Umcees at LPGA Q-Series 2023

 The LPGA season really isn't over until Q-Series has come and gone. To me, it is the "ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny" (with apologies to Neil Cicierega) in tour golf Q-schools. Or at least it was last year, when the ordeal went down across eight rounds over two weeks and as many courses. This year, it's down to six rounds at one site with a cut after four rounds (number making it TBA): the Magnolia Golf Club on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail near Mobile, Alabama. If that place rings a bell for readers of the Devilish Rake, it's because the site this year hosted First Stage action for the PGA Tour Q-School.

At any rate, the event is still a gruelling affair. The only mainstream Q-school that is remotely this torturous in its final round besides Q-Series is the DP World Tour Q-School, which assures some DPWT status to all who make its 72-hole cut. By contrast, Q-Series offers no such assurances, instead insisting on a top-45 finish (plus ties, of course) to have any LPGA Tour status--and that's for ladies who've made the cut. In any case, it makes the PGA Tour Q-School look like child's play, as its finals are only four rounds in length with no cut, and all who make Final Stage are assured of some decent exemptions on developmental tours like the PGA Tour Americas and have a chance at something bigger--not to mention they get exemptions into Monday qualifiers for PGA Tour events and Korn Ferry Tour events.

Two Umcees are among the 104 players who've made it to Q-Series--namely, Kim Kaufman and Kate Smith. Kaufman, who hails from Clark, South Dakota and went to college at Texas Tech, becoming an All-American, had LPGA Tour status for much of last decade. Unfortunately, she never won on tour and suffered some health problems along the way. She ended back up on the Epson Tour, and this is her second straight trip to Q-Series, having failed to improve her status last year. Can she do it this time, improving on a barely top-70 showing from a year ago?

Smith, by contrast, is a newcomer to Q-Series, having previously failed to advance last year from Stage II. The Detroit Lakes, Minnesota native went to Nebraska for college and has been by far the more impressive of the two Umcees at Q-Series this season, finishing #19 on the Epson Tour's Race for the Card to Kaufman's #68 finish. This sufficed to exempt Smith directly to Q-Series, making this her first action since the Epson Tour Championship in early October. One question: Will there be rust from the layoff? Or will Smith live up to the hype stemming from a good-to-great Epson Tour season and earn her LPGA Tour card the second-easiest way?

Since my Upper Midwest Connection of the Week drops on Wednesdays, and Q-Series concludes next Tuesday (5 December), I will be able to consider Kaufman and Smith for the weekly honour awarded 6 December. Good luck to both at Q-Series!!!

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

Top Ten Upper Midwest Connections of the Year 2023 Preview

 The PGA Tour season finally wrapped three days ago, as did the DP World Tour season. And just like that...all quiet on the tour front.

Okay, that's a bit premature. There are still four Q-school events--three for the PGA Tour, as well as LPGA Q-Series--to contest in order to determine placement on professional golf tours under those organizations' umbrellas. And just as the DPWT concludes its season every year, it seems to start the next immediately the following week with a few events in South Africa--the Joburg Open, the South African Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship--plus the Mauritius Open. All these events are co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Tour, which provides tour golf to southern Africa. Lastly, as far as I know, at least one Umcee--Erik van Rooyen--will be playing the Dunhill. But for the vast majority of tour golfers, both men and women, mid-November is a cutoff point, a time to retreat into unofficial events (if that). About the only truly bigwig event that remains on the calendar is the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which does carry OWGR points for twenty participants. One of these, of course, will be Tiger Woods, who hosts the event and is playing for the first time since withdrawing from the Masters after making the cut.

It makes sense, then, to start planning a year-end ranking of the top Umcees of 2023. Was this the greatest year for the contingent? No, but there were enough accomplishments among such players (again, both men and women) to fill a top ten, in my opinion. Furthermore, these accomplishments might be increased as a result of Q-school outcomes. As a result of the planning, compilation and ranking of the top ten Upper Midwest connections of the year, coupled with Q-school coverage and work on second-round picks for the FA Cup, it'll be a hectic next few weeks here at the Devilish Rake. I might even consider a poll or two to help select certain entries on the list as the deadline approaches. Stay tuned.

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)

Best Friends Forever

In case you're wondering if this is my Upper Midwest Connection of the Week for last week's golf, it's not. I didn't feel there was anybody worthy of the plaudits after Troy Merritt struggled in Bermuda (he did make the cut, but didn't do all that well and fell to #123 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings) and O.J. Farrell, former Wisconsin Badger from England, faltered at DP World Tour Q-School finals, missing the top 70 and ties cut that is made four rounds (of six) in. Rather, this is a follow-up piece on the context surrounding the life of the most recent Umcee to be so honoured.

When I last reported on these matters, I noted that Erik van Rooyen was BFFs with University of Minnesota teammate Jon Trasamar; the two had played together at the U from 2009-2013. As such, they kept in touch often, though their paths diverged. Erik became a fairly big-time golfer, while Jon toiled on minitours like the Dakotas Tour, where he won five times. I also mentioned that last year, Jon started to suffer melanoma. It became stage IV; and though it went into remission, enabling him to resume competitive golf, it came back with a vengeance, afflicting his entire body. What I didn't mention was that a family friend named Bailey Haley set up a GoFundMe page to help fund treatments for Jon's cancer back in February of this year. As of this writing, the goal of $150K has been surpassed, and the total levied is now nearly $156K.

I also failed to mention in the first piece that it was thought Jon Trasamar would live another six to ten weeks, according to van Rooyen in his presser following the third round of his World Wide Technology Championship triumph in Mexico. This would have seen Jon through to maybe shortly after New Year. But I did mention that, if van Rooyen got enough FedEx Cup points to skip the Bermuda Championship as a result of his performance at the WWT, he would visit Jon at the Mayo Clinic. Indeed, he did that two days later as he had promised, along with his caddie (and other college teammate) Alex Gaugert. I saw pictures of Erik arriving at the place on his Instagram that day, as well as a Golf Channel interview later on after he had visited his bestie.

It was the last time he saw Jon alive. On Veterans Day (or Armistice/Remembrance Day, as EVR would more likely call it), 11 November 2023, Jon Trasamar died at the age of 33. A few days later, his widow Allie wrote on the aforementioned GoFundMe page:

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the news of Jon's passing. Over the past few weeks, Jon was surrounded by an outpouring of love as friends and family reached out to him and travelled from all over the country to be with him. The joy he found in those moments with his loved ones are memories I will forever hold close to my heart.

Throughout his diagnosis, Jon showed unwavering strength, grace and humility, confronting any challenges he faced without complaint. He was, and continues to be, an inspiration to many and has left an indelible mark on those who knew him.

Thank you for praying for my husband--reaching out to him, thinking of him--and for your incredible generosity. I will forever be grateful for the kindness you've shown us during this immensely difficult time....Whenever you encounter a sequence of ones--be it the time or another numerical pattern--I encourage you to think of Jon--a life well-lived and full of love.

It is thought that a memorial of some sort will be held at the weekend following the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Ryan French of Monday Q Info.

As for me, I froze in my chair as I ate breakfast upon hearing the news of Jon's death. Though I didn't know Jon personally, what I wouldn't do for a chance to console Erik van Rooyen and other Gopher teammates of his from that part of last decade. It was because of them that my interest in golf persisted, even when other sports like football, basketball and hockey (to say naught of soccer) held sway in my mind.

Every night until the memorial/funeral arrangements for Jon Trasamar are finalized and implemented, I will meditate--maybe with a prayer, maybe with soft music, maybe just the dark silence--at 11:11pm. It is my way, however insignificant, of remembering one of the reasons I follow Umcees in tour golf.

May Jon Trasamar live in the hearts of Umcees in tour golf.

May he live in the hearts of all who labour in, and are heavy-burdened by, the grind toward professional glory.

May he live in the hearts of college golfers who have an eye toward said grind, which to many of them is its own excuse.

May he live in the hearts of high-school golfers who seek for a leg up on other grinders, that the road may not feel so long or dark.

May he live in the hearts of all who, though having ruled out playing careers, have taken it upon themselves to teach the next generation of players.

May he live in the hearts of fans who, regardless of their interest in playing or teaching golf, are nonetheless supportive of those who have made it their vocation in some capacity.

May he live in the hearts of those struggling with terminal illnesses like he did, regardless of their interest in or attitudes toward golf.

May he live in the hearts of those who help the terminally ill.

May he live in the hearts of the family and friends of the terminally ill.

May he live in the hearts of those who scoff at the naysayers.

May he live in the hearts of all who live, used to live or go/went to school in the Upper Midwest. He was truly one of us.

Edward the Scop

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