The major U.S.-based golf tours, aside from the LPGA, have wrapped up their 2012 seasons. But for quite a few elite-level local golfers, the most important tournaments of the year lie ahead.
Specifically, what’s on the line over the next few weeks are spots on the world’s top tours in 2013. For most of the participating players with strong Colorado ties, how they perform will make the difference whether they compete next year at the very highest level of golf, have another year of scrambling to make a living on mini-tours and state opens, or something in between.
The final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in Daytona Beach, Fla., but of more immediate concern is the second stage of PGA Tour Q-school and the final stage of Champions Tour qualifying, both of which will take place this week.
The PGA Tour second stage will be held at six sites, either Tuesday through Friday (Nov. 13-16) or Wednesday through Saturday (Nov. 14-17) — three in Florida, two in Texas and one in California. Ten golfers with strong Colorado connections will compete, including Highlands Ranch’s Derek Tolan (pictured above), who won his second HealthOne Colorado Open this year and missed advancing to the Q-school finals by a single stroke in 2011.
As for the finals of Champions Tour Q-school, it’s set for Tuesday through Friday in Coral Springs, Fla. Former University of Colorado golfer Steve Jones is the only major champion (1996 U.S. Open) in the field, and onetime Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo also will be competing.
At stake in the 78-player Champions Tour qualifying are five fully-exempt positions on the 2013 Champions circuit, plus seven conditional spots.
Jones, who is missing his induction into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame this week because of the tournament, is hoping to become an exempt Champions Tour player for the first time. He turned 50 on Dec. 27, 2008, but didn’t return to competition until more than two years later because of a case of tennis elbow. Jones, winner of eight PGA Tour events, was recently voted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
At the PGA Tour’s second stage, the number of players who will advance to the final stage of Q-school hasn’t yet been announced, but last year about 20 moved on from each site.
But the second stage is crucial in many respects. While most of those who fail to advance will be left with no tour status next year, the players who do move on to the final stage — set for Nov. 28-Dec. 3 in La Quinta, Calif. — will be guaranteed at least some Web.com status in 2013.
The big prize, of course, will be the PGA Tour cards which will be awarded to the top 25 finishers and ties after the final stage. But there is also a lot of money and opportunities on the Web.com Tour, so being assured a spot there is a major hurdle for many players.
Among the local golfers joining Tolan in this week’s second stage are Shane Bertsch of Parker, who lost his exempt status on the PGA Tour this year, and 2012 Web.com Tour player James Love of Denver.
David Duval of Cherry Hills Village, winner of 13 PGA Tour events in his career but none in the last 11 years, was scheduled to play in the second-stage tournament in Murrieta, Calif., this week, but he withdrew. Golfweek magazine reported it was due to a broken toe.
Here is the rundown on all the local golfers competing in the second stage, along with their site:
Nov. 13-16 in McKinney, Texas — James Love of Denver, Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch.
Nov. 13-16 in Humble, Texas — former Denver resident Mark Hubbard, former Colorado State University golfer Dustin Morris.
Nov. 14-17 in Panama City, Fla. — Shane Bertsch of Parker, Kyle McCarthy of Denver.
Nov. 14-17 in Murrieta, Calif. — former Colorado School of Mines golfer Marty Jertson, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz, former University of Denver golfer Danny Wax, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora.
As for the Nov. 13-16 Champions Tour final stage in Coral Springs, Fla. — former University of Colorado golfer Steve Jones, onetime Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo.
Meanwhile, at the recently completed second stage of European Tour qualifying, former CU golfer Sebastian Heisele failed to be one of 19 players to advance in Alicante, Spain as he finished 41st.
