Q-School Sneak Peek 2024

 Yesterday, 4 June, the application for PGA Tour Q-School dropped. As in previous years (including 2013-19, 2021 and 2022, when Q-school only granted Korn Ferry Tour privileges at best), there are set criteria for byes to the last three stages. This post concerns differences between this year's exemption criteria and last year's, as well as changes to the incentives for various finishes at Q-school. While most of them stayed the same, there were some differences enacted this year.

PGA Tour University

As with last year, four of the top five college seniors (excluding No 1 Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech, who is exempt on the PGA Tour through next year on that count, a la Ludvig Aberg a year ago) according to this program's rankings will be exempt to Final Stage, again held at the Sawgrass golf complex in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida near PGA Tour headquarters. The difference lies in Second Stage, where an additional six college graduates will participate if not exempt to Final Stage otherwise. Those six are Nos 21-25 on the final ranking and the NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award winner. Last year, only Nos 6-20 were exempt to Second Stage, no matter what. The two years before at KFT Q-School, spots were limited to Nos 6-15, and the top finisher was only awarded KFT membership for the rest of the year and Final Stage exemption if needed. This evolution, to me, represents the growing importance of college golf. Surely my interest has grown!

PGA Tour Americas

This tour, of course, represents the merger of the PGA Tour pyramid's two lesser developmental circuits after last year. Instead of the top five on each circuit being exempt to Q-school finals and the rest of both top 25s being exempt to Second Stage, the top two on the Latin American segment (Canada's Matthew Anderson and New Zealand's Harry Hillier) will join with the top three on the North American segment in being exempt to Final Stage. Of course, those who finish in the top ten are promoted to the Korn Ferry Tour for 2025, whereas their high-finishing predecessors only received conditional KFT status without Q-school. The remaining top ten from each segment will be exempt to Second Stage, but only the combined list of top-25 finishers on the year will be used for the tour's remaining Second Stage exemptions. In the last two years of KFT Q-School, the top ten on each of the two tours that combined to form the PGA Tour Americas this year got into Final Stage. I guess restoring PGA Tour cards had consequences down the pyramid. Speaking of which...

At the End of the Q-School Rainbow

An additional $6000 will be distributed to each of Nos 41-45 at the end of Final Stage, ostensibly due to the fact that at least 45 will earn PGA Tour or KFT membership. Last year, only forty top finishers were to be paid, although 41 earned a check for their efforts. Of the more substantive rewards, PGA Tour cards are still limited to the top five and ties. The next forty and ties will still receive KFT starts, and these will still be broken down such that the top 25 and ties among those receive two reprieves from the reshuffle and the rest one. The remaining participants at Final Stage who post 72 holes' scores will earn some PGA Tour Americas membership.

The main difference is, again, in Second Stage. Again, all medallists at Second Stage (including ties) will receive KFT membership with one reprieve from the reshuffle. But those who come oh-so-close but fall short of Final Stage still have some reason to hope for starts on the PGA Tour Americas, as the top ten and ties among those not advancing to Final Stage from each site will receive conditional status on the Latin American segment in 2025. Of course, with fifty or more such consolations, it may be difficult for some to be allotted starts, especially with First Stage medallists having full exemption to the segment.

I hope this post helps you understand the evolution of Q-school from last year to this year. Who knows what next year's Q-school will look like?

Edward the Scop

Top Ten Upper Midwest Connections of 2023, Part II: #6 and #7

 This second part of my top ten Umcees of 2023 may be seen as capping off the "second team All-Umcee" portion of the list. Yesterday I posted the first three members of the list--Angus Flanagan, Kim Kaufman and George Kneiser--and by adding two more today, that not only leaves five to go for my first team, but rounds out my second team nicely. So, without further ado, let's cap off the All-Umcee Second Team!

Number 7: Derek Hitchner, Blake School alumnus, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Two years ago, Hitchner was a good, but fairly obscure, junior at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Then, in summer 2022, he made it all the way to the final four of the U.S. Amateur, coming within a single match win against Ben Carr of free exemptions to the U.S. Open and Masters and a second triumph (over Sam Bennett, who shined at said Masters) of the Open Championship. He lost 3 and 2 to Carr, but his confidence was greatly boosted by his deep run, and he finished his senior year 14th in the PGA Tour University rankings after qualifying for the NCAA finals. This awarded Hitchner a PGA Tour Canada card, and he finished higher than any other Umcee in the Fortinet Cup (23rd, just edging out Kneiser), earning an exemption to Second Stage of the PGA Tour Q-School. It's too bad he missed out on Final Stage by one measly stroke, or he might have placed higher on the list, even making First Team All-Umcee. Speaking of Final Stage qualifiers...

Number 6: Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin/University of Minnesota '21

If Hitchner came into his own out of nowhere as a college upperclassman, Longbella needed a bit longer to blossom. Having been overshadowed at the U by Flanagan, Longbella nevertheless kept the faith and won his PGA Tour Canada card in 2022 in a playoff (along with Kneiser). He went on to a 23rd place finish in the Fortinet Cup but, for lack of Q-school experience, fell short of Final Stage. This year, he fell short of the top 30, let alone the top 25. Otherwise, he would have definitely been a First Team All-Umcee laureate based on what followed.

In October, Longbella went down to Muskogee, Oklahoma and managed to advance to Second Stage. At first that seemed the best he'd do, but he took off in round 3 with a -6/66 at Valencia Country Club in California. He didn't have enough to assure himself of Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2024, but he did secure a trip to Final Stage by tying for second, three strokes adrift of Jeffrey Kang. Once there, he fell short of improved status, but he now has access to PGA Tour and KFT Mondays without necessarily having to go through prequalifying for 2024 (slots #48 among conditional KFT members in the Q-school category).

With that said, each of the next five posts will be published daily if possible, and in any case, each will feature one Umcee from the First Team. Tomorrow's pick, I will say, may be a bit controversial in some aspects...

Edward the Scop

Upper Midwest Connection of the Week Ending 18 December 2023*

The year 2023 in golf, which began this past 5 January with the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, concluded (for all intents and purposes) last Monday, 18 December at the first true PGA Tour Q-School since 2012. As with that year's medallist, the 2023 Q-school champion is eligible for the Presidents Cup Internationals, as Harrison Endycott of Australia beat his nearest challenger, American Trace Crowe, by four strokes (-15 to -11). Raul Pereda of Mexico, who is also International-eligible, was also among the five recipients of PGA Tour cards for 2024,. He tied with Hayden Springer on -8 over what turned out to be five days, as Sunday's action was moved to Monday due to rain at the Sawgrass complex (hence the asterisk in the title). The only other player to earn a PGA Tour card was Blaine Hale Jr, who finished third on -9.

But PGA Tour status wasn't the only incentive on the line. The next forty and ties among those who finished the 72 holes would receive Korn Ferry Tour starts; there were 48 such players. Exactly two-thirds of them--32 in all--earned two reprieves from the reshuffle, which is based primarily on the points list. The remaining sixteen earned one reprieve. This, of course, assumes that a given player in this range hadn't already earned full status on the KFT for 2024.

The third tier of incentives awarded the top 20 and ties after that PGA Tour Americas exempt status for the Latin American segment, which will consist of six events in spring 2024. Twenty-eight players finished in this tier, including two Umcees. However, one of them--Frankie Capan III--already has a full KFT ride for 2024 after finishing #51 this year on the points list. That leaves an obvious choice for the final Upper Midwest Connection of the Week for Anno Domini 2023...

Van Holmgren.

The Plymouth, Minnesota product who went to Wayzata High School and played at North Dakota State for two-plus years before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast on the other side of the Sunshine State made his first trip to Q-school finals somewhat remunerative. In his pro career so far, Holmgren has had some heartache. Two years ago, a putt lipped out or he would've made KFT Q-School finals. Then he had status on last year's PGA Tour Canada but only finished 64th in the Fortinet Cup, narrowly missing out on retaining his card with three MCs. Undeterred, Holmgren grinded his way through two stages of this year's PGA Tour Q-School and got back his card on the number (+3). It's not the Korn Ferry Tour yet, but he is one step closer to that goal. Hopefully he does well enough in 2024 to retain PGA Tour Americas privileges into the Canadian segment and even upgrades, perhaps, to tours higher up.

Only one golfing matter remains for 2023, and that is the Top Ten Upper Midwest Connections of the Year. Look for it by the time the Sentry's field is preliminarily announced on 29 December, if not sooner.

Edward the Scop

Umcees at PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage 2023

We are now just two days away from the last serious PGA Tour-related event of 2023. The finals of the PGA Tour Q-School consist of four rounds of no-cut golf at the Sawgrass complex in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Each of those who've made it--whether they started in prequalifying or progressed straight to the finals--will play two rounds at each of TPC Sawgrass' Dye's Valley Course (6850yd) and Sawgrass Country Club's East-West Course (7054yd), both of which are par-70 courses. The lack of a cut puts this Q-school in contrast to LPGA Q-Series or the DP World Tour Q-School finals, both of which have six rounds totalling 108 holes, with a cut after 72 (four rounds). This was also the format used by the PGA Tour in the previous life of its Q-school from 1982 through 2012. In my opinion, that's how it ought to be done, with maybe the Stadium Course as a third site for the last two rounds. It would be a huge tie-in to the Players Championship, which uses that course and has since 1982, succeeding...the East-West Course, which had hosted the five previous editions!

Dye's Valley.

But that's enough soapboxing. As mentioned a couple times in this blog, the 168 golfers participating in Q-school finals (Shad Tuten and Carl Yuan were apparently replaced by alternates) include five Umcees. I list them with a short capsule in alphabetical order by last name, with tee times and course and hole assignments for the first two rounds (all times Eastern), as well as BetMGM odds to grab a PGA Tour card as of this writing:

Frankie Capan III, North Oaks, Minnesota. FC3 is arguably the leading Umcee among those who've made it this far. Having finished just outside the top 50 of the Korn Ferry Tour points list (#51 to be exact), he has risen into the top 400 of the world rankings. Even if LIV events provided OWGR points, that wouldn't change. Last year, when The Landings near Savannah, Georgia hosted Q-school finals for KFT privileges only, FC3 soared all the way from prequalifying to a top-ten finish. He might need an even better performance to secure PGA Tour privileges for 2024--without his mother on the bag, of course--but has shown his capabilities of doing so. (9:02 at DV #10/10:15 at EW #1; 16-1)

Van Holmgren, Plymouth, Minnesota. In eight starts on the PGA Tour Canada, he's made five cuts. One reason for pause might be the lack of playing opportunities in the circuit's final season of operations, as Holmgren only played once, though he did make the cut at the Windsor Championship. However, he turned it on when Q-school rolled around and was Upper Midwest Connection of the Week four weeks ago. Could he do what FC3 did last year and convert a Q-school epiphany into KFT or even PGA Tour playing time? (8:41 at DV 1/9:54 at EW 10; 70-1)

Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. This University of Minnesota product (class of 2021) is the second-most-successful player among the Umcees at Q-school finals this season. Though not quite as successful on the PGA Tour Canada this year as last year, he did one better where it mattered, finishing second at his Second Stage site to earn the first Upper Midwest Connection of the Week honour of December. Perhaps he will become the long-awaited successor apparent to Erik van Rooyen whom Gopher Nation's golf arm has sought. (8:51 at EW #10/9:54 at DV #1; 60-1)

Andre Metzger, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (part-time resident). The Dakotas Tour folk hero returns to Final Stage with more on the line than a year ago. He has lacked staying power in the PGA Tour pyramid but did flirt with some lasting status a couple years ago on the Korn Ferry Tour, shortly after Covid-19 had forced the 2020 and 2021 seasons on that circuit to be merged into a single points list. The question remains, though: Will he be able to translate minitour success into a lasting career so that he can give up his side gig as a pizza deliveryman? (8:41 at CC #1/9:54 at DV #10; 60-1)

Alex Schaake, Omaha, Nebraska/University of Iowa. Like Metzger, Schaake has never made it big on the PGA Tour pyramid, but has made some noise on minitours, especially the Asher Tour (formerly the Outlaw Golf Tour). This past season, he pocketed $7K, which helped fund his Q-school run, and he supplemented it with a couple grand from the PGA Tour Canada. He had a successful college career at Iowa, and hopes to pay off what I assume would be great debt from his travels. (9:12 at CC #1/10:26 at DV #10; 60-1)

If I were to rank these guys' chances, I would put Capan III first, which is a no-brainer since he has some experience making big-time waves. I would put Longbella and Metzger tied for second among the five Umcees, as Longbella's momentum and head-to-head edge over Metzger is likely to be offset by the fact that the latter was here last year and is much more experienced overall. Schaake edges out Holmgren for fourth on account of minitour form. Only FC3 seems to have much of a chance to get a PGA Tour card, but the other four also have a puncher's chance of improved status in 2024, whether on the Korn Ferry Tour or the PGA Tour Americas. Good luck to all the players who've made it this far!!!

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: Final Stage Criteria with Commentary

 Well, this is it. We've made it to the final serious week of golf for Anno Domini 2023. In case you're living under a rock, it's PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage Week!!!

When I reported the Second Stage criteria, I made a mistake. I reported that all Final Stage entrants would get to start on next year's PGA Tour Americas Latin American phase, no questions asked. It turns out the minimum reward is only conditional PGA Tour Americas membership, which may warrant participation in Monday qualifiers for such events. The potential to get to Korn Ferry Tour and even PGA Tour events via Mondays remains, though.

Of the 166 players still entered into the event, five--Frankie Capan III, Van Holmgren, Thomas Longbella, Andre Metzger and Alex Schaake--qualify as Umcees in some capacity, with FC3 already having done well enough this past KFT season to advance directly to Final Stage. As mentioned in earlier posts, the top five and ties will receive low-level PGA Tour exemptions, comparable to the top ten DP World Tour players who weren't otherwise exempt or the top thirty KFT finishers. The next forty and ties will receive Korn Ferry Tour status, with anybody finishing in the top 25 and ties among those finishers garnering twelve guaranteed KFT starts and the rest having eight to start the season. Finally, the twenty and ties after that will receive guaranteed starts throughout the PGA Tour Americas' Latin American portion. In total, a minimum of 65 participants will receive some starts in the pyramid of the PGA Tour, and the number is often more than that.

Normally, qualifying consists of 168 players, so where did two go? Shad Tuten, whose two-stroke penalty at the KFT Championship in southern Indiana cost him a PGA Tour card, had to withdraw because of a heart condition. As for Chinese riser Carl Yuan, he benefited from Jon Rahm getting banned from the PGA Tour for defecting to LIV Golf.

So, how did the field get here? Seventy-nine golfers qualified from earlier stages of Q-school. Of these, only Caleb Hicks and Wes Homan participated in prequalifying back in September. Hicks, a former UT-Arlington star, finished T9 in Gunter, Texas, while Homan went T6 in Chardon in his home state of Ohio. The remaining 77 had some sort of exemption, including all four Umcees who had to qualify for Final Stage. (They all started in First Stage in October.) It will be interesting to see if any of those six or their 73 cohorts can beat out the 87 players who met one or more of these exemption criteria:

1. The top forty eligible golfers in the 2022-23 FedEx Cup (including FedEx Cup Fall) among the top 200 but not top 125. The aside above shows an example of what can happen if a bigwig player like Rahm becomes ineligible for, say, LIVing it up. In that case, any player who moves into the leading 125 eligible PGA Tour golfers can drop out of Q-school and keep his card. (39 players from Henrik Norlander of Sweden to Kevin Chappell)
2. Nonmembers equivalent to the top 150 on said list but not top 125. Unlike members who fail to keep top-125 placement but stay in the top 150, nonmembers who crack the top 150 but not top 125 don't have the safety net of conditional status for the 2024 PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour status, unless they already had KFT membership beforehand. The only way to gain any exemptions is via a sufficient finish at Final Stage. (Ryan Gerard, Peter Kuest)
3. The second thirty on the KFT points list. Straightforward Nos 31-60 on the Korn Ferry Tour order of merit. (28 players, including one Umcee, Frankie Capan III; Curtis Luck of Australia sitting out)
4. The top five PGA Tour University Class of 2023 finishers. As with Second Stage exempt entries, this is based on a metric derived from the WAGR. (Fred Biondi of Brazil, Ross Steelman and Sam Bennett; Adrien Dumont de Chassart opted out, while Ludvig Aberg was already exempt via his RSM Classic win this year)
5. Top five Totalplay Cup finishers. This year's order of merit for the PGA Tour Latinoamerica was the last before the PGA Tour Americas era commences next year. (Chandler Blanchet, Myles Creighton of Canada, Walker Lee, Austin Hitt and Daniel Hillier of New Zealand)
6. Top five Fortinet Cup finishers. The final order of merit in PGA Tour Canada history will give its name to next year's PGA Tour Americas point list. (Hayden Springer, Sam Choi, Davis Lamb, Etienne Papineau of Canada and Cao Yi of China)
7. Top five PGA Tour of Australasia OOM finishers. This is based on the 2022-23 list since the 2023-24 edition hasn't been finalized yet. (David Micheluzzi, Tom Power Horan and John Lyras, all of Australia; Andrew Martin of Australia and Michael Hendry of New Zealand sitting out)
8. Top finisher in each of the Japan Golf Tour and KPGA orders of merit. You would think that the biggest tour would take more players from Japan, but the JGTO has a partnership with the DP World Tour, with the top three JGTO players making the following year's Old World circuit. Hence, only Keita Nakajima, who had already clinched the title before the season-closing JT Cup, is awarded a Final Stage exemption via JGTO qualifications. The same may be said of Ham Jeong-woo of South Korea, who won the KPGA OOM title for 2023.

As for where it goes down, it's the same complex as the Players Championship has occupied since 1982--the Sawgrass area in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Only, they won't use the Stadium Course used by the Players, but Dye's Valley and Sawgrass Country Club. Good luck to the 166 players who are competing this week and weekend!!!

Edward the Scop

Upper Midwest Connection of the Week Ending 3 December 2023

 The so-called "challenge season" is upon us in PGA Tour golf. It's also known as the "silly season," with the only such event offering official rewards being last week's Hero World Challenge, which has long offered OWGR points (such as the system is). Most of the stateside rank and file will hang it up until January, when two events in Hawai'i--the Sentry, which is limited to last calendar year's winners and top-50 finishers in last year's FedEx Cup Playoffs; and the Sony Open, which is the first full-field event of the calendar year--will awaken the cycle from its annual one-month slumber. The only Umcee participating in the challenge season is Tom Hoge, who won the QBE Shootout alongside Sahith Theegala last year; as defending champions of what has been reimagined as the Grant Thornton Invitational for mixed-gender teams of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour golfers, both were invited to the first edition of that incarnation. The only event that follows is the PNC Championship, which I regard even less serious than the Grant Thornton.

But in the Southern Hemisphere, it's a different matter. Already, four events have been played on the 2024 DP World Tour season--two each in South Africa and Australia, with one event in each country each of the last two weeks in concurrent fashion. Although no Umcees were involved in any of these events, it's worth noting the stakes at play. Dean Burmester, having taken his talents to the blood megabucks of LIV Golf, garnered some serious OWGR points by his standards by winning both the Joburg Open and the South African Open. His fellow defector, Joaquin Niemann of Chile, won the golf Aussie Open last week, and I tried to watch to the end Saturday night (Twin Cities time). Unfortunately, technical difficulties emerged on Golf Channel, and I turned my fake T.V. off. (I have YouTube TV for my subscription T.V. service.) Four others who hadn't already made next year's Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland also qualified via Joburg and the Aussie Open.

And it's not just overseas golf that was serious last week. The final week of eliminations for Q-school transpired as well. When the dust had settled, 79 golfers took their place alongside 89 others who were already exempt to Final Stage. The latter category includes one Umcee, Frankie Capan III of North Oaks, Minnesota, who doubled as last year's Q-school darling by making the Korn Ferry Tour with guaranteed starts despite starting in prequalifying. Three other Umcees--Van Holmgren, Andre Metzger and Alex Schaake--earned their way to Final Stage in mid-November, and five more had a chance to join the quartet. Four of them, though, fell short of Final Stage, including Matthew Walker, who had won a medal in First Stage to guarantee PGA Tour Americas starts. The most painful shortfall, however, belonged to Derek Hitchner of Minneapolis. The Blake School grad and Pepperdine Waves star, who had helped lead his team to the NCAA meet in May, fell a single stroke short of qualifying out of Valencia, California despite a -4 final round. One fewer bogey and he would have joined nineteen others making it to TPC Sawgrass next week for Q-school finals, including this week's Upper Midwest Connection of the Week...

Thomas Longbella.

The former Minnesota Gopher from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin finished joint-second only to Jeffrey Kang at the same site. It seemed he wouldn't make Final Stage either, but he turned it around in the last thirty holes, doing more than enough to comfortably advance to finals on -8/280. If all else fails, he will at least have PGA Tour Americas status next year.

This week's Upper Midwest Connection of the Week has (for now) two finalists, as Kim Kaufman missed the cut at LPGA Q-Series, while Kate Smith made it. In addition, Erik van Rooyen tees it up for the first time since losing his BFF Jon Trasamar to melanoma. At the funeral mass last Friday, van Rooyen read the lesson from I Thessalonians about the Second Coming. The stream was on the funeral home's website. Now, he is refocusing for the Alfred Dunhill Championship in his native South Africa, and he tees off at 11pm tonight Central (10pm Mountain). I hope he wins another or otherwise kicks ass for his "Gipper."

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: Second Stage Part II (CA, GA-2)

This is the final batch-style preview for Q-school sites in 2023, as my LPGA Q-Series and PGA Tour Q-School Final Stage primers will take a different format with regards to Umcees participating at each site. That is, I will give more detailed information regarding each Umcee.

Four Umcees have already qualified to Final Stage in the PGA Tour's Q-School. In addition to the three who got in a week ago as of this writing, Frankie Capan III of North Oaks, Minnesota is exempt to Final Stage by virtue of finishing in the top 60 of this year's Korn Ferry Tour points list, while still falling short of the top 30. Potentially six more could follow suit, depending on who cracks the top fifteen or so at their respective sites.

Note: This post will be updated as first and second round tee times become available. A marker of (PQ) means a player started in prequalifying, while (I) means he started in First Stage.

UPDATE: As of Sunday, 26 November 2023, Second Stage week 2 tee times are up. As before, the California site is quoted in Pacific Standard Time, while the Georgia site is in Eastern Standard Time. The first two rounds are given, with each tee time for Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Four of this week's six Umcees will tee off at Valencia Country Club in Valencia, California.

California: Valencia Country Club, Valencia, par 72, 7300yd

71 players. Umcees: Derek Hitchner, Minneapolis, MN (8:48am on 1/10am); Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, WI (I; 8:12am on 10/9:24am); Ben Sigel, Deephaven, MN (I; 8:24am on 10/9:36am); Matthew Walker, Ottumwa, IA (I; 10:12am on 10/9am)

Georgia: Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, par 72, 7780yd

66 players. Umcees: Hunter Eichhorn, Chattanooga, TN/Marquette University (I; 10:48am on 1/9:48am); George Kneiser, Oconomowoc, WI (9am on 10/10:12am)

Edward the Scop

Upper Midwest Connection of the Week Ending 19 November 2023

 After the heartwarming stories of the previous fortnight, with Erik van Rooyen prevailing at the World Wide Technologies Championship with his dying BFF Jon Trasamar in mind and Camilo Villegas winning the Bermuda Championship to honour the memory of his daughter Mia, who died of cancer four months short of her second birthday, last week had slim pickings by comparison. That doesn't mean it lacked for storylines.

In Dubai, the race for the Vardon Trophy may have fallen to Rory McIlroy without a shot of the DP World Tour Championship being taken, but the race for ten PGA Tour cards for next year came to a crescendo when Rasmus Hojgaard, hoping to join his successful STM-earning twin brother Nicolai in America in 2024, landed his approach in the water at the final hole of the Earth Course. Where he hoped to make birdie or better to leave no doubt, he settled for par. Adding insult to injury, Matthieu Pavon of France finished his season with four straight birdies to get that card that would have otherwise gone to Rasmus. The Dane will be back, though. Maybe he'll follow his twin brother's lead and convert success in America to STM and, ultimately, membership in 2025.

Before I go any further, I should point out that the DP World Tour's subservience to Ponte Vedra Beach was a long time coming, whether you like it or not. Ever since a guy named Eldrick Tont Woods started winning events right out of Stanford in 1996, the European circuit's independence was bound to be terminally marked. I'm aware that several Umcees like the aforementioned van Rooyen and Angus Flanagan have had scenes on the DP World Tour or its developmental circuits, so I will say that the golf ecosystem needs a long, hard look going forward.

But back to America, where Ludvig Aberg completed a transatlantic double of events at the RSM Classic. The Texas Tech alumnus had already won the Omega Masters in Switzerland, earning himself a Ryder Cup European captain's pick from Luke Donald. (Some say it would've otherwise gone to Adrian Meronk of Poland. Turns out Team Europe didn't need him, I guess. As it is, Meronk is headed to the Players and the Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth the week after the PGA Championship next May as the top points-getter among the ten DPWT grads to the PGA Tour.) He had kicked butt over the following few months, including a respectable two points from as many wins at Marco Simone near Rome. Then, just last week, the Swede polished off Mackenzie Hughes of Canada by four strokes at Sea Island near Brunswick, Georgia.

You're here for the Upper Midwest Connection of the Week, though, so I'll lay off on details concerning external matters. Let's start with the obvious Umcee, Troy Merritt. Heading into the RSM, Merritt was coming off three straight meh finishes after showing up at the Fortinet and the Sanderson Farms prior to Vegas. He was still ranked #123 coming in, so it was possible that he might survive to 2024 with his card without a made cut, but he wanted to make it to be sure. Unfortunately, Merritt missed the cut despite a heroic Friday effort of -6, so he had to sweat out the outcome of the weekend. As good fortune would have it, Carl Yuan of China missed out on ending Merritt's exempt status by less than two points! But rules are rules, and I can't award the plaudits to Troy Merritt, simply because he missed the cut at the RSM.

I can, however, award the honours to the top Umcee at Q-school from last week. You see, as mentioned extensively in this blog, Second Stage of the PGA Tour Q-School began 14 November, with a further two sites next week in California and Georgia. Nine Umcees made it to Second Stage, either by qualification or by exemption, of whom three progressed to Final Stage: Van Holmgren, Andre Metzger and Alex Schaake.

Metzger, as is well-known, is a folk hero on the Dakotas Tour, which is one of the top minitours in North American golf, and he maintains some residence in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (fittingly enough). He seemed headed out of Q-school in Savannah, Georgia after a second-round 74, but rallied to make it with a stroke to spare. Schaake is from Omaha, but went to the University of Iowa, which qualifies him as an Umcee. In Dothan, Alabama, he had an even worse opening-round 77, but he broke par the last three days and 70 the last two to make it with two strokes clear of the number. But it was a guy who tried and narrowly failed to medal in Port St Lucie, Florida for guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts but still advanced with ease--five strokes clear of the cut...

Van Holmgren.

Hailing from Plymouth, Minnesota and a graduate of Wayzata High School, Holmgren narrowly missed out two years ago on Final Stage when it was just for Korn Ferry Tour status when a putt lipped out. Now, with somewhat more on the line, Holmgren is headed to TPC Sawgrass to try his luck at KFT starts...or even one of five-plus PGA Tour cards! I mentioned he missed out on medallist plaudits, as he dropped behind his 54-hole coleaders in the final round. Still, he is gaining comfort in the pro game, and he has PGA Tour Americas starts guaranteed, if nothing else.

Once again, his reign as the Upper Midwest Connection of the Week will last another week, as no Umcees are known to be teeing it up in tour golf this week or next. Nor are there any Q-school stops on the week, as Second Stage (as mentioned before) takes a week off. But next week's honours, which will be awarded the week of 4 December, will go to the top performer between five participants at the remaining Second Stage sites, as well as Kate Smith (exempt) and Kim Kaufman (qualified via Stage II) at LPGA Q-Series.

Also, be on the lookout for an announcement concerning the Top Ten Upper Midwest Connections of the Year sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday. My plan was for it to drop the week of 18 December, the week after Final Stage for the PGA Tour Q-School.

Edward the Scop

Q-School Recap 2023: Second Stage

 This is the third and final dynamic post in this year's series concerning the resurrected PGA Tour Q-School. The next recap, which will drop in December after Final Stage, is not considered dynamic since there's only one site for the finals held at TPC Sawgrass, headquarters of the PGA Tour. At all Second Stage sites, the top fifteen and ties advanced or (in the case of Week 2 of Second Stage at November's end) will advance to finals. As with previous recaps, I list each site with medallist or medallists, as well as a rundown of any Umcees who played each site.

Players marked with (PQ) started in prequalifying. Those marked with (I) started in First Stage.

Week I: AL, FL, GA-1

Highland Oaks Golf Club/Marshwood Course, Dothan, Alabama, par 72, 7632yd

Medallists: Connor Burgess, Richmond, Virginia and Mark Goetz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, both -19/269 (Burgess 66-68-67-68; Goetz 69-62-71-67)

Burgess played a more defensive game to get to the top billing for this site, leading the field in bogey avoidance (67/72 holes). Goetz, meanwhile, played a more aggressive game, leading in par-breakers with 26 but suffering bogey to share plaudits with Burgess. Both now receive guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2024.

Umcees advancing to Final Stage

T8: Alex Schaake, Omaha, Nebraska/University of Iowa alumnus (I) (-9/77-70-66-66=279)

Despite a ruinous opening 77, Schaake wasted little time in the interests of atonement, carding back-to-back -6 rounds.

Umcees who missed out: Tripp Kinney, Des Moines, IA (I); Brady Madsen, Raymond, MN (PQ); Harrison Ott, Brookfield, WI (I)

The Tesoro Club/Palmer Course, Port St Lucie, Florida, par 72, 7316yd

Medallists: K.K. Limbhasut, Thailand and Danny Walker, Jacksonville, FL, both -11/277 (Limbhasut 72-70-67-68; Walker 69-72-68-68)

Limbhasut co-led the field in bogey avoidance, suffering only six bogeys or worse, and a closing birdie secured his share of the honours. Walker had the best par-5 score (-13).

Umcees advancing to Final Stage

T3: Van Holmgren, Fort Myers, Florida/formerly of Plymouth, Minnesota (I) (-9/72-71-66-70=279)

He failed to hold on to his share of top spot, but he is still headed to TPC Sawgrass with PGA Tour Americas status secured. The key was his third round, which got him into the lead heading into the final eighteen holes, as he had seven birdies against just one bogey.

Umcees who missed out: Angus Flanagan, Woking, Surrey, UK/University of Minnesota '21; Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls, SD/University of Minnesota '21

The Landings Club/Deer Creek Course, Savannah, Georgia, par 72, 7185yd

Medallist: Bryson Nimmer, Okatie, South Carolina (-15/72-71-68-62=273)

He saved his best for last, as he was just -5 heading to the final round. Then he went a bogey-free -10/62, finishing with six birdies on the back nine. This included a birdie at the last, which entitled him to the only outright medal of the week.

Umcees advancing to Final Stage

T9: Andre Metzger, Sioux Falls, SD (part-time resident) (I) (-9/72-74-68-65=279)

A second-round +2/74 seemed to render him toast, but the next day, he got under par with a -4/68 before surging in the final round enough to advance. He had the third-most birdies of the week with 22.

Umcees missing out: Zach Burry, Appleton, Wisconsin (I); Jack Ebner, Edina, Minnesota (PQ)

Week II: CA, GA-2

Valencia Country Club, Valencia, California, par 72, 7300yd

Medallist: Jeffrey Kang, Los Angeles, California (-11/66-71-67-73=277)

Despite an underwhelming +1 final round, Kang led in all major scoring metrics with the most par-breakers and best bogey avoidance of anyone at the site. Now, despite making only six starts on this year's PGA Tour Canada--which probably cost him exemption into Final Stage off the bat--the USC alumnus can look forward to guaranteed starts on next year's Korn Ferry Tour.

Umcees advancing to Final Stage

T2: Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, WI/University of Minnesota '21 (-8/73-71-66-70=280)

One of only three players to finish in 280 or fewer strokes (along with Kang and Christian Banke of Scottsdale, Arizona), Longbella keyed in on progression in particular during the third round. He tied for the most par-breakers on that round with seven--six birdies and an eagle--and was the only Umcee to advance to finals on week 2 of Second Stage, a year after missing out. Not bad for a guy who actually regressed in the final Fortinet Cup standings relative to last year!

Umcees missing out: Derek Hitchner, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ben Sigel, Deephaven, MN (I); Matthew Walker, Ottumwa, IA (I)

Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, Georgia, par 72, 7780yd

Medallist: Aldrich Potgieter, South Africa (-13/67-69-68-71=275)

His 23 par-breakers were the most of any player at this site, and he also had the lowest score on par-5s (-10).

No Umcees made it to Final Stage from this site. Those missing out: Hunter Eichhorn, Chattanooga, TN/Marquette University (I); George Kneiser, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Umcees making it to Final Stage: Frankie Capan III (exempt); Van Holmgren (I); Thomas Longbella (I); Andre Metzger (I); Alex Schaake (I)

Q-School Primer 2023: Second Stage Part I (AL, FL, GA-1)

 Because of time constraints, I have decided to just list Umcees at each Q-school site, along with tee times for rounds 1 and 2. As with my First Stage primers, a mark of (PQ) represents golfers who passed through prequalifying. New to this is (I), which represents those who started in First Stage. Those exempt to Second Stage receive no mark.

Alabama: Highland Oaks/Marshwood Golf Club, Dothan

Umcees: Brady Madsen, Raymond, MN (PQ; 6:50am on 10/8am); Harrison Ott, Brookfield, WI (I; 7:20am on 1/8:40am); Alex Schaake, Omaha, NE/University of Iowa (I; 7:30am on 10/8:40am); Tripp Kinney, Des Moines, IA (I; 8:10am on 1/7:10am)

Florida: The Tesoro Club, Palmer Course, Port St Lucie

Umcees: Van Holmgren, Fort Myers, FL/formerly of Plymouth, MN (I; 9:02am on 1/7:56am); Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls, SD (I; 9:13am on 1/8:07am); Angus Flanagan, Woking, Surrey, England/University of Minnesota '21 (I; 9:57am on 10/8:51am)

Georgia-1: The Landings Golf and Athletic Club, Deer Creek Course, Savannah

Umcees: Jack Ebner (PQ; 8:52am on 10/10:06am); Zach Burry, Appleton, WI (I; 9:13am on 1/8:10am); Andre Metzger (I; 9:03am on 10/8am)

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: Second Stage Criteria with Commentary

 All aboard for Second Stage of PGA Tour Q-School! So, you thought First Stage was exciting? Well, this is where PGA Tour Americas exemptions (if nothing greater) are finalized, as all players who make it to Final Stage from here are guaranteed as much, along with conditional Korn Ferry Tour status (provided they aren't exempt to Final Stage as it is). Sixteen Umcees are among the 389 who've made it this far, excluding those exempt to Final Stage. This week includes three sites--one each in Alabama, Florida and Georgia--whose details will be revealed in my next post later tonight as of this writing. Two weeks later, a site in California and another in Georgia will play host to Second Stage action.

As with First Stage, those exempt to Second Stage have status on various lesser tours. Unlike First Stage, though, the exemptions are granted to those who have achieved something good on those tours, having met one or more of the following criteria:

1. PGA Tour members in the current season. This requires explanation, as it excludes those who have exemptions for 2024 on the Tour. It also omits the forty leading members who fail to retain or gain full membership this season. Heading into the RSM Classic, at least seven exempt players are close enough to the top 125 so that the bubble boy for Final Stage is Noh Seung-yul of South Korea at #172.
2. Winners of Korn Ferry Tour events the last three seasons. The 2020 and 2021 KFT seasons were merged due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so all winners from both years are exempt to this stage, along with the last two years.
3. Finishers #61 through #85 on the KFT Points List. The majority, but not all, will be exempt to next year's Korn Ferry Tour without having to ponder the reshuffle that occurs every four events or so.
4. Fifty or more career cuts on the PGA Tour by 9 October 2023. The cutoff for this criterion was the Sanderson Farms Championship.
5. Anybody who made the cut this year at a major or at the Players Championship. This is a modification of last year's category, as all cut-makers at those events were exempt to Final Stage a year ago. With the reintroduction of PGA Tour card availability at Q-school, the demotion is understandable.
6. The bottom half of the OWGR top 100 as of 9 October 2023.
7. Finishers #6 to #20 on the PGA Tour University rankings. The first two years (2021 and 2022), only graduating seniors in the top fifteen skipped First Stage. This year, five more got that privilege.
8. Finishers #6 to #25 in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica's Totalplay Cup standings or the PGA Tour Canada's Fortinet Cup standings. Last year, a top-ten finish in either points list sufficed to grant Final Stage entry off the bat. Next year, they'll just take the top ten from the year on the PGA Tour Americas and exempt them to Final Stage, along with five single-segment entrants.
9. The top five WAGR men's golfers as of 4 October 2023. This was the last WAGR ranking for men's amateur golf before the deadline of 9 October.
10. Top five and ties at this year's PGA Professional Championship. Not sure Michael Block, folk hero at this year's PGA Championship (not to be confused with the Professional Championship) will partake of this. He said he's focused on his club career.
11. #2 to #5 on the Japan Golf Tour's order of merit as of 9 October 2023. This is not the final, final OOM for the JGTO, but it includes all results through the ACN Championship, won by Yuki Inamori.
12. #2 to #5 on the most recent final OOMs for the PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour and Korean PGA Tour. Since these tours have wraparound schedules--the first two due to their Southern Hemisphere location--it doesn't make sense to base on the current season's OOM.
13. Medical considerations. There are three criteria within this criterion. The first is mandatory, requiring that the player have played five to twelve KFT events this year--no more, no fewer.  The second step is to determine when he stopped playing, as he would need to be between #61 and #85 at the time of his sidelining. The third step revolves around the average points per event played, which must also be within that ranking position. This is ranked against all member players on the tour for purposes of valid comparison.

There is more at stake than PGA Tour Americas membership and conditional KFT status for next year at Second Stage. If a given golfer wins one of the five sites (including ties at the top), he gets to start the first eight KFT events in 2024, regardless of his finish at Final Stage. This includes the Argentine Open, which guarantees its winner a trip to the Open Championship, no questions asked. Good luck to all who have made it to Second Stage!

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: First Stage Part III (AL, NC, TX-2 and TX-3)

 Before previewing the final week of First Stage for 2023's resurrected PGA Tour Q-School, I would like to apologize for forgetting to update the Q-school recap post. It's been a busy time lately at work with more than usual, so I'll catch up as soon as possible. Fortunately, there isn't a PGA Tour event this week, which will give me time to do so.

The final week of First Stage is conveniently placed in the week the PGA Tour is off between the Zozo Championship in Japan and the World Wide Technology Championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. As with the first week of the stage, there are four sites (as opposed to the five last week). Unlike the opening week of the stage, two sites are in one state, Texas. Details are below.

Magnolia Grove/Crossings Club in Alabama is one of four First Stage courses this week.

Alabama: Magnolia Grove/Crossing Club, Semmes, par 72, 7250yd

79 players. Umcees: Chris Gilman, Sioux Falls, SD (8:15am on 10/9:25am); Andrew McCain, Jupiter, FL/University of Minnesota alumnus (9:25am on 10/8:25am); Aaron Wilson, Chaska, MN (9:45am on 10/8:45am)

North Carolina: Bermuda Run Country Club (East Course), Bermuda Run, par 71, 7001yd

77 players. No Umcees.

Texas-2: Abilene Country Club, Abilene, par 72, 7136yd

76 players. No Umcees.

Texas-3: Walden Golf Club on Lake Conroe, Montgomery, par 72, 6756yd

75 players. No Umcees.

Upper Midwest Connection of the Week Ending 15 October 2023 + Q-School Updates

When I sat down to write this, I had just gotten in from pulling weeds ahead of the chill of winter, and it was half past six Central when I wrapped, nearly. Had to beat the sunset, you know. As I submit this, the Zozo Championship has already teed off. Normally I wouldn't write my Upper Midwest Connection of the Week feature after an event of note in the current week has teed off, but this is literally the one annual exception. Though perhaps I'll plan ahead next year and write either earlier in the day or Tuesday evening of Zozo week.

Anyway, last week was probably the last we'll see of the big three Umcees in the same tourney this year. With Tom Hoge exempt for every non-major event (including the Players) on the 2024 regular season thanks to his top-50 finish in this year's playoffs, this week's Zozo will be the last he tees it up on the PGA Tour for the fall, at least as far as official events are concerned. He might participate in some exhibition in December if he's lucky--he won last year's QBE Shootout with now-Fortinet Championship holder Sahith Theegala before it got reimagined as a mixed event for this year--and that's it. By contrast, neither Erik van Rooyen (#131 regular season) nor Troy Merritt (#133) was nearly good enough to play the Zozo, according to the main FedEx Cup point list. On the other hand, expect both to play the last three events this FedEx Cup Fall, which resumes after a one-week hiatus in Cabo at the beginning of November, while Hoge's next event bearing official money and points won't be until the season premiere at the Sentry.

Heading into the week, the discussion concerning Umcees at the Shriners Children's Open centred around Hoge. After all, he was coming off back-to-back top-15 finishes worldwide at the BMW PGA Championship in England and the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. He had had plenty of past success at TPC Summerlin. And while Merritt had had some success in Vegas, van Rooyen had missed the cut two years ago in his only previous trip.

This is why you don't read into past history too much! Hoge had consecutive even-par rounds (71), which gave him the same score as LPGA star Lexi Thompson, who hasn't won a single event on her own tour since 2019! Both missed the cut by three strokes. Merritt started well, carding a first round -3/68, but he failed to break par the last three days and actually went +1/72 for his final round. Only one Umcee mustered an under-par score all four days...

Erik van Rooyen.

For the third time since my blog's inception in July 2023, EVR is my Upper Midwest Connection of the Week. The University of Minnesota alumnus from South Africa was his country's top entrant in Sin City, obliterating Garrick Higgo by five strokes en route to a T23. He was especially lethal with his irons, ranking 12th in the field among those who made the cut, and on Sunday with a bogey-free -6/65. It wasn't enough to move van Rooyen up from #125 in the FedEx Cup, so he remains for now the bubble boy in that regard, but it did move him to #191 in the OWGR, which is his highest ranking since the last of his seven straight MCs at the John Deere Classic in July. Van Rooyen has since made seven of nine cuts worldwide, including five straight top-30 finishes--the last three in the FedEx Cup Fall.

This week also marks the second week of First Stage for PGA Tour Q-School. As my last post hinted, there aren't nearly as many Umcees this week as there were last week. There are still quite a few playing Q-school this week, though. I will say that only Matthew Walker of Ottumwa, Iowa, and Zach Burry of Appleton, Wisconsin, are on track to join those already in Second Stage at that juncture midway through this week, both from the site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Walker, in fact, is tied for the lead with Mitchell Meissner of Dallas, Texas, which would give both of them full privileges on the Latin American portion of next year's PGA Tour Americas season.

Lastly, two Umcees are playing LPGA Q-School Stage II for a spot among the top 40 and ties to advance to the final stage, AKA Q-Series. If you've followed this blog long enough, you know of Kim Kaufman of Clark, South Dakota. She's tied for 13th through two rounds. That would put her into the Q-Series along with Kate Smith of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, who automatically qualified for that hurdle by virtue of her Epson Tour finish of #19. There's also Emily Lauterbach of Hartland, Wisconsin, who made it through Stage I earlier in Q-school. Unfortunately, it doesn't look nearly as good for her. Her score of +5 through two rounds has her T111 so far.

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: First Stage Part II (CA, FL-2, MS, NM, TX-1)

 The second week of First Stage starts tomorrow, 17 October with five sites across the Sunbelt from coast to coast, making this arguably the most widespread week for Q-school in 2023. No other week has more than four sites, and no week the rest of the year will involve more than three states. Again, tee times are respective for the first two rounds for each Umcee involved at each site.

The University of New Mexico's Championship Golf Course is a First Stage site this week.

California: Bear Creek Golf Club, Murrieta, par 72, 7188yd

78 players. Umcees: Taylor Koser, Rice Lake, WI (10:42am on 1/9:36am).

Florida-2: The Falls Club, Lake Worth, par 71, 6735yd

78 players. Umcees: Evan Long, Naples, FL/University of Minnesota (9:33am on 10/8:30am).

Mississippi: Lake Caroline Golf Club, Madison, par 70, 6835yd

80 players. Umcees: Van Holmgren, formerly of Plymouth, MN (9:54am on 10); Andrew Israelson, Bemidji, MN (9:22am on 10).

Note: Round 2 tee times unavailable.

New Mexico: University of New Mexico Championship Course, Albuquerque, par 71, 7555yd

80 players. Umcees: Zach Burry, Appleton, WI (10:45am on 1/9:42am); Matthew Walker, Ottumwa, IA (11:16am on 1/10:13am).

Texas-1: Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club, Rockwall, par 72, 7414yd

78 players. Umcees: Trey Fessler, Hanover, MN (10:15am on 10/9:12am).

Q-School Recap 2023: First Stage

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

Upper Midwest Connection of the Week Ending 8 October 2023 + Q-School Update

 After a fortnight dedicated to USA v Europe team events (it's a miracle I didn't harm myself, even in a benign way, as a result of the outcomes of both!) in which little action took place in tour golf or even in Q-school, the latter two concerns picked up again last week. I was going to name an Upper Midwest Connection of the Week last week for the week before based on the results of the Epson Tour's Tuscaloosa-Toyota Classic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Both reigning UMCOW (as I shall hereafter abbreviate the honour in conjunction with its full name) Kim Kaufman of Clark, South Dakota, and Kate Smith of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, were due to play the event. But sometime during the week of the event, Kaufman decided to be done for the Epson Tour season and focus on Stage II of LPGA Q-School in an effort to reclaim her card on the LPGA Tour. My next choice was to include former Wisconsin Badger Chris Meyer in the running, as long as he advanced to First Stage of PGA Tour Q-School (from prequalifying, of course). That didn't happen, although he still can look forward to Second Stage of Q-school in Europe for the DP World Tour. With only Smith making the event (though she made the cut as usual), it wasn't worth it to name an UMCOW.

Well, last week offered more options. For the first time since the FedEx Cup Regular Season ended in August, all of the big three Umcees were in the same PGA Tour event--namely, the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi. Smith participated in the Epson Tour Championship, and Frankie Capan III contested the Korn Ferry Tour Championship for a shot at one of thirty cards on next year's PGA Tour. Let's break it down.

FCIII needed nothing short of a three-way share of bronze at the KFT Championship to get a PGA Tour card. Unfortunately, a ruinous 78 Thursday put him stumbling out of the gate, and he had no traction Friday either, settling for even par. His only quality round was a Saturday 66 (-6), and he gave half that progress back with a final-round +3/75 Sunday. Despite these struggles, which kept him from the top 40, Capan didn't slide any more than he had two weeks earlier at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship. he gets direct entry into Final Stage of Q-school for a top-60 points list finish and, of course, full membership on the Korn Ferry Tour for next year just for making it to the event.

Remaining on the developmental-tour note, Smith fared far better in the Epson Tour Championship. While she was unable to grab the victory she would have needed to grab an LPGA Tour card in all likelihood, she finished par or better in all four rounds, breaking 70--nay, 69--in three of them. Smith's best round was arguably Thursday's bogey free -7/65. She had another flawless round Sunday, though she mustered only -4/68. Her paycheck of $5786 enabled her to finish #19 on the money list, not only ensuring her full membership on the Epson Tour for next year but granting her guaranteed access to the finals of LPGA Q-School, branded as Q-Series. Nor will she have to worry about using two sites over two weeks, as the LPGA reduced Q-Series to a single site of six rounds. The cut of 70 and ties after round four still applies, though.

This brings us to the big tour. As alluded above, Erik van Rooyen, Troy Merritt and Tom Hoge were all involved in the FedEx Cup Fall's second event. Hoge had the least to get out of the event, as his top-50 finish in the playoffs means he'll have access to all non-major events, including the Players Championship. Even so, he was under par all four rounds, as he cracked the top 25 at the event for the first time. He also moved up one spot to #49 in the OWGR. This will loom large for qualifying for the Masters, as one criterion is to finish the year in the top 50 of the world, according to the ranking.

Van Rooyen had much more to gain. Of the three Umcees in action in Jackson, he was the only one outside the top 125 eligibility threshold, so he needed a good showing to move in. Mission accomplished with three breaches of 70, although he struggled Sunday on an even-par showing. He now occupies the last spot for full membership on account of points and also moved back into the OWGR top 200, checking in at #198 this week. It's his third-highest ranking since midyear or so. However, the UMCOW honours belong most clearly to him who has helped take the FedEx Cup Fall by storm, especially from an Upper Midwestern perspective. And that guy is...

Troy Merritt.

Like Hoge, Merritt broke par all four rounds, and like van Rooyen, he broke 70 in three rounds. The guy was some front-nine trouble away from making the deciding playoff a six-man affair, as he finished just two strokes shy of the -18 he would have needed. Indeed, had he gone bogey-free and all else had remained equal, Merritt would have won his third PGA Tour title. As it is, he moved to #177 in the OWGR and #115 in the fall rankings, though he remains among the antepenultimate five survivors. (His last winner's exemption expired in August 2021.) Definitely one to look out for this fall.

Tomorrow as of this writing, the Shriners Children's Open tees off in Las Vegas, and First Stage of Q-School is underway as we speak. One Umcee, Tripp Kinney of Des Moines, Iowa, leads the site in Lincoln, Nebraska, on -12. If he holds on to win the medal, he'll get PGA Tour Americas membership for the first half of its inaugural 2024 season, held in Latin America.

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer, Part I: First Stage (AZ, FL-1, NE, OK)

 Having explained the criteria for First Stage in my last post, I now turn to the Q-school sites themselves for this stage. Included are a listing of the sites for this week with par numbers and yardages, field sizes and Umcees participating with their first and second round tee times. As is custom, if a golfer starts the week on tee No 1, he'll switch to starting at No 10 for round 2 and vice versa. All times are local, so consider the time zone in which a given site lies before opting to track any players, including but not limited to the listed Umcees. If a given player advanced from prequalifying, he is marked with (PQ).

Located in Nebraska's capital, Wilderness Ridge CC has the most Umcees this week at Q-school.

Arizona: Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa (par 72, 7546yd)

80 players. Umcees: Angus Flanagan, University of Minnesota '21 (7:40am on 10/8:50am); Emmet Herb (PQ), Middleton, WI (7:50am on 1/9:10am); Austin Rene (PQ), Jamestown, ND (8am on 10/9:10am); Andre Metzger, formerly of Sioux Falls, SD (8:20am on 1/9:40am)

Florida-1: Champions Gate Golf Club, Champions Gate (par 72, 7243yd)

80 players. Umcees: Austin Kendziorski (PQ), Germantown, WI (9:30am on 10/8:30am); Taylor Sundbom, Duluth, MN (8:40am on 1/10am)

Nebraska: Wilderness Ridge Country Club, Lincoln (par 71, 7106yd)

79 players. Umcees: Tripp Kinney, Des Moines, IA (9am on 10/10:10am); Ross Miller, Minneapolis, MN (9:50am on 10/11am); Ben Sigel, Deephaven, MN (10am on 1/11:10am); Zach Sklebar (PQ), Fargo, ND (10:10am on 10/9am); Jack Hiemenz (PQ), Blaine, MN (10:20am on 1/9:10am); Tyler Leach (PQ), Spring Valley, WI (10:40am on 1/9:30am); Harrison Ott, Brookfield, WI (10:40am on 10/9:30am); Jack Ebner (PQ), Edina, MN (10:50am on 1/9:40am); Brady Madsen (PQ), Raymond, MN (10:50am on 10/9:40am); Lucas Scherf (PQ), Pleasant Hill, IA (11am on 10/9:50am)

Oklahoma: Muskogee Golf Club, Muskogee (par 70, 6702yd)

78 players. Umcees: Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, WI (9:47am on 1/8:41am); Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls, SD (9:47am on 10/8:41); Sterling McIlravy (PQ), Solon, IA (10:09am on 10/9:03am)

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: First Stage Criteria with Commentary

 Tomorrow, 10 October 2023, what I call the proper portion of Q-school for the PGA Tour pyramid tees off with four sites across as many states: Arizona, Florida, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Next week has five sites, including a second stop in Florida, as well as stops in California, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. The week after concludes First Stage with two further sites in Texas plus one each in Alabama and North Carolina.

Whereas prequalifying largely involved players from minitours and those who didn't make the main developmental circuits out of college, First Stage is for those who have a modicum of status on bigger tours. Specifically, the criteria for skipping prequalifying are:

1. Members of the PGA Tour and/or its developmental circuits, the DP World Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, the Korea PGA Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia or the Sunshine Tour the last three years. This requires some clarification. The 2019-20 cycle was combined with 2020-21 for eligibility purposes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, PGA Tour members this year won't have to worry about entering here, as the rules provide Second Stage entry for them.
2. Anyone who made a cut in an official-money tournament conducted by these tours the last two years. Again, some clarification is in order, as this strictly refers to nonmembers of such tours who happen to make the cut at least once where official money is at play. By this, in turn, is meant that at least three rounds (54 holes) have been completed of a given event on these tours.
3. Second Stage participants from the last three Korn Ferry Tour Q-Schools. Because there was no Q-school in 2020 due to Covid-19, the 2019 edition is included this year for the last time in this category.
4. Top 50 and ties from each First Stage site the last two years.
5. Participation in the majors and the Players Championship the last two years. Last year, this was a Second Stage exemption criterion. With the revival of PGA Tour cards at Q-school, this gets bumped to First Stage.
6. Participation in the last PGA Professional National Championship.
7. Makers of the cut in the last PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.
8. The second hundred on the OWGR as of 11 September 2023.
9. The twenty players below the top five on the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of 6 September 2023.
10. Players who qualified for the last two Walker Cups.
11. Semifinalists at the last three U.S. Amateurs and finalists at the last two U.S. Mid-Amateurs.

So what's at stake? Not much at this point, except that all site medallists (of whom each site can have multiple) will receive guaranteed PGA Tour Americas membership for the Latin American half of 2024. This replaces the old PGA Tour Latinoamerica, which in turn replaced the Tour de las Americas. As for the second half of the season, held in Canada, it replaces the PGA Tour Canada, formerly the Mackenzie Tour. However, membership cannot be attained via Q-school for that segment, at least not directly.

The next post concerns the first four sites, with emphasis on Umcees participating at each site.

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: Prequalifying, Part III: Texas (plus Two Fun Facts about Chris Meyer)

 The first hurdle of PGA Tour Q-School is almost complete, as tomorrow through Friday (27-29 September) is the final site for prequalifying. For a detailed explanation of how Q-school works, please see my post from two weeks ago.

The last prequalifying site of 2023.

Texas: The Bridges Golf Club, Gunter (par 72, 7569yd)

74 players, projected 37 advance to First Stage. The sole Umcee in the field is University of Wisconsin alumnus Chris Meyer, who tees off from the 10th tee at 9:39am.

Two fun facts about Meyer:

1. This isn't Meyer's first go-round at a Q-school this fall. Last week, at DP World Tour Q-School First Stage at Bogogno Golf Resort in Italy, Meyer finished T13 out of 112 starters. The event, which was supposed to be 72 holes as usual, was halved to 36 holes by inclement weather, and Meyer made it to Second Stage on the number of -5!

2. Meyer also has a curious pairing for his first-round tee time. In his group, he'll be playing alongside Tony Romo, former NFL quarterback and current CBS NFL commentator. No, I'm not playing you. Though I wonder if Tony is a bit delusional as to his second act.

Edward the Scop

Q-School Primer 2023: Prequalifying, Part II (AL, GA, NC, OH)

 Week two of PGA Tour Q-School commences tomorrow, 20 September with four more sites for prequalifying in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio. For a brief explanation of how Q-school works on the PGA Tour, please see my post from last week. As with last week's prequalifying sites, about half the starters will advance to First Stage, as has been determined by the Tour. Again, I will list any and all Upper Midwest connections among the starting rosters with their first-round tee times and starting holes.

Alabama: Canyon-Loblolly Golf Club, Greenville (par 72; 7088yd)

52 players, 26+ties progressing to First Stage projected. No Umcees.

Georgia: Brunswick Country Club, Brunswick (par 70; 6802yd)

71 players, 36+ties progressing to First Stage projected. No Umcees.

North Carolina: The Club at Irish Creek, Kannapolis (par 71; 7099yd)

76 players, 38+ties progressing to First Stage projected. No Umcees.

Ohio: Mayfield-Sand Ridge Club, Chardon (par 72; 7275yd)

75 players, 38+ties progressing to First Stage projected. Umcees: Nate Vance, Marshalltown, IA (8:50am at 10); Zach Sklebar, Fargo, ND (9am at 10); Jack Ebner, Edina, MN (9:40am at 1)

Sand Ridge Club in Chardon, Ohio, is the only prequalifying site with any Umcees this week.

Edward the Scop