By placing between 11th and 40th in Chandler, Ariz., Creel (left) will be exempt for at least the first eight events of 2019. The season will open Jan. 13-16 at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic. There will be a Colorado stop — the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes — set for July 11-14 at TPC Colorado in Berthoud.

Creel, who played four Web events in 2017 after having conditional status, shot four straight rounds in the 60s (69-67-66-68) for an 18-under-par total in Arizona. He made six birdies and two bogeys on Sunday. For the week, Creel carded an eagle and 21 birdies.

The medalist after four rounds — former University of Virginia golfer Danny Walker, at 27-under-par 261 — will be fully exempt for the entire 2019 Web season, while finishers 2-10 and ties will be exempt for the first 12 events and finishers 11-40 and ties for the first eight tournaments. Everyone else in the 135-man field will receive conditional status.

Boulder native George Cunningham placed 74th at 274 on Sunday and failed to improve his 2019 Web.com Tour status. Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — already had some status on the Web circuit by virtue of finishing second on the PGA Tour Canada money list. 

Here are the round-by-round scores for players with significant Colorado ties:

34. Cheyenne resident and former CU golfer Josh Creel 69-67-66-68–270
74. Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham 70-67-68-69–274

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Whitney, Brown Post Top-10s on Mini Tours: On Friday, former Fort Collins resident Tom Whitney scored his second top-10 finish of the week on the All Pro Tour in Texas. The former Air Force Academy golfer tied for third place on Friday at the Cypresswood Open-Cypress in Spring, Texas. That was three days after an eighth-place showing at the Cypresswood Open-Tradition tournament, also in Spring, Texas. In the event that ended on Friday, Whitney shot rounds of 65-68 for an 11-under-par 133 total and finished three strokes behind champion Michael Arnaud. The showing was worth $1,877 to Whitney. … Zahkai Brown of Golden placed eighth on Thursday in the Outlaw Tour’s Legacy Classic in Phoenix. The former CoBank Colorado Open champion went 67-72-65 for a 204 total that left him nine strokes behind winner Jeff Burton. Brown earned $1,350.
 

Creel (left), who competed in four Web events in 2017 and posted one top-10 finish, shot a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 on Saturday and shares 37th place at 14-under-par 202. He trails co-leaders Norman Xiong, Jimmy Stanger and Andy Zhang by nine strokes going into Sunday’s final round.

The medalist after four rounds will be fully exempt for the entire 2019 Web season, while finishers 2-10 and ties will be exempt for the first 12 events and finishers 11-40 and ties for the first eight tournaments. Everyone else in the 135-man field will receive conditional status.

On Saturday, Creel made an eagle and four birdies en route to the 66.

Meanwhile, Boulder native George Cunningham, who grew up in nearby Louisville, carded a 68 in round 3 to check in at 205 and in 66th place. Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — likewise went bogey-free on Saturday, making four birdies. The former Coloradan already has some status on the Web circuit by virtue of finishing second on the PGA Tour Canada money list, but would like to improve on that. 

Here are the round-by-round scores for players with significant Colorado ties:

37. Cheyenne resident and former CU golfer Josh Creel 69-67-66–202
66. Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham 70-67-68–205

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

The two players with ties to Colorado and the area are 8 and 7 under par, respectively, at the halfway point of the four-round tournament in Chandler, Ariz. And yet neither is currently in the top 40 — what is necessary to receive exempt status on the 2019 Web circuit.

With leader Norman Xiong an amazing 16 under par through two rounds (65-63), Josh Creel of Cheyenne, who started his college golf career at the University of Colorado before transferring to Central Oklahoma, stands in 49th place at 8-under 136. And Boulder native George Cunningham, who grew up in nearby Louisville, is at 137 and in 65th place. Both Creel and Cunningham shot 5-under-par 67s on Friday.

The medalist after four rounds will be fully exempt for the entire 2019 Web season, while finishers 2-10 and ties will be exempt for the first 12 events and finishers 11-40 and ties for the first eight tournaments. Everyone else in the 135-man field will receive conditional status.

On Friday, Creel fired a 6-under 30 on the front nine, but played the back in 1-over 37. He made seven birdies and two bogeys on the day.

Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — carded six birdies and one bogey in round 2. Cunningham already has some status on the Web circuit by virtue of finishing second on the PGA Tour Canada money list, but would like to improve on that. 

Here are the round-by-round scores for players with significant Colorado ties:

49. Cheyenne resident and former CU golfer Josh Creel 69-67–136
65. Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham 70-67–137

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

As an example, the two players with ties to Colorado and the surrounding area shot 3-under-par 69 and 2-under 70 on Thursday, yet that didn’t even get them in the top 60 on the scoreboard out of the 135-man field in Chandler, Ariz.

Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo., who began his college golf career at the University of Colorado before transferring to Central Oklahoma, made four birdies and posted the 69, which left him in a share of 66th place. And Boulder native George Cunningham, who grew up in nearby Louisville, made five straight birdies and opened with the 70, putting him in 84th place.

Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — already has some status on the Web circuit by virtue of finishing second on the PGA Tour Canada money list, but would like to improve on that. 

Meanwhile, 13 players shot 65 or lower on Thursday, including leaders Braden Thornberry and Bryan Bigley, who opened with 62s. Thornberry is the 2017 NCAA individual champion.

The top 40 finishers and ties after four rounds will earn some exempt status for 2019. The winner will be fully exempt for the entire season, while finishers 2-10 and ties will be exempt for the first 12 events and finishers 11-40 and ties for the first eight tournaments. Everyone else will receive conditional status.

Here are the round-by-round scores for players with significant Colorado ties:

66. Cheyenne resident and former CU golfer Josh Creel 69
84. Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham 70

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Creel assured himself as much by finishing eighth at a second stage Q-school tournament on Friday in Murrieta, Calif.

The top 18 players and ties from the event will advance to the final stage of Q-school, set for Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2019 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.

Creel, a former NCAA Division II champion at Central Oklahoma, shot under-par rounds each day in Murrieta, going 69-70-71-69 for a 9-under 279 total. He made four birdies on Friday and 17 for the week, to go with two eagles.

Creel has played in five Web.com Tour events in his career and finished 10th in the 2017 Digital Ally Open.

Former CU golfer Yannik Paul and Zahkai Brown of Golden both fell a little shy of advancing to the final stage on Friday. Paul (22nd place at 284) missed by two strokes, and Brown (29th place at 286) by four.

Four more second stage tournaments will be held next week.

Here are this week’s second stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:

Q-School Second Stage (Oct. 30-Nov. 2)
Murrieta, Calif. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Advances to Final Stage
8. Former CU golfer Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo. 69-70-71-69–279
Failed to Advance
22. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul 72-74-66-72–284
29. Zahkai Brown of Golden 72-75-69-70–286
 

After rounds of 72-74 earlier in the week, Paul (left) rebounded with a 6-under-par 66 at Bear Creek Golf Club to jump into a tie for 18th place at 4-under 212 going into Friday’s final round.

The top 18 finishers and ties on Friday will advance to the final stage of Q-school.

Paul made two eagles on the front nine on Thursday and finished an eventful day with two eagles, five birdies and three bogeys.

Meanwhile, Josh Creel of Cheyenne, who started his college golf career at CU before transferring to Central Oklahoma, moved up to seventh place on Thursday. The former NCAA Division II individual champion posted a 1-under 71 to check in at 6-under 210. He made an eagle, four birdies, a bogey and two double bogeys in round 3.

Zahkai Brown of Golden carded a 69 on Thursday which lifted him into 33rd place at 216. He finished with five birdies and two bogeys in the third round.

Four more Second Stage tournaments will be held next week. The Final Stage is 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 (Oct. 30-Nov. 2)
Murrieta, Calif. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Final Stage)
7. Former CU golfer Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo. 69-70-71–210
18. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul 72-74-66–212
33. Zahkai Brown of Golden 72-75-69–216

The top 18 finishers and ties after 72 holes will advance to the final stage of Q-school.

Creel, the national Division II player of the year at Central Oklahoma in 2012, made four birdies and two bogeys in posting a 2-under-par 70 on Wednesday. That left him at 5-under-par 139 overall, eight strokes behind leader Armando Favelo of Chula Vista, Calif.

The other players with significant Colorado-area ties competing this week will need to rally in the final two rounds to get inside the top 18. Former University of Colorado golfer Yannik Paul is tied for 40th place at 146, while Zahkai Brown of Golden is 43rd at 147.

Four more Second Stage tournaments will be held next week. The Final Stage is 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 (Oct. 30-Nov. 2)
Murrieta, Calif. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Final Stage)
10. Former CU golfer Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo. 69-70–139
40. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul 72-74–146
43. Zahkai Brown of Golden 72-75–147
 

Josh Creel of Cheyenne, who started his college golf career at the University of Colorado, opened with a 3-under-par 69 in Murrieta, Calif., leaving him in 10th place with three rounds remaining.

Meanwhile, 2013 CoBank Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Golden and former CU golfer Yannik Paul posted 72s and share 30th place.

The top 18 finishers and ties after 72 holes will advance to the final stage of Q-school.

Creel made an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys on Tuesday. He trails leader Dusty Fielding of Richfield, Utah, the 2015 Rocky Mountain Open champion, by four strokes. Brown careded three birdies and three bogeys and Paul two birdies and two bogeys.

Four more Second Stage tournaments will be held next week. The Final Stage is 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 (Oct. 30-Nov. 2)
Murrieta, Calif. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Final Stage)
10. Former CU golfer Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo. 69
30. Zahkai Brown of Golden 72
30. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul 72
 

A good example was the Web.com Tour Q-school First Stage tournament that concluded on Friday in St. George, Utah.

There, 2012 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho (left) of Westminster shot a 5-under-par 65 to advance to Stage 2 on the number. And Riley Arp of Fort Collins fired a 68 to also move on — with no strokes to spare. Kupcho, a former University of Northern Colorado golfer, played his final 12 holes in 5 under.

On the other side of the cut line in Utah, Beau Schoolcraft of Denver appeared to be in good shape after going 69-64-64 the first three rounds. But a final-round 75 left him one stroke shy of advancing — just a shot behind Kupcho and Arp. Schoolcraft played his final three holes in 3 over par, with a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 17.

All told, five players with strong Colorado connections advanced this week to the Second Stage of the three-stage process, thanks to finishing in the top 21 or 22 — depending on the First Stage site in which they competed.

Joining Kupcho and Arp in moving on on Friday were AJ Morris of Aspen (fourth place in West Palm Beach, Fla.); Josh Creel, who started his college career at the University of Colorado (12th place in Dayton, Nev.); and former University of Denver player Chris Gilman (17th place in Nevada).

That’s in addition to the four players with strong Colorado connections who advanced last month from a First Stage Q-school tournament to Second Stage — Zahkai Brown of Golden, fellow former CSU golfer Blake Cannon, and former CU players Yannik and Jeremy Paul.

Among those falling short on Friday was Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo, another case that falls into the Q-school cruelty category. Makloski was in fourth place going into Friday in Dayton, Nev. — where the top 22 finishers and ties advanced — but a final-round 81 dropped him into 35th place.

See below for all the scores for local players and where they placed.

Next up, there will be five Second Stage Q-school tournmaments from Oct. 30-Nov. 9. The Final Stage is Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2018 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.

Here are this week’s First-Stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:

Q-School First Stage (Oct. 9-12)
Dayton Nev. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advance to Stage 2
12. Former CU golfer Josh Creel 70-71-72-72–285
17. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 74-69-72-71-71–286
Failed to Advance
36. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 68-69-73-81–291
36. James Love, Denver 71-72-76-72–291
61. Former Coloradan Eric Hallberg 80-75-75-71–301

St. George, Utah (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advance to Stage 2
20. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 68-67-68-68–271
20. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 70-67-69-65–271
Failed to Advance
25. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-64-64-75–272
39. Mike Schoolcraft, Denver 73-70-69-63–275
39. Cole Nygren, Longmont 71-71-65-68–275
50. Tom Gempel, Lone Tree 68-71-72-67–278

The Woodlands, Texas (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Failed to Advance
30. Former Coloradan Tom Whitney 67-76-74-70–287
33. Jamie Marshall, Lone Tree 68-70-75-76–289

West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advances to Stage 2
4. AJ Morris, Aspen 68-67-71-69–275
 

But there’s still work to do — 18 holes of it.

Beau Schoolcraft of Denver shot his second consecutive 6-under-par 66 and shares seventh place at the St. George, Utah Q-school site, where the top 21 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will move on. The former University of Colorado golfer, who made seven birdies on Thursday, stands at 13-under-par 197. Former Colorado State golfer Riley Arp of Fort Collins (18th place at 203) is also on the right side of the cut line.

In Dayton, Nev., where the top 22 players and ties will advance, former Ram Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo is in fourth place at 6-under-par 210. Onetime CU golfer Josh Creel (11th place at 213) and former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman (22nd at 215) are also in the top 22.

At other sites, AJ Morris of Aspen (10-under-par 206) shares fifth place in West Palm Beach, Fla., while Jamie Marshall of Lone Tree (3-under 213) is 20th in The Woodlands, Texas. The top 21 and ties will advance in Florida, and the top 22 and ties in Texas.

Last month, four players with strong Colorado connections advanced from a First Stage Q-school tournament to Second Stage — Zahkai Brown of Golden, fellow former CSU golfer Blake Cannon, and former CU players Yannik and Jeremy Paul.

Next up, there will be five Second Stage Q-school tournmaments from Oct. 30-Nov. 9. The Final Stage is Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2018 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.

Here are this week’s First-Stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:

Q-School First Stage (Oct. 9-12)
Dayton Nev. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
4. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 68-69-73–210
11. Former CU golfer Josh Creel 70-71-72–213
22. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 74-69-72–215
35. James Love, Denver 71-72-76–219
66. Former Coloradan Eric Hallberg 80-75-75–230

St. George, Utah (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
7. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-64-64–197
18. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 68-67-68–203
30. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 70-67-69–206
38. Cole Nygren, Longmont 71-71-65–207
52. Tom Gempel, Lone Tree 68-71-72–211
58. Mike Schoolcraft, Denver 73-70-69–212

The Woodlands, Texas (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
20. Jamie Marshall, Lone Tree 68-70-75–213
35. Former Coloradan Tom Whitney 67-76-74–217

West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
5. AJ Morris, Aspen 68-67-71–206