David Duval knows more about being the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world than he does about PGA Tour qualifying. After all, he’s played in only three Q-school tournaments in his life, while he spent about 3 1/2 months in 1999 atop the World Golf Rankings.
Yet the golfer who resides in Cherry Hills Village recently hit the nail right on the head with his take on Q-school.
“It’s people’s livelihoods, the dreams they’re trying to pursue,” Duval said after his runner-up finish in a second-stage tournament of Tour qualifying in mid-November. “I know I’m going to be able to play regardless (of the outcome), and it’s still stressful for me. People who haven’t been out (on Tour) and don’t have that kind of history or record behind them, (the pressure) is exponential.”
By virtue of his stellar play during his 20s — when he won 13 times on Tour, including a British Open — Duval will get to play plenty of Tour events next year no matter how he performs this week in the final stage of Tour qualifying. The 108-hole tournament, where 173 competitors will try to finish among the top 25 players and ties in order to earn their 2012 PGA Tour cards, will be held Wednesday through next Monday (Nov. 30-Dec. 5) in La Quinta, Calif. Those who don’t qualify for the PGA Tour will have at least some Nationwide Tour status next year.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, 142 golfers will be vying for LPGA Tour playing privileges at the final stage of that circuit’s qualifying, which is scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday (Nov. 30-Dec. 4) in Daytona Beach, Fla. The top 40 finishers and ties will gain 2012 LPGA Tour status.
While Duval doesn’t have to sweat bullets over the final outcome of Q-school, the stakes are much higher for most players. In fact, the results could be life-changing.
A total of 11 players — seven women and four men — with significant Colorado ties will be competing in their respective final-stage tournaments. On the men’s side, joining Duval will be Shane Bertsch of Parker (pictured above), Andrew Svoboda of Golden and former University of Denver golfer James Love.
At the LPGA tournament, in the field will be Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, Ashley Tait of Littleton, Kristin Walla of Aspen, part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker and former DU golfers Stephanie Sherlock, Kimberly Kim and Sue Kim (Shockley also played for DU).
Here’s a brief rundown on each of the players with local ties:
— Shane Bertsch of Parker. A veteran of 155 PGA Tour events — and winner of two Nationwide Tour tournaments — Bertsch faces a crucial week at Q-school. If he fails to finish in the top 25, he’ll need to earn $241,285 in his next Tour event in order to keep his fully-exempt status. That’s because he’s been playing on a medical extension, having started 2011 needing to make $729,869 in 21 tournaments to remain fully exempt. Bertsch played 20 Tour events this year, making $488,584.
— David Duval of Cherry Hills Village. Because he finished outside of the top 150 on the Tour money list this year (152nd), Duval had to go to the second stage of Tour qualifying for the first time this fall. His previous two trips to Q-school, in 1993 and 2009, he went straight to the third and final stage of qualifying. Based on what happened in 2010 after he failed to regain his fully-exempt status, Duval could look forward to getting in more than 20 events next year even if he failed to finish in the top 25 at Q-school.
In any case, Duval knows that if he does come up short, it’s easier to get sponsor exemptions into tournaments after having given his best shot in qualifying.
“It’s an easier thing to ask for help when you’ve tried to help yourself,” said Duval, who turned 40 this month.
— Former DU golfer James Love. Love has never earned a PGA or Nationwide Tour card before this year, so being guaranteed Nationwide status is already a breakthrough for the winner of the 2009 Canadian Tour Championship.
— Andrew Svoboda of Golden. The former St. John’s golfer has been a full-time player on the Nationwide Tour the last two years, but the 32-year-old never has had his PGA Tour card.
As for the local contestants in the finals of LPGA Tour qualifying:
— Former DU golfer Stephanie Sherlock (pictured at left). Sherlock had the most successful season of any of the LPGA players with Colorado connections. In fact, she’s the only who survived a cut on Tour in 2011. Sherlock made five cuts in a dozen LPGA events and finished 101st on the Tour’s money list. She placed 14th in the final stage of LPGA qualifying last year to earn her Tour card.
— Former DU golfer Dawn Shockley. The longtime Coloradan almost earned her 2012 LPGA Tour card through her performance on the Futures Tour this year, but fell just short, finishing 13th on the money list. Now she gets another shot.
— Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim. The former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had a tough rookie season on the LPGA Tour, missing the cut in all seven of her 2007 Tour events. The former teen phenom finished 14th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in 2011.
— Former DU golfer Sue Kim. Kim only spent one semester at DU, but she finished 50th in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor, and the Canadian placed 42nd in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying to get to this point.
— Kristin Walla of Aspen. The 2008 CWGA Match Play champion made it to the finals by finishing 15th in the second stage of LPGA Tour qualifying.
— Ashley Tait of Littleton. Tait, winner of the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play title, advanced to the Q-school finals by finishing 55th in the second stage tournament.
— Part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker. Whitaker, a two-time CWGA Match Play champion, missed the cut in all seven of her LPGA Tour events during her rookie season. She finished 22nd in the final stage of Tour qualifying last year.
At the LPGA finals this year, after four rounds the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties, all of whom at least will qualify for the Symetra Tour (formerly known as the Futures Tour).
