The race for PGA Tour cards just got a lot more interesting as second-stage qualifying wrapped up at four different sites on Friday. Now, the survivors are heading to the final showdown in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, next week.
Samuel Anderson, a 26-year-old Wisconsin grad, dominated the Valdosta, Georgia qualifier with an impressive 12-under performance. He’s been playing well lately, finishing 15th in PGA Tour Americas points this year.
The Georgia event saw some dramatic finishes. Steffen Smith, who’s never played a pro tournament that counts toward world rankings, pulled off something special – he birdied his last five holes to sneak through by just one shot.
But not everyone was so lucky. Neal Shipley, who turned heads as low amateur at both the Masters and U.S. Open this year, missed advancing by a single stroke.
Over in Dothan, Alabama, two mid-major college products shared top honors. Owen Stamper and Ashton Van Horne both finished at 15-under par.
The Palm Coast, Florida site belonged to Luke Guthrie. The 34-year-old veteran showed he’s still got game, taking medalist honors at 12-under. It’s a welcome return to form – he’s played just one ranked event in the past two years despite having over 100 PGA Tour starts under his belt.
Out in Valencia, California, former University of Washington star Petr Hruby led the way at 15-under. The real story might be Takumi Kanaya though – the former world top-50 player is trying to work his way back to the big stage and finished tied for fourth.
Some big names struggled. Adam Long, who’s won over $7.6 million on Tour, shot 10-over and missed the cut by 15 shots. Former PGA Tour winners D.A. Points and Jeff Overton didn’t even finish the event.
The pressure now builds for final stage, where these qualifiers will battle for precious PGA Tour cards starting Thursday. For many, it’s the chance of a lifetime. For others, it’s a shot at redemption.
One thing’s certain – the competition in Ponte Vedra Beach is going to be intense. These players have already survived two rounds of qualifying, but the real test is still to come.
