The standards are pretty high at the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school this week.
Of the seven players competing who have strong ties to Colorado, six are under par through three rounds of the 72-hole tournaments.
And how many would have advanced to the final stage of Q-school if the tournaments had ended on Thursday?
Zero.
In other words, all seven will need to rally in Friday’s final rounds if they want to keep alive their hopes of earning Web.com Tour cards for 2019.
Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda, once a PGA Tour regular, remains the top local through three rounds. A 1-under-par 70 on Thursday leaves him in 19th place at 7-under 206 in a second-stage event in Plantation, Fla. The top 18 finishers and ties at the site will advance to the final stage of Q-school. Svoboda made five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on Thursday.
At a tournament in McKinney, Texas, where the top 19 and ties will move on, three players are in the top 45 — former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul (33rd place at 6-under 210), former Colorado State University player Blake Cannon (37th place at 211) and Steven Kupcho of Westminster (43rd place at 212). As of Thursday night, 9 under par or better was in the top 19.
Former CU golfer Josh Creel, from Cheyenne, earned a spot in the Q-school finals last week in a second stage tournament in Murrieta, Calif. The final stage will be held Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2019 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.
Here are this week’s second stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:
Q-School Second Stage (Nov. 6-9)
McKinney, Texas (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
33. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 70-69-71–210
37. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 72-71-68–211
43. Steven Kupcho of Westminster 74-71-67–212
51. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 70-73-71–214
Mobile, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
62. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 71-69-72–212
Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
19. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 68-68-70–206
64. AJ Morris of Aspen 72-72-72–216
