It happens every year – over 150 golfers get together for six rounds of golf, fighting for a chance. A chance to become a PGA rookie, a chance to rekindle your career, or a chance to join your Dad on the Tour.
For 35 players this year, their dreams were answered when they earned their Tour Cards at the PGA’s Qualifying School at PGA West. Leading the pack of players was Ben Davis, the Brit who won with a six-round 415 and ending one shot better than fellow Tour player Rob Rashell.
Bill Haas, son of Jay Haas, was looking to join his dad on the Tour and looking to convert more than one of the eight birdie opportunities he had on the back nine at the Stadium course. He did neither with a final-round 71, missing his card by two strokes.
Joy, agony and Tim O’Neal.
Four years ago, O’Neal was at the PGA Q-School looking to become the first non-feline-monikered African-American on the PGA Tour. This was his first appearance since his Q-School collapse in 2000, and a chance to finally realize his dreams – being a professional golfer, putting his wife through medical school… redemption for the debacle in 2000.
On the final day, O’Neal looked poised to make it. He was sitting 6-under par going into his final hole – the ninth, a par-four, 452 yard test of ability. The cut for cards was projected to be 7-under, and Tim knew he needed to score.
His tee shot starts right, and comes back into the fairway to leave him with just under 160 yards to the pin. With the vultures swooping in, remembering his collapse in 2000 and wanting to catch the drama this year, O’Neal sticks his second shot within 15 feet.
Sitting two, with only one putt to earn his card.
Watching his playing partners putt – D.J. Trahan earned his card with a par for 10-under, and Hideto Tanihara birdies the ninth for his card at 8-under – O’Neal stands over his putt and lets it roll.
Right.
O’Neal finishes with par, at 6-under, and waits to see if six of the 35 players ahead of him stumble, opening the door for his card. As the day finishes though, O’Neal realizes he’s done. “It’s a little bit of a hard pill to swallow, especially coming so close,” he said. Tim O’Neal joins the 50 other players who earn a spot on the Nationwide Tour, and are looking to finish in the top 20 to earn their way onto the Tour in 2006.
Or, like the rest of the field, they’ll be back next year.
Freshly minted PGA Tour card owners, with those of possible interest in bold:
Brian Davis, Rob Rashell, Danny Briggs, Paul Claxton, Sean O’Hair, Bill Glasson, Greg Owen, John Elliott, Roland Thatcher, Jason Bohn, D.J. Trahan, Matt Davidson, Jason Allred, D.J. Brigman, Phillip Price, Dean Wilson, Carl Paulson, Jeff Brehaut, Joey Snyder III, Jim Carter, Hideto Tanihara, Mario Tiziani, Omar Uresti, Bob Heintz, David Hearn, Craig Barlow, Doug Barron, Tom Gillis, Mark Wilson, Lucas Glover, Charlie Wi, Jeff Hart, Scott Hend, J.P. Hayes, Will MacKenzie