Tom Whitney apparently has taken quite a shine to Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club in Sebring, Fla.
A week after the Fort Collins resident won the Swing Thought Tour’s Florida 54 tournament on the course, he finished second at the same site on Saturday to earn his card on PGA Tour Latinoamerica for 2016.
The former Air Force Academy golfer shot rounds of 68-72-72-68 for an 8-under-par 280 total which left him two shots behind medalist Corey Conners of Canada.
The top 25 finishers and ties in the Q-school event landed spots on the Latinoamerica Tour. By finishing where he did, Whitney (pictured) will be exempt for at least the first half of the season.
Also earning Latinoamerica Tour status — albeit conditional — was former University of Colorado golfer Justin Bardgett, who placed 15th after going 72-72-70-70 for a 284 total.
Just missing conditional status — by one stroke — was Coloradan Bryan Kruse, who carded rounds of 69-78-69-73–289 to finish 29th
For all the scores from Sebring, CLICK HERE.
Three more Latinoamerica Tour qualifiers will be held in coming weeks — in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina.
The tour’s first official event starts Feb. 25 in Colombia.
Also Saturday, former CU golfer Sebastian Heisele earned his Asian Tour card by tying for fourth in the final stage of qualifying school. He shot rounds of 68-67-70-69 for a 10-under-par 274 total in Thailand. Heisele was one of 41 players to gain Asian Tour status on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in mini-tour action this week, Nick Hodge of Littleton finished fifth Thursday in an OnCore Gateway Tour event, the Bushnell Classic in Buckeye, Ariz. Hodge earned $2,700 after posting rounds of 69-69-70 for an 8-under-par 208 total.
And Michael Schoolcraft of Denver placed fourth Friday in the Adams Pro Tour’s Panther Trail Classic in The Woodlands, Texas. Schoolcraft went 73-67–140 for a $1,954 payday.
