New seasons in sports always bring with them untold opportunities and the possibility of life-changing accomplishments.
It happens at the start of every year in football, baseball, basketball and other team sports, but it’s certainly there for golf as well.
The bottom line is, when everyone begins fresh, hope springs eternal.
This week will mark the first event of 2013 for tour players with major Colorado ties. Specifically, Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler and one-time Golden resident Andrew Svoboda are entered in the Sony Open, the first full-field tournament of the season on the PGA Tour. The event is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday (Jan. 10-13) in Honolulu, Hawaii.
As a Colorado-oriented preview for the 2013 season on the various tours around the world, it’s worth taking a look at the changes in store for some of the top players with in-state ties. We’ll also examine which local golfers may be on the verge of bigger things.
For a regularly-updated list of local golfers on the world’s top tours — and how they’re faring, CLICK HERE.
Moving Up in the World
— Former Longmont resident Kelly Jacques (pictured) earned an LPGA Tour card for the first time, though she’ll only have conditional status in 2013. The two-time Colorado girls state high school champion landed her tour card by finishing 17th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying last month. Jacques appeared on Golf Channel’s “Big Break Ireland” in 2011, and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open last year.
— One-time Golden resident Andrew Svoboda gained his PGA Tour card for the first time by finishing among the top 25 on the season-long Web.com Tour money list in 2012. By earning $203,717 on the Web.com last year — his third straight season on that circuit — Svoboda placed 21st on the 2012 money rankings.
— Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad landed a spot on the 2013 European Tour in stellar fashion by winning the 2012 money title on the European Challenge Tour. Kofstad won twice on the Challenge Tour last year, including the season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final. After the first two events of the “2013” European Tour season, which actually began in December, Kofstad ranks 37th on the money list.
— Sue Kim, who played just one semester at DU before turning pro, will be a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2013, though she only has a conditional exemption. She earned that status by finishing 32nd in the final stage of tour qualifying after placing 23rd on the Symetra money list in 2012.
— One-time Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo turned 50 in September and earned a spot on the Champions Tour by placing fourth in the final stage of qualifying. Toledo won more than $3.7 million in his PGA Tour career and another $900,000 (with a victory) on the Web.com Tour.
Moving Down
— Shane Bertsch of Parker missed regaining his fully-exempt status on the PGA Tour by two strokes in the final stage of qualifying last month. Bertsch will still get some PGA Tour starts in 2013, but the majority of his time figures to be spent on the Web.com Tour, where he’s won twice in his career.
On the Mend
— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe will begin 2013 on the PGA Tour’s major medical extension list. After sitting out the last half of 2012 with a herniated disc in his neck, the Kent Denver High School graduate must earn at least $303,178 in his first 10 starts of the year to retain his fully-exempt status on Tour.
— David Duval of Cherry Hills Village was sidelined for much of the fall after breaking a toe on his right foot while chasing his kids early in September. But he did return in mid-December to finish fourth — along with stepson Nick Karavites — in the PNC Father-Son Challenge. Once again, Duval will rely on his past-champions status and sponsor exemptions to get into Tour events.
Looking to Take the Next Step
— Former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird owns two PGA Tour victories, but he hasn’t won in 22 months. And after five career runner-ups, he’d like to get back into the win category soon.
— Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler will turn 33 years old next month and has won more than $6 million on the PGA Tour, but he’d like nothing better than to break through for his first Tour victory. So far, his best finishes in 208 Tour starts are two second places.
— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Steve Jones is 54 years old, but has played in just 22 Champions Tour events after having his career derailed by elbow problems. After finishing 11th in the final stage of qualifying in November, the former University of Colorado golfer has conditional status in 2013. A victory by the 1996 U.S. Open champion would solve a lot of issues.
— Former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock will be starting her third year on the LPGA Tour after finishing 10th in the final stage of qualifying last month. But she has yet to post a top-10 showing in any official LPGA Tour event, so that should be a high priority.
