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.
 

Whitney (left), who played his college golf at the Air Force Academy, shot rounds of 70-68 for a 6-under-par 138 total, which left him three strokes behind winner Ben Crancer at the Panther Trail Championship at The Woodlands, Texas that ended on Tuesday. Whitney, whose second-place showing last week also came at The Woodands, earned $1,765 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, at a Cactus Tour event that ended Wednesday in Goodyear, Ariz., former University of Colorado golfer Brittany Fan ended up in fourth place.
Fan carded scores of 70-68-70 for an 8-under-par 208 and earned $800. She finished five strokes behind winner Kennedie Montoya of Thatcher, Ariz.

And at the Dreamchasers Tour Central Valley Winter Championship that concluded on Thursday in Phoenix, Zahkai Brown of Golden tied for seventh place with former CU golfer Jeremy Paul, while Paul’s brother and fellow former Buff Yannik Paul ended up 10th.

Brown went 67-66-71 for a 9-under-par 204 total and earned $1,183. Jeremy Paul carded rounds of 68-66-70 to tie Brown. And Yannik Paul fired scores of 69-66-70 for a 205 total, which was worth $950. John Greco of Sunnvale, Calif., won the event with a 193 total.
 

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.
 

The top 19 finishers and ties after four rounds of the Web.com Q-school second-stage tournament in McKinney, Texas earned spots into the final stage of Q-school, where all the players will at least receive conditional status on the Web circuit in 2019.

Former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul finished 20th on Friday. One stroke better anywhere along the line during four days and Paul would have some status on the Web circuit next year. But it was not to be.

Paul, who holds the CU record for career stroke average, made four birdies in a round of 2-under-par 70 on Friday, but a bogey on the par-4 16th hole proved costly. He ended up at 8-under-par 280 for a week when 279 was necessary to advance.

In all, seven players with strong connections to Colorado competed in second stage tournaments this week, and all seven failed to advance to the final stage. Steven Kupcho of Westminster missed by four strokes in McKinney and former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon by five. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda missed the mark by five in Plantation, Fla.

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 Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
20. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 70-69-71-70–280
33. Steven Kupcho of Westminster 74-71-67-71–283
37. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 72-71-68-73–284
51. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 70-73-71-74–288

Mobile, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
59. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 71-69-72-70–282

Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
35. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 68-68-70-74–280
64. AJ Morris of Aspen 72-72-72-72–288
 

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
 

Now he’s trying to regain fully-exempt status on the Web circuit, and so far, he’s on the right track.

Svoboda shot his second straight 3-under-par 68 on Wednesday in a Web.com Tour second stage Q-school event in Plantation, Fla. That leaves him in a share of 17th place at a site where the top 18 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to the final stage of qualifying.

Svoboda made three birdies and no bogeys on Wednesday.

The only other player with strong Colorado ties in the top 25 at the halfway point of a second stage tournament this week is former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul. Paul, who competed in a dozen Web events in 217, sits in 23rd place in McKinney, Texas, where the top 19 finishers and ties will advance. The German made five birdies and fired a 3-under-par 69 on Wednesday to check in at 5-under 139 overall.

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)
23. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 70-69–139
44. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 70-73–143
44. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 72-71–143
55. Steven Kupcho of Westminster 74-71–145

Mobile, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
39. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 71-69–140

Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
17. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 68-68–136
64. AJ Morris of Aspen 72-72–144
 

Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda shot a 3-under-par 68 on Tuesday and shares 17th place in Plantation, Fla., where the top 18 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance. The former PGA Tour player made four birdies and one bogey in round 1 and trails leader MJ Daffue of Kingwood, Texas by five strokes.

In McKinney, Texas, where the top 19 finishers and ties will earn spots in the Q-school finals, the top players with Colorado ties are Riley Arp of Fort Collins and former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul, who share 22nd place after opening with 70s.

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)
22. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 70
22. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 70
42. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 72
62. Steven Kupcho of Westminster 74

Mobile, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
40. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 71

Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Will Advance to Final Stage)
17. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 68
55. AJ Morris of Aspen 72
 

Former University of Colorado golfer Yannik Paul (left) shared medalist honors on Friday, while twin brother — and fellow ex-Buff — Jeremy Paul tied for fifth. Meanwhile, two former Colorado State University golfers also advanced to Second Stage — Blake Cannon (fifth place) and Golden’s Zahkai Brown (12th).

Brown, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Open champion, rocketed up the scoreboard with a 7-under-par 65 in the final round, which left him at 11-under 277, five behind Yannik Paul and fellow co-medalists Norman Xiong of Las Vegas and Canadian Jamie Sadlowski. Brown made eight birdies in the final round to jump up 22 spots.

The top 21 finishers and ties — all those at 279 or better — moved on to the Second Stage of Q-school.

Yannik Paul closed with a 73 on Friday after going 66-66-67 in the previous rounds. Jeremy Paul and Cannon checked in at 274 after both carding final-round 71s.

Numerous other First Stage tournaments are scheduled for the next two weeks. Then there will be five Second Stage tourneys 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:

Maricopa, Ariz.
(Top 21 and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Advance to Second Stage
T1. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul, Boulder 66-66-67-73–272
5. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 64-70-69-71–274
5. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 68-67-68-71–274
12. Zahkai Brown, Golden 72-69-71-65–277
Failed to Advance
36. Nick Mason, Parker 74-69-74-68–285
49. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 73-73-72-70–288
 

Former University of Colorado golfer Yannik Paul took a three-shot lead on Thursday in Maricopa, Ariz., while twin brother Jeremy Paul and former Colorado State University player Blake Cannon share third place in the 74-man event.

The top 21 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will advance to Stage 2 of Q-school.

Yannik Paul shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 on Thursday, giving him a 17-under 199 total for three days. In three rounds, Yannik Paul has made just two bogeys.

Jeremy Paul and Cannon sit at 203, with Paul carding a 68 and Cannon a 69 on Thursday. Paul Cannon racked up six birdies each in round 3.

The players tied for the crucial 21st spot with one round remaining sit at 209.

Numerous other First Stage tournaments are scheduled for the next two-plus weeks. Then there will be five Second Stage tourneys 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:

Maricopa, Ariz.
(After 72 Holes, Top 21 and Ties Will Advance to Second Stage)
1. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul, Boulder 66-66-67–199
3. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 64-70-69–203
3. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 68-67-68–203
34. Zahkai Brown, Golden 72-69-71–212
48. Nick Mason, Parker 74-69-74–217
54. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 73-73-72–218
 

German-born Yannik Paul (left) shot his second straight 6-under-par 66 and shares the lead with Byron Meth of Tempe, Ariz., after Wednesday’s round. Paul made eight birdies in round 2 — including five straight starting on No. 13.

Meanwhile, Paul’s twin brother Jeremy, another former Buff, sits in fifth place at 135, three back of Yannik. Jeremy Paul shot a bogey-free 67 on Wednesday.

And first-round leader Blake Cannon, a former CSU player, sits in fourth place at 134 after a second-round 70. Cannon carded five birdies and three bogeys in the second sound.

The top 21 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will advance to Stage 2 of Q-school.

Numerous other First Stage tournaments are scheduled for the next two-plus weeks. Then there will be five Second Stage tourneys 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:

Maricopa, Ariz.
(After 72 Holes, Top 21 and Ties Will Advance to Second Stage)
T1. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul, Boulder 66-66–132
4. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 64-70–134
5. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 68-67–135
31. Zahkai Brown, Golden 72-69–141
47. Nick Mason, Parker 74-69–143
56. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 73-73–146