And now it looks like the former Fort Collins resident and Air Force Academy golfer will be a regular on that circuit again in 2019.

Whitney finished fourth out of 99 players on Friday in a PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school tournament in Mazatlan, Mexico, which gives him fully-exempt status for the first half of the 2019 season.

Meanwhile, two other players with strong Colorado ties earned conditional PTLA status for 2019 — former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon and Castle Pines resident Josh Seiple, who’s in the midst of his senior season at the University of Mississippi.

Whitney, who shared the lead after three rounds, tallied scores of 67-70-65-67 for a 19-under-par 269 total that left him five strokes behind medalist Jacob Bergeron of the U.S., who closed with a 62 and is fully exempt for the entire season.

Whitney eagled a par-4 during Friday’s round, but also made a 7 on a par-5.

Players who finished 2-11 are fully exempt for the first half of the season.

Those who placed 12th through 35th and ties are conditionally exempt in 2019. That’s the category in which Cannon and Seiple fell. Cannon (66-69-71-69) tied for 15th at 275, while Seiple (69-70-69-72) shared 32nd place at 280.

Two more PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school events remain, both next week: in Brazil and Argentina.

Coloradan Chen Earns Conditional Status on PGA Tour China: Westminster resident and University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen landed conditional status on PGA Tour China on Friday by tying for 21st place out of 100 players in a Q-school tournament in Guangzhou.

The finishers in the 13-35 range earned conditional status through the first six events of 2019.

Chen posted rounds of 73-76-75-78 for a 22-over-par 302 total.

Chen is in the midst of his senior season at UNC. In 2017, he was medalist in qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at Fort Collins Country Club.

This week marked the first of four qualifying tournaments in 2019 for PGA Tour China.

Former Buff Jeremy Paul Wins in Scottsdale: Meanwhile, in mini-tour action, former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul won a one-round tournament, the Waste Management Warm-Up in Scottsdale, Ariz., an Outlaw Tour event.

Paul shot a 5-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory and earned $1,500 on Monday.

Steven Kupcho Runner-Up in Napa: Elsewhere on mini tours, former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho recently posted his second top-10 finish in a month.

Kupcho tied for second in the Napa Open at Silverado Resort and Spa in California last week. The former University of Northern Colorado golfer posted a 7-under-par 209 total, finishing seven back of champion Corey Pereira and earning $3,500.

In December, Kupcho shared ninth place in a Mexico Professional Golf Tour event in Mazatlan.
 

Laird completed his 10th Phoenix Open on Sunday, and for the fourth time in his last eight trips to the event, he posted a top-10 finish.

This time, the former Ram placed ninth after an early-round run of four straight birdies (holes 3-6) vaulted him into second place.

Laird (pictured) went 68-67-68-68 for a 13-under-par 271 total, which left him five strokes behind champion Gary Woodland, a Kansas product. Laird finished with five birdies and two bogeys in the final round.

Sunday marked the 33rd PGA Tour top-10 for Laird, who has won three times on golf’s top circuit.

Laird’s finishes at the Phoenix Open in the last eight years include a third place in 2011, a fifth place in 2015, a seventh place last year and Sunday’s ninth-place showing.

For Phoenix Open scores, CLICK HERE.

Arvidsson Finishes Fifth in PGA Tour China Q-school: Former University of Denver golfer Oskar Arvidsson earned fully-exempt status on PGA Tour China on Sunday by finishing fifth out of 120 players in a four-round international Q-school tournament in Haikou in southern China.

Arvidsson, who qualified for the 2016 British Open, led after the first three rounds of the Q-school event. He posted scores of 67-67-74-74 for a 6-under-par 282 total and finished seven strokes behind medalist Jeffrey Kang, a former University of Southern California golfer.

Former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho failed to earn PGA Tour China status as he placed 51st at 12-over-par 300 (78-74-72-76). Kupcho missed conditional status by four strokes.

The top 15 finishers at Q-school will be fully exempt for the 14-tournament PGA Tour China season, with the next 25 conditionally exempt. This was the first of two international qualifiers for PGA Tour China.

For Q-school scores, CLICK HERE.
 

The former University of Colorado golfer, a two-time winner of the CoBank Colorado Open, posted rounds of 71-72-68-74 for a 3-under-par 285 total. Tolan played the two par-5s on the back nine in 3 over par, costing him a shot at exempt status for 2018.

The winner of the tournament (Cristobal Del Solar) will be exempt for the entire Latinoamerica season, while the next 10 finishers are exempt for the first half of the year. The rest of the players placing in the top 35 and ties will have conditional status.

Tolan (pictured) played in 11 PGA Tour Latinoamerica tournaments in 2015 and ’16 combined, recording a best finish of fifth place in 2015. The Denver native has also played in five PGA Tour events — including the 2002 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old — and 10 Web.com tournaments.

The PGA Tour Latinoamerica season begins March 15 with the Guatemala Open. Earlier this year, three other players with major Colorado ties also earned conditional status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica through other Q-school tournaments: former Buff golfer Jeremy Paul, Cole Nygren of Longmont and former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman.

For scores from Q-school in Argentina, CLICK HERE.

No Weekend Play at Phoenix Open for Clark, but Laird in 8th Place: Denver native Wyndham Clark missed the cut on Friday in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the eighth PGA Tour start of his pro career.

Clark, who made it into the field via a sponsor exemption, shot rounds of 74-73 for a 5-over-par 147 total at TPC Scottsdale.

It was an up-and-down two days for Clark, who has a Web.com Tour card this year. The winner of the 2017 Pac-12 title and the 2010 CGA Amateur made two birdies and five bogeys on Thursday. In round 2, he carded an eagle, three birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

Clark has made two cuts in his eight PGA Tour starts.

Meanwhile, former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird, a Scottsdale resident, backed up his first-round 68 with a 67 on Friday afternoon and moved into a share of eighth place at 7-under 135. After a five-birdie, one-bogey day, he trails co-leaders Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau by three shots.

For Phoenix Open scores, CLICK HERE.

Former DU Golfer Arvidsson Leads in China: Former University of Denver golfer Oskar Arvidsson leads at the halfway point of an international PGA Tour China Q-school event in Haikou in southern China.

Arvidsson, who played in the 2016 British Open, fired a 5-under-par 67 on Friday, leaving him at 10-under 134 and with a two-stroke lead.

Former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho shares 72nd place out of the 120-player field after rounds of 78-74.

The top 15 finishers after 72 holes will be fully exempt on PGA Tour China, with the next 25 conditionally exempt. This is the first of two international qualifiers for PGA Tour China.

For scores, CLICK HERE.

Top 10s in California for Gilman, Nygren: Former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman and Longmont resident Cole Nygren recorded top-10 finishes Friday in a Golden State Tour tournament in Bakersfield, Calif.

Gilman placed fourth with a three-day total of 12-under-par 204, ending up four behind winner Manav Shah of Bakersfield. Gilman went 66-70-68.

Nygren, who like Gilman will have conditional status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2018, finished 10th on Friday. He posted scores of 71-69-71 for a 5-under 211 total.