In September, I opened a dynamic post recapping prequalifying for the resurrected PGA Tour Q-School. This time, we continue with First Stage results, diving into both who won each site (and, as a result of their medallist honours, secured a Latin American leg exemption for next year's inaugural PGA Tour Americas season) and the performances of Umcees involved. As with the first recap post, I invite you to bookmark this post and check back for weekly updates as First Stage sites conclude.
Players marked with (PQ) started in prequalifying.
Week I: AZ, FL-1, NE, OK
Ak-Chin/Southern Dunes GC, Maricopa, AZ, par 72, 7546yd
Medallists: Tanner Gore, Farmers Branch, Texas; Jonathan de Los Reyes, Ripon, California (both -17/271; Gore 66-67-66-72, Los Reyes 70-69-62-70)
Neither player had any status on any level of the PGA Tour pyramid, so both will welcome a chance to play the Latin American swing in 2024. As you can tell from the round-by-round scores, Gore had the steadier rise to his share of the medallist plaudits, but Los Reyes had the most impressive round of the eight between them, going -10 in the third round, and he secured his PGA Tour Americas exemption via a closing birdie to tie Gore.
Total progressions: 21 (one overhang)
Umcees advancing to Second Stage:
T9: Angus Flanagan, Woking, County Surrey, England, United Kingdom/University of Minnesota '21 (-11/72-71-65-69=277)
Flanagan had better bogey avoidance (only six suffered) than either medallist! He was especially impressive in the third round, carding a bogey-free -7/65. Good on him to wash out the bad taste from narrowly missing out on Second Stage at last month's Q-school site for the DP World Tour.
T16: Andre Metzger, formerly of Sioux Falls, SD (-7/68-74-67-72=281)
The star of the Dakotas Tour, who made it all the way to Final Stage a year ago when only Korn Ferry Tour status was available, made it on the number despite a closing bogey. Especially impressive on par-5s, as he went -11 in those situations. If I could critique one aspect, it would be to work on par-3s, as he went +5 on those.
Umcees missing out on Second Stage (alphabetical): Emmet Herb, Middleton, WI (PQ); Austin Rene, Jamestown, ND (PQ)
Championsgate GC I, Championsgate, FL, par 72, 7243yd
Medallist: Michael Sweeney, Port St Lucie, FL (-18/71-63-72-64=270)
He had the most birdies or better of any player at the site with 23. He even had two aces on the week, both at the par-3 No 2!
Total progressions: 24 (four overhangs)
No Umcees advanced to Second Stage.
Umcees missing out on Second Stage (alphabetical): Austin Kendziorski,* Germantown, WI (PQ); Taylor Sundbom, Duluth MN
*As a result of his top-50 finish, Kendziorski is exempt to First Stage in 2024.
Wilderness Ridge CC, Lincoln, NE, par 71, 7106yd
Medallist: Alex Scott, Traverse City, MI (-14/69-62-70-69=270)
He made more birdies or better on the week than anybody else at the site and rallied for the medal past Tripp Kinney (see below).
Total progressions: 20 (no overhangs)
Umcees advancing to Second Stage:
2: Tripp Kinney, Des Moines, IA (-10/64-66-68-76=274)
Despite a horrid +5 final round that cost him medallist plaudits, Kinney actually suffered the fewest bogeys or worse with just six in the field. Not that he needed a share of the honours, as he collected a fair amount of Korn Ferry Tour points this year and should at least have PGA Tour Americas status to some degree in 2024.
T4: Ben Sigel, Deephaven, MN (-6/68-69-74-67=278)
Sigel was especially adept on the par-5s, tying for second best on those holes with -7. He also had the low round on the last day with -4/67.
T7: Harrison Ott, Brookfield, WI (-5/69-70-71-69=279)
Though he struggled on his last nine holes, Ott made it to Second Stage with two strokes to spare. He also tied second-most birdies or better on the week with eighteen.
T7: Jack Ebner, Edina, MN (PQ; -5/67-64-73-75=279)
Nothing fancy, but he did rank top 10 in both par-4 scoring and par-5 scoring. Not bad for coming out of prequalifying.
T10: Brady Madsen, Raymond, MN (PQ; -4/68-68-69-75=280)
He survived a double bogey at the last to advance with a stroke to spare. Especially good on par-3s, tying for third in that regard (-2 for the week).
Umcees missing out on Second Stage (alphabetical): Jack Hiemenz, Blaine, MN (PQ); Tyler Leach, Spring Valley, WI (PQ); Ross Miller, Minneapolis, MN; Lucas Scherf, Pleasant Hill, IA (PQ); Zach Sklebar, Fargo, ND (PQ)
Muskogee GC, Muskogee, OK, par 70, 6702yd
Medallist: Luis Gerardo Garza, Guanajuato, Mexico (-10/69-68-63-70=270)
He had the joint-lowest score on par-4s on the week (-6). The key to his medal was the third round, where he went -7 and tied the fewest bogeys with just one (at No 11).
Total progressions: 22 (two overhangs).
Umcees advancing to Second Stage:
T7: Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls, SD (-6/68-71-69-66=274)
Grevlos was one of four players to have more birdies or better than Gerardo Garza, recording twenty. His closing round -4/66 was the best of those making Second Stage from this site and second best overall.
T12: Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, WI (-4/70-66-69-71=276)
While not as impressive as his fellow University of Minnesota alumnus, Longbella played fine defensive golf, suffering only ten bogeys on a small course. He also went under par on the par-4s, enough to crack the top ten and ties in that regard. All this enables him to advance to Second Stage for the second successive year.
Umcees missing out on Second Stage (alphabetical): Sterling McIlravy,* Solon, IA (PQ)
*As a result of his top-50 finish, McIlravy is exempt to First Stage in 2024.
Week II: CA, FL-2, MS, NM, TX-1
Bear Creek GC, Murrieta, CA, par 72, 7188yd
Medallists: Adam Navigato, Solana Beach, California; Riley Elmes, Lake Oswego, Oregon (both -14/274; Navigato 63-73-71-67, Elmes 68-68-70-68)
Elmes would have been the sole medallist if not for a closing double. As it is, he had the joint-best par-4 score (-7) for the week. Meanwhile, Navigato impressed with an opening 63, only to stumble to a midweek crisis. However, he had the joint-fewest bogeys in the closing frame, only slipping up on 16, while carding half a dozen birdies.
Total progressions: 24 (four overhangs).
No Umcees advanced to Second Stage.
Umcees participating (alphabetical): Taylor Koser, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
The Falls Club, Lake Worth, FL, par 71, 6735yd
Medallist: Jimmy Hervol (local; -23/66-67-64-64=261)
His thirty par breakers were the most in the field, and he also led in par-3 scoring (-7). What made his performance even more impressive is the fact that he bogeyed the closing par 5.
Total progressions: 22 (two overhangs).
No Umcees advanced to Second Stage.
Umcees participating (alphabetical): Evan Long, Naples, Florida/University of Minnesota
Lake Caroline, Madison, MS, par 70, 6835yd
Medallist: Zander Winston, Scottsdale, Arizona (-23/67-63-67-60=257)
He would have broken 60 in the final round if not for an opening bogey. As it is, he was able to leapfrog 54-hole leader Thomas Giroux of Canada for the honours while breaking par 29 times.
Total progressions: 20 (no overhangs).
Umcees advancing to Second Stage:
Van Holmgren, Ft Myers, Florida (-12/66-71-66-65=268)
Heading into the final round, the Plymouth, Minnesota, native was T26 and on the outside looking in for Second Stage. Then he eagled the opening hole and followed it up with two birdies before suffering his first of two bogeys. He would record three more birdies before the other dropped shot to make Second Stage with a stroke to spare.
Umcees missing out on Second Stage (alphabetical): Andrew Israelson, Bemidji, Minnesota*
*As a result of his top-50 finish, Israelson is exempt to First Stage in 2024.
UNM Championship Course, Albuquerque, NM, par 71, 7555yd
Medallist (and leading Umcee!): Matthew Walker, Ottumwa, Iowa (-14/67-68-67-68=270)
He posted not one but two bogey free rounds and was the only player to break 70 all four days. Those three birdies in the final round were the difference over three other players.
Total progressions: 25 (five overhangs).
Other Umcees advancing to Second Stage:
Zach Burry, Appleton, Wisconsin (-6/70-69-67-72=278)
Basically secured his progression via a strong third-round performance, going bogey free with four birdies, which enabled him to absorb some ups and downs at the last.
Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club, Rockwall, TX, par 72, 7414yd
Medallist: Luke Long, Fayetteville, Arkansas (-21/69-69-66-63=267)
His 25 birdies led the field, as did his scoring on par 3s and par 5s. He had the third-best bogey avoidance (only six suffered all week) and closed with a bogey free -9.
Total progressions: 24 (four overhangs).
No Umcees advanced to Second Stage.
Umcees participating (alphabetical): Trey Fessler, Hanover, Minnesota
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