It’s very costly, and the chances for a big payoff are close to nil.
But it’s also the holy grail for golfers who aspire to be top-level playing professionals, so it’s no wonder why the Q-school process for the elite U.S.-based tours lasts for months on end.
This is the time of year when qualifying for those major tours gears up considerably, especially for the PGA and LPGA. The Champions Tour Q-school will get rolling next month. In each case, there’s no shortage of Coloradans involved.
Entry fees will put a dent in the wallet, running from roughly $2,500 to more than $5,000, depending on the tour and where a player starts in the process. And that doesn’t even count potentially thousands in travel and related expenses.
In addition, the odds are stacked heavily against most players, especially those who are forced to go through multiple stages of tournaments. At the end of the day, roughly 25-30 players will earn their 2012 playing privileges for the PGA Tour, with a similar number making the LPGA Tour. A dozen players gain some status on the Champions Tour, though only five are fully exempt.
Nevertheless, hopes are very high at this point, given that it’s early in the process.
Here’s the rundown on the various tours, and which local players are competing in PGA and LPGA Tour qualifying tournaments this month.
PGA TOUR
There are four stages in Q-school, including Pre-Qualifying. In all, there will be 27 qualifying tournaments played — seven in Pre-Qualifying, 13 in First Stage, six in Second Stage, and one in the Final Stage. Pre-Qualifying runs Sept. 13-23, First Stage is Oct. 18-29, Second Stage Nov. 15-19 and Final Stage Nov. 30-Dec. 5. In that final stage, the top 25 finishers and ties earn 2012 PGA Tour cards, with the rest of the players receiving some level of Nationwide Tour status.
No players with major Colorado ties competed in the four Pre-Qualifying tournaments already held, but more than 10 will be involved in the coming week. The list includes the last two CGA Players of the Year, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora (2010, pictured above) and Steve Ziegler of Broomfield (2009). Wiebe has finished second and third in the last two HealthOne Colorado Opens, while Ziegler was sixth this year.
Here’s what’s coming up in PGA Tour Pre-Qualifying, where roughly half the field at each site advances to the First Stage:
— Sept. 21-23 in Dallas — Local participants: former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora.
— Sept. 21-23 in Nebraska City — Local participants: former CU golfer Justin Bardgett, Tommy Carpenter of Englewood, Tom Gempel of Parker, Grant Jackson of Aurora, Jonathan Shaver of Parker, Luke Symons of Aurora, Steve Ziegler of Broomfield.
— Sept. 21-23 in Maricopa, Ariz. — Local participants: Riley Arp of Fort Collins, Nicholas Hodge of Littleton.
First Stage sites include Kannapolis, N.C.; Lakeland, Fla.; McKinney, Texas; Dayton, Nev.; Kingwood, Texas; Auburn, Ala.; Pinehurst, N.C.; Lantana, Texas; St. Augustine, Fla.; Hollister, Calif.; Valdosta, Calif.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and Beaumont, Calif.
Second Stage will be held in Humble, Texas; Brooksville, Fla.; McKinney, Texas; Panama City Beach, Fla.; Murrieta, Calif.; and Plantation, Fla.
This year’s Final Stage is scheduled for La Quinta, Calif.
LPGA TOUR
LPGA Tour qualifying consists of three stages this year, and Futures Tour qualifying is now incorporated, instead of being separate, as in the past. The First Stage was July 26-29, the Second will be Sept. 27-30 in Venice, Fla., and the Final Stage is set for Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The number of 2012 LPGA cards available has yet to be determined, but last year the top 20 finishers in the Final Stage were fully exempt, with the next-best performers earning partial exemptions. The rest of the finishers in the Final Stage will earn some level of Futures Tour status.
Among the players already in the Final Stage is Coloradan Dawn Shockley, who earned her spot by finishing 13th on the 2011 Futures Tour money list. Also expected in the event are former University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim and part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker, who have LPGA Tour cards for 2011 but have yet to make a cut.
Here is what’s upcoming in the LPGA Tour qualifying process:
— Second Stage Sept. 27-30 in Venice, Fla. (the top 70 finishers and ties out of a field of about 240 advance to the Final Stage) — Local participants: former DU golfer Ellie Givens (competing as an amateur); Kelly Jacques of Longmont (pictured above); former DU golfer Katie Kempter, who played on the LPGA Tour in 2010; Ashley Tait of Littleton; Kristin Walla of Aspen; and CU golfer Jessica Wallace (competing as an amateur). Jacques, by the way, will be one of the contestants on Golf Channel’s Big Break Ireland. The taped program premieres Tuesday (Sept. 20) at 7 p.m. (MT)
— Final Stage Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
As in the past, there will be two stages of Champions Tour qualifying — the regionals and finals. Regional tournaments will be held Oct. 25-28 in Montgomery, Texas, and Oct. 26-29 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and Primm, Nev.
The top players will advance to the Final Stage Nov. 15-18 in Scottsdale, Ariz. There, out of a field of 78 contestants, the top five finishers will be fully exempt for 2012, with the next seven conditionally exempt.
As of earlier this month, HealthOne Colorado Senior Open champion R.W. Eaks, a Colorado Springs native, was deciding whether to enter the Final Stage, which will be played at his home course in Scottsdale. Eaks has won four times on the Champions Tour.
