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.
 

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.
 

A total of 14 locals are spread out over four First Stage tournaments across the country. And it’s “so far, so good” for nearly half of them.

Jimmy Makloski (left) of Pueblo, a former Colorado State University golfer, shares the lead at a First Stage tournament in Dayton, Nev., where the top 22 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to the Second Stage. Makloski made five birdies and one bogey for a 68 on Tuesday.

Also in the top 10 at that site after round 1 are Josh Creel, who started his college golf career at the University of Colorado (sixth place at 70) and James Love of Denver (10th place at 71).

At The Woodlands, Texas, where 22 will advance on Friday, former Coloradan Tom Whitney fired a 5-under-par 67 and shares fourth place, while Jamie Marshall of Lone Tree opened with a 68, good for seventh place.

And in West Palm Beach, Fla., where 21 will make the Second Stage, Aspen’s AJ Morris carded a 4-under-par 68 and he’s in eighth place in that field.

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)
T1. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 68
6. Former CU golfer Josh Creel 70
10. James Love, Denver 71
31. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 74
68. Former Coloradan Eric Hallberg 80

St. George, Utah (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
24. Tom Gempel, Lone Tree 68
24. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 68
32. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69
41. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 70
49. Cole Nygren, Longmont 71
64. Mike Schoolcraft, Denver 73

The Woodlands, Texas (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
4. Former Coloradan Tom Whitney 67
7. Jamie Marshall, Lone Tree 68

West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
8. AJ Morris, Aspen 68
 

On Monday, Whitney earned one of four available spots out of a field of 67 into the AT&T Byron Nelson, which begins Thursday in Dallas. In a Monday qualifier in Prosper, Texas, Whitney shot a 5-under-par 67 and birdied the second playoff hole to land the fourth and final qualifying spot.

Whitney finished with seven birdies and a double bogey in regulation.

The 28-year-old former Air Force officer, who recently moved from Colorado to Little Elm, Texas, will be making the third PGA Tour start of his career. He missed the cut in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November and made his first PGA Tour check in January by finishing 67th in the CareerBuilder Challenge, where the 2006 graduate of La Quinta High School was given a sponsor exemption.

Whitney (pictured) spent 2017 on the Web.com Tour, competing in 15 events, with a best showing of fifth place in the Lincoln Land Charity Championship in June. He finished 89th on the Web.com season-long money list.

Also among those in the field for the Byron Nelson is Colorado resident David Duval, the former world No. 1 who will be making just his third PGA Tour start of the season. He missed the cut in both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

(May 18 Update: Both Whitney and Duval missed the 36-hole cut. Whitney posted rounds of 72-74 for a 4-over-par 146 total, while Duval went 80-73–153. A 138 total was necessary to advance to the weekend.)

Amateur Emily Gilbreth, who represented Colorado in the final playing of the USGA Women’s State Team Championship, finished second in the Western Skies tournament on The Cactus Tour in Gilbert, Ariz. And Colorado Springs resident Samantha Stancato tied for fifth in the same event.

And former Air Force Academy golfer Tom Whitney ended up fourth in the weather-shortened Northwest Mississippi Championship on the Adams Pro Tour.

Whitney, who recently moved from Fort Collins to Texas, carded rounds of 69-69-71 for a 7-under-par 209 total, which left him four strokes behind champion Edward Olson. Whitney, who made the cut in the CareerBuilder Challenge on the PGA Tour earlier this year, earned $6,530. He finished with 15 birdies and an eagle in three rounds.

In the Western Skies tournament, Gilbreth, the 2017 CWGA Match Play champion, ended up tied for second, three strokes behind winner Sirene Blair of South Jordan, Utah, after taking a double bogey on the final round of the event. Gilbreth went 65-72-74 for a 5-under 211 total.

Stancato, meanwhile, posted scores of 71-72-71 to check in at 214.
 

Sam Saunders, who moved from Fort Collins to Atlantic Beach, Fla., in 2016, posted the low score in Sunday’s final round, shooting an 8-under-par 64 en route to an eighth-place finish at 18-under-par 270. Jon Rahm won with a 266 total after a playoff.

Saunders (pictured), grandson of Arnold Palmer, made nine birdies at the Stadium Course on Sunday in moving up 34 places on the scoreboard and earning $171,100. The top-10 showing was Saunders’ first on the PGA Tour since early August and sixth overall in his career. He has yet to record a win on golf’s premier circuit.

Meanwhile, Tom Whitney made the cut for the first time in a PGA Tour event, finishing 67th in La Quinta, where he went to high school. The Fort Collins resident went 68-68-71-74 for a 7-under 281 total and received $12,095 for his first PGA Tour check.

Whitney, a former Air Force Academy golfer, was playing in just his second PGA Tour event after being awarded a sponsor exemption. He missed the cut earlier this season in the Children Open in Las Vegas in October after winning a Monday qualifier. He missed the 36-hole cut in that tournament.

Whitney spent 2017 on the Web.com Tour, competing in 15 events, with a best showing of fifth place in the Lincoln Land Charity Championship in June. He finished 89th on the Web.com season-long money list.

Elsewhere, former Coloradan Wyndham Clark fired a 6-under-par 66 and shares the lead after Sunday’s first-round action at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

Clark made an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys, and was one of five players who was 6 under par after Sunday. The tournament will continue through Wednesday.
 

The two join former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul in landing conditional status for this year. Paul placed 23rd last week at a Q-school tournament in Howie In The Hills, Fla.

Nygren (pictured), a rookie pro who finished fourth last summer in the CGA Amateur, ended up 26th out of 106 players in Mazatlan, while Gilman was 33rd.

The top 11 finishers received at least some exempt status on the Latinoamerica circuit, while those in 12th through 35th and ties earned conditional status.

Nygren, winner of the All Pro Championship at the inaugural Major Series of Putting on Halloween in Las Vegas, went 70-71-68-73 for a 6-under-par 282 total in Mazatlan. He carded three birdies and four bogeys in the final round.

Gilman, a regular on PGA Tour Canada last year, posted scores of 71-73-70-70 to end up at 284. He had four birdies and two bogeys on Friday.

For all the scores from Mazatlan, CLICK HERE.

Elsewhere on tour:

— Fort Collins resident Tom Whitney, trying to make his first cut ever on the PGA Tour, shares 36th place at the halfway point of the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif., where he went to high school.

Despite a double bogey on his final hole Friday, the former Air Force Academy golfer has shot back-to-back rounds of 68 and stands at 8-under-par 136, leaving him eight strokes behind leader Andrew Landry.

Whitney, who made the field after receiving a sponsor exemption, recorded six birdies on Friday and will try to survive the 54-hole cut Saturday in La Quinta.

— Former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho finished eighth at the Dreamchasers Tour’s Ocotillo Winter Championship that ended Thursday in Chandler, Ariz.

Kupcho, a former resident of Westminster, shot rounds of 67-73-65 for an 11-under-par 205 total. He made seven birdies in a bogey-free final round. Kupcho finished six stroke behind winner Shane Smith of Godfrey, Ill., in a field that featured 36 players.

— Former University of Colorado golfer Josh Creel posted two runner-up finishes this week on the Adams Pro Tour Winter Series. Creel, a Cheyenne resident who finished his college career at Central Oklahoma, placed second on Monday at the Woodforest Open in Montgomery, Texas, shooting a 69 and finishing two back of winner Sam Fidone.

Then on Friday, Creel went to a playoff in the 36-hole Lake Windcrest Championship in Magnolia, Texas, with he and Scott Kelly of Austin, Texas, tying at 6-under-par 138 and Kelly prevailing in sudden death. Creel carded rounds of 68-70.