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Monday Qualifiers: Puerto Rico Open

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Monday Qualifiers: Puerto Rico Open


    Written by Sean Martin @PGATOURSMartin

    With a World Golf Championship also being played this week, the Puerto Rico Open provides players an opportunity to gain valuable PGA TOUR experience.

    The four Monday qualifiers for this week’s TOUR event also fit in that category. All four of the qualifiers are non-members, and two are making their PGA TOUR debut.

    Here’s a look at the four players who played their way into the Puerto Rico Open.

    ALEXANDER HICKS
    Age: 26
    Hometown: Cape May Court House, N.J.
    Alma mater: William & Mary
    PGA TOUR starts: Debut
    Notes: Finished 71st on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada money list in 2018. … Had one top-10 in 11 starts, a T6 at the Bayview Place Open. … Made 3 of 11 cuts. … No. 1,713 in the Official World Golf Ranking

    YUWA KOSAIHIRA
    Age: 20
    Hometown: Japan
    Alma mater: None
    PGA TOUR starts: Debut
    Notes: Finished fourth on the PGA TOUR Series-China’s Order of Merit last year. … Finished in the top 10 in half of his 14 starts, including two runners-up. … Played one event on the Web.com Tour this year, missing the cut at the Country Club of Bogota Championship. … No. 603 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

    TAYLOR PENDRITH
    Age: 26
    Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
    Alma mater: Kent State
    PGA TOUR starts: 2
    Cuts made: 1
    Best PGA TOUR finish: T43, 2014 RBC Canadian Open
    Notes: Made 12 starts on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada last season, finishing in the top 25 in half of his starts. … Finished 35th on the Order of Merit. … Has three runner-up finishes in 29 starts on that circuit. … Has one top 10 in 28 career starts on the Web.com Tour. … Finished 107th on the Web.com Tour money list in 2016, his lone full season on that circuit. ... Was an honorable mention All-American at Kent State in 2014.

    BEN GRIFFIN
    Age: 22
    Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    Alma mater: North Carolina
    PGA TOUR starts: 1
    Cuts made: 0
    Best PGA TOUR finish: MC, 2018 The RSM Classic
    Notes: Finished eighth on the Mackenie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada money list in 2018, including a win at the Staal Foundation Open presented by tbaytel. … Missed the cut in his lone Web.com Tour start of 2019. … An honorable mention All-American in 2017. ... His great-grandfather was a pitcher for the Yankees and roommates with Babe Ruth.

    LAST WEEK’S QUALIFIERS
    T49. Aaron Baddeley, 69-71-71-73
    T64. Robert Garrigus, 69-71-73-76
    73rd. Richard H. Lee, 70-71-74-76
    MC. Curtis Luck, 72-74

    THIS SEASON’S QUALIFIERS
    Qualifiers: 35
    Made cut: 13
    Top-25: 3
    Top-10s: 2 (Aaron Baddeley, T4 at Safeway Open; Corey Conners, T3 at Sony Open)
    Best finish: Corey Conners, T3 at Sony Open in Hawaii
    Most times qualified: Corey Conners (2), Aaron Baddeley (2)

    Sean Martin manages PGATOUR.COM’s staff of writers as the Lead, Editorial. He covered all levels of competitive golf at Golfweek Magazine for seven years, including tournaments on four continents, before coming to the PGA TOUR in 2013. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter.