New Q-School

Champions Tour Q-school set for Wednesday in South Florida

Nov. 13, 2006 By Lauren Deason PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator

 

In less than a week’s time, 30 lucky guys will have much to be thankful for as they get one step closer to the world of professional golf.

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It’s a big week for hopeful Champions Tour players, as the final stage of the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament kicks off on Wednesday at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla. The 91 men in the field will be pared down to the top 70 and ties after 36 holes, with the remaining competitors fighting to be among the top 30 come Saturday’s final round.

To reach this point each golfer had to survive the first stage of Q-school, where 312 players -- 78 at each site -- met in four different venues across the country. From the PGA Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif., to the Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas, to two Florida sites, the MetroWest Country Club in Orlando and The Moors Golf Club in Milton, come the final stage qualifiers, who now have to be prepared to compete over a pressure-filled, four-day period.

There are several notable golfers contending in Coral Springs this week, including former Major League Baseball pitcher Rick Rhoden, who qualified last year for the Champions Tour through Q-school and has three top-10 finishes in his career on the Tour.

Mike San Filippo also makes the players-to-watch list, as he has played on the Champions Tour over the past few years after earning conditionally-exempt status at Q-school for 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Another player looking to qualify again is Chris Starkjohann, who finished ninth at the qualifying tournament last year and received a conditional exemption for 2006. He lost in a three-way playoff at the Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship last month.

Thirty-six other players in the field have actually competed before in Champions Tour Q-school, with some faring better than others. Returning for the 10th time is Roy Vucinich, whose best finish was sixth in 1999 to send him to the Champions Tour. Others are looking to make the cut for the first time.

Things will look a little different, however, to Q-school returnees like San Filippo, Starkjohann and Rhoden this year. Those players who are successful in the final stage this week, meaning the top 30 players and ties, can compete each week for a place in open, full-field Champions Tour events next week. Nine spots have been set aside for these Q-school participants, along with former PGA TOUR and Champions Tour players who meet predetermined criteria, to play their way into the tournament through a weekly Monday qualifier.

This differs from the format in previous years, when the top seven players at Q-school earned fully-exempt status and the next eight received conditional exemptions. It means, however, that several new faces could be found to add spice to the Tour each week.