ELMSFORD, N.Y. (October 21, 2013) - The First Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying School is underway, and several Met Area players are competing around the country with hopes of advancing through Q-School and earning a spot on the Web.com Tour.

Q-School begins with Pre-Qualifying Rounds before players can move on to the first and second stages before the final round, where the top will 50 finishers earn their card for the 2014 Web.com Tour season.

RELATED: Complete Q-School Coverage

After finishing with medalist honors in Pre-Qualifying back in August, two-time MGA Player of the Year Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y.  is in the field this week at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.  Joining Miller is Mike Ballo of Stamford, Conn., who had a runner-up finish at the 2012 Met Open and is a two-time Ike champion.

2009 Met Open winner Andrew Giuliani of New York, N.Y. is in the field at St. John’s Golf and Country Club in St. Augustine, Fl.

Over in Georgia, two more former MGA champions are looking to make it through the first stage. Danny Balin of Greenwich, Conn., the 2012 Met Open winner, is joined by 2008 Carter Cup champion Curtis Loop of New Canaan, Conn. at Callaway Gardens- Mountain View Golf Course.

On October 8-11 in the first wave of the first stage qualifying, Sunny Kim, the 2004 MGA/MetLife Boys champion, advanced at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach, Fl. Joining him were Chris Scialo of New York, N.Y. and Michael Furci of Sayville, N.Y.

David Schuster of New York, N.Y. advanced at another Florida site, Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Fl.

One week later, Chris DeForest, originally from Cottekill, N.Y. and the winner of the 2006 Carter Cup, finished within the cutline at Pensacola Country Club in Pensacola, Fl. John Stoltz of Middletown, N.Y., the 2005 Met Open champ, also advanced at Pensacola.

The second stage of qualifying takes place at only six sites, with the field getting smaller and even more competitive. Those rounds take place in mid-November, setting the field for the Final Stage on December 12-17 at PGA West ‘s TPC Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament Courses in La Quinta, Calif.