School is back in session starting this week.
Q-school, that is.
After a few weeks off since the initial stages of qualifying for the 2014 LPGA Tour and Web.com Tour, things heat up again starting Tuesday.
The LPGA Tour is at stage II of the three-stage qualifying process, with a single tournament set for this week — Tuesday through Friday — in Venice, Fla.
The Web.com Tour, now the top U.S.-based men’s tour that still features a Q-school, completed pre-qualifying tournaments late in the summer and now is ready for the “first stage” of the three remaining.
In both cases, numerous golfers who made a name for themselves in Colorado are pursuing their dreams of reaching some of the top levels of competitive golf.
Here is what’s upcoming this week, with the local players in the field:
LPGA Stage II Oct. 8-11 in Venice, Fla. — A total of 195 players will take part in this 72-hole, no-cut event. After four rounds, the top 80 finishers and ties will advance to the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying, set for Dec. 4-8 in Daytona, Beach, Fla.
Players with significant Colorado ties in the field are Ashley Tait of Littleton (pictured above), Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, and former University of Colorado golfers Jessica Wallace, Alex Stewart and Emily Childs. Childs and Stewart, who each played just one season at CU, competed in the stage I qualifying tournament to earn a berth in this week’s event.
As for the first stage of Web.com Tour Q-school, it’s being contested at a dozen sites over the next three weeks. The fields for later in the month haven’t yet be announced, but this week’s are finalized. Likewise to be determined is the exact number of players from each site that will advance to stage 2, but a total more than 20 is expected.
The second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school will be held at six sites in mid-November, while the final stage is Dec. 12-17 in La Quinta, Calif. The top 45 finishers and ties in La Quinta will receive priority status on the 2014 Web.com Tour, with the other finalists being conditionally exempt.
Here are the players with strong Colorado ties scheduled to compete in 72-hole first-stage tournaments this week, Tuesday through Friday:
Maricopa, Ariz. Oct. 8-11 — Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs, Jim Knous of Basalt, former Colorado Springs resident Justin Spray, former CSU golfer Kirby Pettitt, former Castle Rock resident Jamie Marshall.
Lantana, Texas Oct. 8-11 — Riley Arp of Fort Collins, James Love of Denver, former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz.
Vero Beach, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Kevin Kring.
Lakeland, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Jason Burstyn.
