Svoboda Earns Nationwide Card at Q-School
DECEMBER 6, 2011 - Andrew Svoboda shot a final-round one-under par 71, finishing T38 and earning his Nationwide card at PGA Tour Qualifying School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. Svoboda, who played the previous two years on the Nationwide Tour, was hoping to earn a top-25 finish and a PGA Tour card, but will have to wait until next season to try again. After a fifth-round 66, Svoboda was T34 and in prime position for a final-round charge but lost ground on the final day.
Chris DeForest played well in his final round, carding a two-under par 70 and finishing T82.
Former Trump National-Bedminster assistant pro and 2006 Met Open runner-up Jim Herman also earned his Nationwide card, finishing T30.
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DECEMBER 5, 2011 - Andrew Svoboda is charging towards the finish at the Final Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. Svoboda fired a red hot six-under-par 66 during the fifth round of this six-round event, jumping from T74 to T34. Svoboda carded eight birdies and just two bogeys in this critical round, placing him with a realistic chance of earning his 2012 PGA Tour Card.
Chris DeForest shot a two-under-par 70 during the fifth round and moved from T102 to T98.
Former Trump National-Bedminster assistant pro and 2006 Met Open runner-up Jim Herman improved upon his situation as well, carding a three-under-par 69 and climbing from T74 to T63.
Stay tuned to mgagolf.org for continued updates on the final round of Q-School.
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DECEMBER 4, 2011 - Two rounds remain in the six-round Final Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., and Met Area natives Andrew Svoboda and Chris DeForest still have a chance to realize their dreams of earning a 2012 PGA Tour card. However, they are going to have to make a move over the next 36 holes in order to do it. Saturday's fourth round was a difficult day for scoring, and Svoboda 's two-over-par 74 actually allowed him to improve his position, from T90 to T74. Meanwhile, Chris DeForest shot a 76 to fall back a bit to T102.
Former Trump National-Bedminster assistant pro and 2006 Met Open runner-up Jim Herman is tied with Svoboda at T74. Herman played on the 2011 PGA Tour.
Stay tuned to mgagolf.org for continued updates on the final two rounds of Q-School.
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DECEMBER 3, 2011 - Andrew Svoboda's third-round even-par 72 dropped him into T90 while Chris DeForest continues to climb the leaderboard, firing a solid round of five-under-par 67 and moving him from T133 into T90 along with Svoboda. DeForest's round featured 5 birdies to zero bogeys.
Fellow Met Area native Jim Herman finds himself T56 after a third-round score of four-under-par 68.
Stay tuned to mgagolf.org for updates on the final three rounds of Q-School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.
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DECEMBER 2, 2011 - Andrew Svoboda moved up the leaderboard during the second-round of Q-School with one-over-par 73, and is now T57. Svoboda recovered from a rocky start with bogeys on the par-4 4th and par-5 5th holes and managed to improve upon his day-one position which was T61.
Chris DeForest also climbed up the leaderboard with a second-consecutive round of 2-over 74, and is now T-133. In contrast to Svoboda, DeForest started strong, birdieing the par-4 second, but bogeys on 9, 10, 14 and 17 stalled his progress.
Q-School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif is a 6-round event and runs through December 5. Check back on mgagolf.org for updates throughout the week.
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NOVEMBER 30, 2011 - A field of 173 PGA Tour hopefuls began play in the Final Stage of PGA Tour Q-School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., and three former MGA champions were among them. Former Met Amateur (2004), Met Open (2003), and Met Junior (1997) champion Andrew Svoboda, formerly of Larchmont, N.Y., is making his second appearance in the Final Stage after last making it this far in 2009. He has played on the Nationwide Tour for the past two years. Svoboda shot a 2-under-par 70 in the first round of the six-round qualifying tournament, one of the most grueling tests in golf.
The 2006 Carter Cup champion Chris DeForest of Rondout, N.Y., turned professional in June prior to qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, where he nearly made the cut. DeForest, a collegiate standout at the University of Illinois, shot a 2-over 74 in today's first round.
Long Island native Marc Turnesa, a PGA Tour winner in 2008 and the 1994 Met Junior champion, began play in the Final Stage but was forced to withdraw after three holes with a back injury. Turnesa, who played the PGA Tour in 2011 on a Major Medical Extension, will have one event in 2012 in which he needs to earn enough money ($477,412) to keep his Top 125 status on Tour.
LPGA Q-School: Former LPGA Tour player Jean Bartholomew of Garden City, N.Y., and Stephanie Kim of Bayside, N.Y., are competing in the Final Stage of LPGA Q-School over the Champions and Legends Courses at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., November 30 to December 4. After turning professional in 1996, Bartholomew played on the LPGA Tour before working as a teaching professional in the Met Area, including at The Creek Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. Kim played on the LPGA Futures Tour in 2011 and recorded a win at the Island Resort Championship.
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SECOND STAGE RECAP
OCTOBER 24, 2011 - The Second Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School is now complete, and of the seven players with Met Area ties, three played well enough to advance to the all-important Final Stage. The three, all former MGA champions, are former Met Amateur, Met Open, and Met Junior champion Andrew Svoboda, 2006 Carter Cup champion Chris DeForest, and 1994 Met Junior champion Marc Turnesa. The three will now play in the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Q-School, set to be held November 30 to December 5 at PGA West Resort in La Quinta, California.
Svoboda, who competed on the Nationwide Tour in 2011, and DeForest, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois who turned pro in June, are attempting to make the PGA Tour for the first time in their careers. Turnesa, meanwhile, won in 2008, his rookie year on the PGA Tour, but played this year under a Major Medical Extension and failed to earn the minimum amount of money to retain his playing privileges.
Notable among those not advancing to the Final Stage are Morgan Hoffmann (2005 Carter Cup) of Jupiter, Fla., who turned professional this summer following three successful years at Oklahoma State University, and Nationwide Tour player Chris Nallen. Also not advancing were 2011 Met PGA Player of the Year Danny Balin and 2004 MGA/MetLife Boys champion Sunny Kim.
Below is a roundup of Second Stage sites, and final results:
Redstone Golf Club - Members Course, Humble, Texas
November 15-18
Andrew Svoboda (2003 Met Open, 2004 Met Amateur, 1997 Met Junior) – Golden, Colo. – T10, advances to final stage
Chris Nallen – Tucson, Ariz. – T62, did not advance
Southern Hills Plantation Club, Brooksville, Florida
November 15-18
Chris DeForest (2006 Carter Cup) – Purcellville, Va. – T14, advances to final stage
Sunny Kim (2004 MGA/MetLife Boys) – Charlotte, N.C. – T62, did not advance
Hombre Golf Club - Bad/Ugly, Panama City Beach, Florida
November 16-19
Marc Turnesa (1994 Met Junior) – Jupiter, Fla. – T19, advances to final stage
Danny Balin – Rockville, Md. – T45, did not advance
Bear Creek Golf Club, Murrieta, California
November 16-19
Morgan Hoffmann (2005 Carter Cup) – Jupiter, Fla. – T27, did not advance
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FIRST STAGE RECAP
OCTOBER 24, 2011 - As the golf season winds down in the Met Area, many players with local ties are gearing up for the most important part of their season: PGA Tour Q-School. Met Area locals, including nine former MGA champions, are teeing it up at the First Qualifying Stage, which began October 18, and hope to advance to the Second Stage. The Final Stage is scheduled for November 30 to December 5 at PGA West in La Quinta, California. Players with Met Area ties in the First Stage include:
Grasslands Golf and Country Club, Lakeland, Florida
October 18-21
Chris Damiano – Jupiter, Fla. – T52, did not advance
David Schuster – New York, N.Y. – T43, did not advance
Chris Scialo – New City, N.Y. – T59, did not advance
Rahul Sriram – New Canaan, Conn. - DQ
Deerwood Golf Club, Kingwood, Texas
October 18-21
Paul Park – Wayne, N.J. – T67, did not advance
Brad Tilley (2003 Ike) – Jupiter, Fla. – T60, did not advance
The Auburn University Club, Auburn, Alabama
October 19-22
Eugene Smith – Glen Ridge, N.J. – T29, did not advance
Brett Stegmaier – Vero Beach, Fla. – T50, did not advance
Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst-Magnolia, Pinehurst, North Carolina
October 25-28
Del Ponchock – West Palm Beach, Fla. - T31, did not advance
Michael Quagliano (2002 Boys, 2003 Met Junior) – White Plains, N.Y. - T46, did not advance
John Stoltz (2005 Met Open) – Middletown, N.Y. - T51, did not advance
St. Johns Golf and Country Club, St. Augustine, Florida
October 25-28
Andrew Giuliani (2005 Ike, 2009 Met Open) – New York, N.Y. - T37, did not advance
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, Georgia
October 26-29
Michael Ballo Jr. (2009 & 2010 Ike) – Stamford, Conn. - T42, did not advance
Chris DeForest (2006 Carter Cup) – Purcellville, Va. - T2, advances to Second Stage
Kevin Foley (2008 Ike) – Somerville, N.J. - T23, did not advance
PGA Golf Club - Wanamaker Course, Port St. Lucie, Florida
October 26-29
Jimmy Hazen – Miller Place, N.Y. - T28, did not advance
Morgan Hoffmann (2005 Carter Cup) – Jupiter, Fla. - First, advances to Second Stage
Sam Kang – Rockaway, N.J. - WD
Sunny Kim (2004 Boys) – Charlotte, N.C. - T5, advances to Second Stage
