Q-School Home Pre-Qualification

Sept 16 - Sept 19
(Practice: Sept 14 and 15) › Morgan Creek G&CC Sept 23 - Sept 26
(Practice: Sept 21 and 22) › Kinderlou Forest › Woodbridge GC › PGA West (Norman)

First Qualifying Stage

Oct 21 - Oct 24
(Practice: Oct 19 and 20) › East Valley GC (Champion) › Dayton Valley CC › Florence CC › Crandon Park › Clubs of Kingwood (Forest) › St. Johns G&CC Oct 29 - Nov 01
(Practice: Oct 27 and 28) › Treyburn Country Club › San Juan Oaks › Stonebridge Ranch CC (Hills) › Martin Downs CC › Carlton Oaks CC

Second Qualifying Stage

Nov 12 - Nov 15 › Southern Hills Plantation › Deerwood GC › Hombre GC (Bad/Ugly) › Callaway Gardens (Mountain) Nov 19 - Nov 22
(Practice: Nov 17 and 18) › Oak Valley GC › Lantana GC

Final Qualifying Stage

Dec 03 - Dec 08
(Practice: Nov 30 and Dec 1 & 2) › PGA West (Nicklaus TC)

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Regional Qualifying: Oct. 31- Nov. 3, four sites
Final Stage: Nov. 15-18 at TPC Eagle Trace, Coral, Fla.

Buoyed by ace, Rhoden takes lead in Champions Tour National Qualifying

Nov. 14, 2007 | By Dave Senko, Champions Tour Staff | PGATOUR.com

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -- Buoyed by a hole-in-one, former National League All-Star Rick Rhoden (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) took over sole possession of the lead after 36 holes at the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament at TPC Eagle Trace.

Rick Rhoden has 32 career Champions Tour starts. (WireImage)

The 16-year major league veteran aced No. 17 (5-iron, 186 yards) on his way to a 2-under-par 70 and a two-round total of 6-under 138. Rhoden leads Scott Masingill (Payette, ID) and Mark Balen (Lackawanna, NY) by two strokes at the halfway point of the tournament.

"I played pretty well today, but I just didn't putt as well as I would have liked and missed several opportunities," said Rhoden, the winner of 50 celebrity golf titles. "There were some difficult holes out there, especially on the back nine with the wind and water being a factor. I didn't see my ball go in at No. 17, but when I got closer to the hole I saw one of our Rules Officials making a signal that it went in."

It was Rhoden's ninth career hole-in-one and fourth in competition.

He also made one at the 2006 U.S. Senior Open and said he didn't see that one go in as well.

Rhoden had been plagued by neck problems the last four years stemming from an accident he had in 2002 when his car was hit by a cement truck.

Scoring

Leaderboard: Champions Tour Q-School

"I had surgery last January for a disc problem and I feel much better now," Rhoden added. "I had developed some bad habits the last four years after that accident and I still have some, but I am playing better."

Balen made the day's biggest move, jumping from a T34 on Tuesday into his T2 with Masingill. The former Ohio State golfer carded the day's lowest round, a 5-under-par 67.

The Western New York resident is making his first appearance in a Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament. During his career at Ohio State among his teammates were John Cook, Joey Sindelar and Rod Spittle.

He was a three-time All-American for the Buckeyes. There is no cut in the 72-hole national qualifier. After the completion of play on Friday, the low-30 players and ties earn spots into open qualifiers at all co-sponsored events on the Champions Tour in 2008.