have more time to practice.
“When you’re playing professionally, you have to learn to practice on the road and try to get more out of your rounds and learn from every shot.”
With an eye on the upcoming season, the long-bombing Knapp says he’s looking forward to competing in Canada and playing on some of the tree-lined, tight courses commonly found on the Mackenzie Tour.
“You have to learn to play all kinds of golf, so picking the Mackenzie Tour was the best fit for me because I felt like it was going to improve the parts of my game that I felt like needed to get better,” said Knapp.
THEY SAID IT:
“I made some good putts in the mid 20-foot range. I got off to a shaky start with a bogey, but just kind of calmed myself down knowing that I had made two the day before and played really well.” – Former Players Cup champion Chris Killmer on bouncing back from an early bogey on Thursday.
“I’m driving it a lot better. I’m just hitting it a lot better. Last year was just a struggle. My short game was actually decent, but I didn’t give myself enough good looks, and the scores are so low there that you have to give yourself chances.” – Nick Delio, who made four cuts in 11 starts last year, on improving his game from 2016 to 2017.
“I had been scrambling a lot the first couple of days, so I came out to the course early to work on my game a little bit. Even though I was 2-over through seven, I knew I had better game than the scores were showing.” – Eric Banks, who moved up to T18 with a 2-under 69 on Thursday.
MORE PLAYER NOTES:
Cameron Davis
Davis turned pro in 2016 after a standout amateur career that included individual wins at the 2015 Australian Amateur and 2016 World Amateur. He narrowly missed out on earning a spot in The Masters after finishing second at the 2015 Asia Pacific Amateur.
Upon turning pro, Davis made a splash by finishing T15 after earning an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba.
Miscellaneous notes:
- Weather: 17 degrees Celsius, sunny, winds 15 km/h.
- Canadians in position to earn status: Stuart Macdonald (E/T18), Eric Banks (E/T18), Matthew Whittaker (+2/T23), David Rose (+3/T26), Ki Taek Lee (+5/T35)
- 18- and 36-hole co-leader Wyndham Clark stumbled to a 3-over 74 to sit T6 through 54 holes.
- Click here for scores.
Davis, Clark, Knapp share lead at Q-School
THE RECAP: Sydney, Australia’s Cameron Davis, Denver, Colorado’s Wyndham Clark and Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp all reached 7-under par through 36 holes on Wednesday at the Country Club at Soboba Springs to share the second round lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #2 Q-School.
Davis, a 22-year old who turned professional in 2016 after a stellar amateur career, went out with a 4-under 31 on his first nine holes before stumbling to a double bogey at the ninth hole (his 18th) to fall back into a share of the lead with Clark and Knapp.
“I was pretty happy with the way I’ve played. A bit disappointing to finish the way I did, but I’ve got a lot of positives to draw on,” said Davis.
Davis wasn’t the only one to experience a few errors on Wednesday, as Soboba’s small, tricky greens provided a stout challenge on a day when no player went without a bogey. Knapp stumbled with a double and a bogey over his final four holes, while Clark bogeyed the 16th and missed makeable birdie putts on his final two holes. Still, Clark, a University of Oregon Senior, was optimistic about his prospects with two rounds to go.
“I left a lot of shots out there, but all-in-all I’m excited about how my game feels and how I played,” said Clark.
The trio will tee off together on Thursday at 1:39 p.m. in round three’s final group.
CURRENT SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties will earn Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of where the cut-offs stand:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -7/T1
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -4/T5
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -1/T11
40th (Conditional status): +3/T39
BACKGROUND ON THE LEADERS: Davis turned pro in 2016 after a standout amateur career that included individual wins at the 2015 Australian Amateur and 2016 World Amateur. He narrowly missed out on earning a spot in The Masters after finishing second at the 2015 Asia Pacific Amateur.
Upon turning pro, Davis made a splash by finishing T15 after earning an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba.
Clark comes into the week as the No.1 player in Golfweek’s Men’s Collegiate Individual Rankings on the strength of two individual wins for the University of Oregon. The Colorado native looks to follow in the footsteps of former Oregon Duck Aaron Wise, who played Mackenzie Tour Q-School in 2016 as one of the highest-ranked collegiate players in the nation, going on to earn medalist honours before winning both the NCAA Championship and then the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, ultimately earning a spot in The Five and status on the Web.com Tour.
Knapp, a 23-year old who played his way on to the Mackenzie Tour last year after being one of the top three non-members after the first re-shuffle of the 2016 season, played college golf at UCLA, where he secured two individual wins before turning pro in 2015.
Knapp qualified for the U.S. Open in 2015, missing the cut with rounds of 74-76.
THEY SAID IT:
“I really think Canada helped me out last year. I’m a different player now. Those are different golf courses up there and you’ve got to keep the ball in play, and it’s nothing like you get in California.” – 2016 Mackenzie Tour member Michael Tolladay, who bounced back from an opening 79 with a second round 64
“As long as I’ve been out here, you’re going to have times where you string a couple of birdies together, everything’s great and you’re happy as can be, and all of a sudden you throw a couple of bogeys together. That’s golf. It was a really tough day.” – Former Players Cup champion Chris Killmer on having a patient mindset at Q-School.
“It helps having a few rounds in a row to build some momentum. I’ve still got 36 holes to go, so we’ll continue seeing where it goes.” – Cameron Davis on rebounding from his disappointing finish on Wednesday for the final two rounds.
MORE PLAYER NOTES:
Jared Sawada
26-year old Jared Sawada played collegiate golf at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has played in the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open in Hawaii twice, including a T69 finish in 2017.
Miscellaneous notes:
- Weather: 17 degrees Celsius, partly sunny with occasional showers, winds 15 km/h.
- Canadians in position to earn status: Stuart Macdonald (-3/T8), David Rose (-1/T11), Eric Banks (+2/T32), Raoul Menard (+3/T39), Matthew Whittaker (+3/T39).
- Play was suspended for 42 minutes due to dangerous weather in the area at 2:08 p.m.
- Keelan Kilpatrick recorded an ace on the fourth hole, using a pitching wedge from 134 yards.
- Click here for scores.
Team Canada’s Stuart Macdonald two off the lead at Q-School
Denver, Colorado’s Wyndham Clark and Sydney, Australia’s Cameron Davis each opened with a 5-under 66 on Tuesday at the Country Club at Soboba Springs to share the first round lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #2 Q-School.
Clark, a senior at the University of Oregon playing as an amateur, carded three birdies, two eagles and three bogeys, while Davis, the reigning World Amateur Individual champion, rebounded from an early double bogey with seven birdies to co-lead by one over Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp and Mililani, Hawaii’s Jared Sawada through one round.
Clark was 1-over through eight holes before making an eagle on the 18th hole (his ninth), part of a stretch that saw him go 7-under for six holes.
“The eagle really got my round started. I had it really going for about six holes after that. It was good,” said Clark.
Davis, meanwhile, bounced back from his early stumbles with a flawless finish to his round to reach 5-under.
“I was hitting the ball pretty well all day,” said Davis. “I had a bit of a stumble on the third hole – I hit it right up against a tree I was actually aiming for. After that I played the back nine really well and didn’t make any mistakes.”
Golf Canada National Amateur Squad member Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver opened with a 3-under 68. Read his Q&A with the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada here.
CURRENT SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties will earn Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of where the cut-offs stand:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -5/T1
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -3/T5
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -1/T7
40th (Conditional status): +1/T35
Chris Gilman earns medallist honours and exempt status at Q-school
THE RECAP: Thousand Oaks, California’s Chris Gilman shot a 1-under 71 at Carlton Oaks Country Club to claim medalist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #1 Q-School on Friday.
The 30-year old former Web.com Tour member converted a four stroke lead into victory, winning by four over Bakersfield, California’s Matt Picanso and Yorba Linda, California’s Preston Valder to secure exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for 2016.
“It’s massive,” said Gilman of earning guaranteed starts up until the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship. “Obviously the goal is to be the Order of Merit winner, and I’m going with guns blazing and we’ll see what happens.”
Picanso and Valder shot closing rounds of 65 and 66, respectively, to share second place, joining California’s Cody Blick and Texas’ Sean Walsh inside the top five, securing guaranteed starts through the first eight events of the season.
Barrie, Ontario’s Eric Hawerchuk was the top Canadian, finishing T15 to secure guaranteed starts through the first four events of the year.
CUTOFF SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties earned Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of the cut-offs for status:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -11/1st
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -6/T4
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): +2/T15
40th (Conditional status): +6/T32
BACKGROUND ON THE MEDALLIST: Gilman is hoping to use the Mackenzie Tour as a springboard to return to the Web.com Tour, where he played in 2015. The University of Denver grad made just three cuts that year, but came away from the season with a renewed vision of where he wanted to get to as a pro.
“Hearing so many great things about the Tour, I have plenty of friends who have played it before, and I know there are fantastic golf courses and great people, so there’s a lot of upside,” said Gilman. “Obviously the goal is to be there Order of Merit winner, and I’m going with guns blazing and we’ll see what happens.”
The 30-year old owns 23 professional victories, including the 2014 California State Open.
THEY SAID IT:
“I stuck to my gameplay. I just tried to hit fairways and greens, because this course is tough and there’s no letup out here,” – Eric Hawerchuk on a stressful week that netted him exempt status for the first four events.
“I knew if I could get it around par, that would have been really good. To get to where I did, it was great. I didn’t exactly expect it, but I just stayed focused and calm, and it just kind of fell into place.” – Brandon McIver on a final round 65 that moved up him 26 spots into 11th place.
PLAYER NOTES:
Below are notes on the top 16 players from this week’s Q-School:
CHRIS GILMAN: played on the Web.com Tour in 2015, making three cuts in 12 starts including a T30 finish at the Nova Scotia Open. Owns 23 professional victories, including the 2014 California State Open.
PRESTON VALDER: UCLA graduate played the Mackenzie Tour in 2016 but saw limited action and made just three starts. Has spent part of last two seasons on the Adams Tour.
MATT PICANSO: Caly Poly – San Luis Obispo graduate turned pro in 2013 at age 31 and won the 2015 Monterey Open. Led the Golden State Tour Money List in 2015 and the Pepsi Tour Money List in 2016.
CODY BLICK: San Jose State grad captured five collegiate wins and was three times named a 1st team All-Conference member. Made four cuts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016, including a T10 finish at the Cape Breton Open.
SEAN WALSH: Gonzaga graduate turned pro in 2016 after standout amateur career that included victory at the 2015 North & South Amateur and two individual college wins.
RICO HOEY: Three-time NCAA All-American in his senior season at USC. Currently ranked No. 15 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
ROBBY ORMAND: TCU gradate with three professional wins, including the 2014 Oklahoma Open and wins on the SwingThought Tour and Adams Tour.
NATHANIEL JAMES: Played college golf at Washington and Lee University and had a successful college career and was named a Division III 1st team All-American in 2007 and 2008. Continued into Law School and worked for three years as a Litigation Attorney before turning pro in 2014.
JONATHAN KHAN: Played on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015 and 2016, including a career-best T3 finish at the 2015 ATB Financial Classic. Finished No. 61 on Order of Merit in 2016. Played collegiate golf at the University of Arizona and was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd for golf when he was 13 years old.
ANDREW PRESLEY: Played collegiate golf at LSU and TCU with Mackenzie Tour alums Ben Taylor and Paul Barjon before graduating in 2015. Has played mostly on the Adams Tour, where he won once in 2016.
BRANDON MCIVER: University of Oregon graduate is a two-time Montana State Amateur Champion and was an All-State Basketball Team member at Billings West High in Billings, Montana.
DANIEL CHO: Los Angeles, California native turned pro in 2008 and has also held jobs as a Sushi Chef, Phone Sales Rep and at Baskin Robbins.
JUAN CARLOS SERRANO: Current University Tennessee senior was formerly the top ranked amateur in Mexico and was named an All-SEC Community Service member.
MATHIAS DAHL: Native of Sweden and University of San Diego grad captured one individual collegiate win and was twice named an All-American Scholar Athlete. Made two cuts in 11 starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016.
ERIC HAWERCHUK: Son of NHL Hall of Fame’r Dale Hawerchuk. Won the 2016 Coupe Canada Sani Marc (Canada Cup) on the Circuit Canada Pro Tour.
ANDREW BUCHANAN: Played collegiate golf at SMU and won the 2016 U.S. Amateur Fourball with teammate Ben Baxter.
Miscellaneous notes:
– Weather: 26 degrees Celsius, sunny, winds 15 km/h.
– USC Senior and three-time NCAA All-American Rico Hoey finished tied for 6th.
– Canadians to earn status: Eric Hawerchuk (T15), Daniel Kim (T27), Andrew Ledger (T32).
Gilman leads at fog-delayed Mackenzie Tour Q-school
THE RECAP: After fog delayed the start of round three by over an hour on Thursday morning, play was suspended due to darkness midway through round three of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #1 Q-School on Wednesday.
Thousand Oaks, California’s Chris Gilman reached 11-under par through 45 holes of the 72-hole event to hold the lead by one shot over Rancho Cucamonga, California’s Rico Hoey, with round three set to resume at 7:15 a.m. 20 players were left to compete their third round when play was called.
Carlton Oaks showed its teeth on day three, with just four players of the 93 who finished their round breaking 70. Sweden’s Mathias Dahl, a Mackenzie Tour member in 2016, posted the round of the day with a 5-under 67 to move up 33 spots into a tie for 13th.
“I kind of just kept my patience. I managed to make an eagle early in the round, and managed to roll in a few putts too,” said Dahl, who bounced back from a second round 79.
“I was pretty down after yesterday, because obviously I played well the first day. I just had a meltdown and figured I needed to do something special today,” said Dahl. “All of a sudden I’m kind of in a good spot.”
CURRENT SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties will earn Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of where the cut-offs stand:
1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -11/1st
5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -5/5th
16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -1/T13
40th (Conditional status): +5/T40
BACKGROUND ON A CONTENDER: Dahl, a University of San Diego graduate, had an up-and-down year on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016. He finished a season-best T11 at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, but missed nine of 11 cuts to lose his card.
“I wasn’t consistent enough all year,” said Dahl, adding that one or two bad holes cost him at nearly every event. “What I’ve been working on is to save myself in bad situations, to shoot a decent number even if you’re playing poorly. Last year I let it run away from me a little bit.”
Since turning professional in 2015, Dahl has progressed steadily and said he learned a lot from his season in Canada last year.
“It was brand new to me with late tee times, early tee times, all that,” said Dahl. “You’ve got to learn how to schedule your day, and I struggled all season to kind of get to the gym and do my stuff that I’m used to doing. This year, if I make it back up I’m definitely going to be more on pace with my normal schedule.”
THEY SAID IT:
“I had a target score I wanted to shoot and I thought I’d move up, which was 70. I did one better, so I’m very happy. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing.” – Daniel Cho, who owns the clubhouse lead at 3-under thanks to a 69 on Thursday.
MORE PLAYER NOTES:
Chris Gilman
Gilman played on the Web.com Tour in 2015, making three cuts in 12 starts including a T30 finish at the Nova Scotia Open. The 30-year old played college golf at the University of Denver and owns 23 professional victories, including the 2014 California State Open.