Whitney (left), a former Air Force Academy golfer, tied for second place on Friday in the Panther Trail Classic, an Adams All Pro Tour event in The Woodlands, Texas.

Whitney shot rounds of 66-72 for a 6-under-par 138 total, which left him five strokes behind champion Sean Walsh of Keller, Texas. The performance was worth $2,637 for Whitney.

Elsewhere:

— Former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman tied for fourth place on Friday in the Golden State Tour’s Season Opener in Oceanside, Calif. Gilman went 69-67 for a 6-under 136 total. That put him three strokes behind winner Stuart Macdonald of Rancho Mirage, Calif.

— And Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham and former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul tied for ninth place on Wednesday in the Outlaw Tour’s McCormick Ranch Classic in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Cunningham carded rounds of 73-70-70 for a 3-under-par 213 total, while Paul went 69-75-69 for the same tally. Each earned $1,325. Mackenzie Brock won with a 206 total.

— Meanwhile, in the first of four qualifying tournaments in 2019 for PGA Tour Latinoamerica, AJ Morris of Aspen fell just short of earning conditional status for PTLA on Friday.

With the 13th- through 35th-place finishers and ties in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., landing conditional status, Morris placed 41st out of 112 players, two strokes shy of the final spots. He posted rounds of 68-73-73-78 for a 4-over-par 292 total.
 

Cunningham (left) — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — finished No. 2 on the Canadian money list in 2018, which earned him status on the Web.com Tour for 2019.

In Cozumel, PGA Tour Latinoamerica defeated PGA Tour Canada 11.5-8.5 on Saturday despite Cunningham going undefeated.

In Saturday’s singles, Cunninham halved with Latinoamerica’s Marcelo Rozo in a back-and-forth match in which Rozo led most of the front nine and Cunningham was 2 up after 13 holes. But after Rozo went 1 up with a birdie on No. 17, Cunningham won 18 with a par to earn the halve.

In Thursday’s four-ball, George Cunningham and Sam Fidone defeated Nicolas Echavarria and Rozo, 2 and 1, rallying after being 2 down after eight holes.

And in Friday’s foursomes, Cunningham and Zach Wright beat Austin Smotherman and Matt Gilchrest, 2 up, after winning the last two holes with pars.

For all the results from the Cozumel Cup, CLICK HERE.
 

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.
 

But the grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches, has aspirations beyond the Web.com Tour. And this past week, he demonstrated his mettle by sharing medalist honors in a Monday qualifier, then making the cut and finishing 36th on Sunday in the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, Nev.

Cunningham (left) is now two-for-two in making cuts on the PGA Tour, having placed 29th in the RBC Canadian Open in July.

On Sunday, Cunningham shot a 5-under-par 66, giving him a 10-under 274 total for the week. He ended up 11 strokes behind champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Cunningham wasn’t the only player with strong Colorado ties who Monday qualified into the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Cole Nygren of Longmont also landed a spot in the event, firing a 65 in the Monday qualifier to earn his first PGA Tour start. Nygren missed the 36-hole cut in Vegas, shooting 76-68.

Cunningham won the GolfBC Championship on PGA Tour Canada in June.
 

Jobe, who held the solo lead after day 1, shot rounds of 65-71-67 for a 13-under-par 201 total in The Ally Challenge in Grand Bland, Mich., where Paul Broadhurst won by two after a final-hole birdie.

After parring nine straight holes on the front nine on Sunday, Jobe (left) shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 31 on the back side.

It was Jobe’s ninth top-three finish in 59 starts on PGA Tour Champions. He’s won once, placed second twice and third six times.

“It’s frustrating because you only get so many chances, right?” Jobe said. “I had a good chance today, especially the way I played the back nine. Gosh, I mean, 18 I’ve got L-wedge in, I hit it 15 feet on 17. So every hole I had a great chance on the back nine; that’s all you can ask for. I just didn’t get it done, which is frustrating.”

With the showing, Jobe jumped up to 16th on the 2018 PGA Tour Champions money list. His long layoff was due primarily to problems with his left shoulder.
 

Knous’ Status Hangs in Balance Heading into Season Finale: Whether Jim Knous of Littleton joins Colorado native Wyndham Clark in earning a PGA Tour card through the 2018 Web.com Tour season will come down to the final event of the year.

Clark landed his PGA Tour playing privileges by finishing in the top 25 on the Web’s regular-season money list. Now Knous, a former Colorado School of Mines golfer, is trying to do likewise by placing in the top 25 on the cumulative money list for the four-event Web Finals.

Knous came into the week 16th on the Finals money list, but dropped a a spot by placing 24th Sunday in the penultimate event of the season, the Albertsons Boise Open in Idaho.

Knous carded scores of 69-67-69-69, but bogeyed his final two holes on Sunday for a 10-under-par 274 total, which left him nine strokes behind winner Sangmoon Bae.

So Knous’ goal will be to remain in the top 25 on the Web Finals money list at the conclusion of the Web.com Tour Championship, which is set for Thursday through next Sunday in Atlantic Beach, Fla.

Boulder Native Cunningham Earns Web.com Tour Card: Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham assured himself of his Web.com Tour card for 2019 on Sunday by placing in the top three for the second straight week on PGA Tour Canada.

Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — earned his promotion by finishing in the top five on the PGA Tour Canada’s season-long money list (second in his case, with $102,167).

Cunningham, winner of the GolfBC Championship in June, tied for second Sunday at the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship in London, Ontario., a week after placing third in the Mackenzie Investments Open. This week, he shot scores of 67-66-66-64 for a 17-under-par 263 total, which left him two strokes behind champion Danny Walker.

“I’ve learned a ton this year,” Cunningham said. “I’m such a different player, I feel like, from when I was in college, and I thought I was playing really well in college. Every single thing I’ve learned this year is off the charts.”   

A week after finishing third in a Symetra Tour event in Sioux Falls, S.D., Huffer chalked up another top-10 on Sunday by tying for eighth in the Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan.

Huffer (pictured in a Symetra Tour photo) remained in 17th place on the season-long Symetra Tour money list, but is now about $10,300 out of 10th place. If she can climb into the top 10 and finish there after the final four tournaments of the year, she’ll be a member of the LPGA Tour in 2019.

Sunday’s performance marked Huffer’s fourth top-11 finish of the 2018 season.

In Garden City, she posted rounds of 68-66-71 for an 11-under-par 205 total, which left the 2013 winner of the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open five strokes behind champion Allyssa Ferrell.
 

Boulder Native Cunningham in Good Shape to Earn Web.com Tour Card: Boulder native and former Louisville resident George Cunningham finished third on Sunday at the Mackenzie Investments Open in Montreal, marking his fourth top-four showing of the season on PGA Tour Canada.

Cunningham — grandson of the late Chuck Melvin, who played in six Colorado Cup matches — posted an 18-under-par 270 total, finishing a stroke out of a playoff that was won by Blake Olson. Cunningham shot rounds of 68-67-71-64 and made nine birdies on Sunday.

Cunningham, winner of the GolfBC Championship in June, is in very good position to earn a Web.com Tour card for 2019. The top five finishers on the PGA Tour Canada money list for the year after next week’s season finale will graduate to the Web circuit, and Cunningham is currently No. 3 on that list.
 

It isn’t even an every-year occurrence.

It’s fair to say it happens rarely, especially since Q-school is no longer is a direct route to the PGA Tour.

Prior to this year, the last Colorado golfer to land a PGA Tour card for the first time was Denver native Mark Hubbard, who made the grade in 2014 and played on the world’s top tour for three seasons before losing his card.

But on Sunday, another Denver native formally joined the elite group. Wyndham Clark, who grew up south of the Denver metro area and graduated from Valor Christian High School, landed his PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list in 2018.

Clark — winner of the 2010 CGA Amateur and the 2017 Pac-12 individual title, both at Boulder Country Club — certainly didn’t finish the Web.com Tour season the way he wanted as he missed cuts in four of his last five events, including this weekend’s WinCo Foods Portland Open.

But the 24-year-old did the necessary work in the first six months (and one day) of the year. In his first 15 Web events of the season, Clark recorded four top-five finishes with a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth. With $187,817 for the year, he finished 16th on the Web’s regular-season money list.

“It was a tough week but an awesome year and I’m so happy to be getting my card,” Clark said to ColoradoGolf.org via text this weekend.

Clark, the 2017 Pac-12 Player of the Year at Oregon and the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year at Oklahoma State before transferring, turned pro just 14 months ago. In addition to his Web.com Tour starts, he’s played in eight PGA Tour events in 2017 and early ’18, making two cuts and finishing as high as 17th.

“I knew and believed I could do it (earn a PGA Tour card) in one short season,” Clark texted. “I just had to stay focused and play my game and let the results take care of themselves — and they did. It’s an awesome feeling and I can’t wait to be on the Tour.”

But Clark’s Web.com Tour season isn’t quite over — just his regular season. The Web.com Tour Finals begin on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, and Clark is in the field there. He’ll try to improve his 2018-19 PGA Tour status with his performances throughout the four-event Finals, which culminate with the Web.com Tour Championship Sept. 20-23 in Atlantic Beach, Fla.

The 2018-19 wraparound season for the PGA Tour begins with the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., Oct. 4-7.

Joining Clark in the Web.com Tour Finals — thanks to finishing in the top 75 on the regular-season money list — will be Jim Knous of Littleton and Hubbard. That will also guarantee Knous and Hubbard full Web.com Tour status in 2019 if they don’t get PGA Tour cards through the Web Finals.

Knous, a former Colorado School of Mines golfer, finished a Web-career-best-tying fourth on Sunday at the Portland Open and 52nd on the Web regular-season money list. He shot rounds of 70-67-68-67 for a 12-under-par 272 total, which left him six strokes behind winner Sunjae Im.

It was Knous second top-four finish on the Web.com Tour since July 1.

Meanwhile, Hubbard placed 40th on Sunday in Portland, leaving him in the 72nd position on the final Web regular-season money list. Hubbard went 66-70-70-73 for a 5-under 279 total.

A local player who like Clark missed the cut at the Portland Open was at the center of an unfortunate incident during Friday’s round. ESPN reported that part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler accidentally injured a fan when he slammed an iron on the ground and against his foot and the head came loose and hit a spectator in the head. ESPN indicated that Web.com Tour rules official Orlando Pope said the fan required six stitches, being treated on site then at a hospital before being released.

“It was a very freakish accident,” Pope told ESPN. “Kevin is devastated. He had trouble trying to finish the round. He was quite worried and felt so bad.”

Saunders, Laird Advance to PGA Tour Playoffs: A year after narrowly missing qualifying for the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders made the “postseason” for the first time on Sunday.

Saunders, a grandson of Arnold Palmer. finished 45th at the regular-season-ending Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., which left him at 120th in the FedExCup standings. The top 125 are fully exempt on the PGA Tour next season and advance to the playoffs.

Also tying for 45th place at the Wyndham and making the playoffs was former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird. He’s 113th in the FedExCup standings.

The opening playoff event is The Northern Trust in Paramus, N.J., starting Thursday. The top 100 in the FedExCup standings after that will advance to the Dell Technologies Championship.

Notable on Tour This Week: Three players with strong Colorado connections finished in the top 11 Sunday in the PGA Tour Canada’s Players Cup in Winnipeg. James Love of Denver tied for fifth, while fellow Coloradan Michael Schoolcraft and former Louisville resident George Cunningham shared 11th place. For Love, it was his best PGA Tour Canada showing in more than two years. He went 66-67-70-69 for a 16-under-par 272 total, which left him six behind champion Tyler McCumber. Schoolcraft, with his second top-11 showing of the month, and Cunningham checked in at 274. … Former University of Colorado golfer Steve Jones, who has been sidelined by knee surgery, according to the USGA, played in his first PGA Tour Champions event since mid-April, finishing 70th at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open (68-80-76). Jones is best known for winning the 1996 U.S. Open.