While preparing for Second Stage of DP World Tour Q-School last week, James Nicholas went to a golf-club shop in Spain that had come highly recommended from his Instagram followers – which number greater than 100,000 – after his putter was another victim of airline transportation.

“The guy looked at me like I had five heads," Nicholas said. "He’s in there and I hear hammering and a saw – all these noises from his shop, and he comes down and he shakes his head and I walk out of there with my putter in two pieces.

“It was pretty funny. He handed me the head and the shaft. So, it was back to the drawing board.”

Despite some logistical nightmares of late, Nicholas is playing some of his best golf of the year at a great time – and as his site's medalist at First Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, he’s eager to parlay that good play, equipment mishaps and all, into a potential PGA TOUR card.

Next up for Nicholas (at PGA TOUR Q-School) is Second Stage later this month. All players who advance to Final Stage will earn conditional Korn Ferry Tour status at minimum, with the top five and ties at Final Stage earning 2024 PGA TOUR membership. (First Stage medalists earn full status on PGA TOUR Americas; Second Stage medalists earn eight guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts.)

Status-related carrots abound. And if all else fails, he’s got a backup option.

“Last year was my first year as a pro golfer without status on a major tour … so my goal all year was to prepare for Q-School,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas earned medalist honors at his First Stage site in Alabama after shooting a final-round 63. After he made the turn in the final round, he knew he was safe. So, he pivoted his mindset from just keeping that spot to trying to win the tournament. He shot a 5-under 31 for his final nine holes to win by two.

Worst-case scenario for Nicholas, he’s locked in for 2024 PGA TOUR Americas as a First Stage medalist.

“I went in with the mindset of trying to execute to the best of my ability and see what happens. I had played Q-School there three previous times and I made it through there every time. I had a friend on the bag and there were lots of good memories,” Nicholas said. “I learned that you can’t win it in the first two days, but you can definitely lose it. But whenever you can win anything it feels good. It was a big momentum boost for the next weeks coming up.

“I’m playing great golf and hopefully I’ll continue doing what I’m doing. You just never know what will happen, timetable-wise, with this game.”

Despite nearly a year’s worth of preparation, he couldn’t have foreseen what would happen when he jumped across the pond.

After completing First Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School, Nicholas flew to Lisbon, Portugal (via Atlanta and New York), for Second Stage of DP World Tour Q-School. He drove three hours from Lisbon to his rental in Spain, then grabbed groceries and went to bed. And he didn’t think much about what was going on under the zipper of his golf-club travel bag.

Alas, when he got to the course the next day he saw how “mangled” his putter was. His 52-degree wedge was also unusable. He immediately texted the equipment manufacturers to ask about getting some replacements, but given it was 8 a.m. in Spain, it was close to midnight in California. There were some grueling hours ahead.

Luckily, both equipment reps said they would get building new clubs right away and would send them out ASAP – although they were unsure about the timelines for arrival due to potential complications with international shipping.

While the 52-degree wedge arrived in time for the first round, there was still a big question about the putter. When one putter turned into two pieces, he reached back out to his Instagram community, and the caddie master at Isla Canela Links in Spain, his Second Stage site, said he had Nicholas’ same TaylorMade Spider model, just not face-balanced. It would be fine.

“He lent it to me, but it was beat up,” Nicholas says with a laugh. “It had Sharpie drawn all over the top. It was not what I wanted to look down on and use. But I wasn’t picky. I missed everything the first two days, but it was enough to keep me in the tournament.”

The new putter from TaylorMade showed up Saturday and Nicholas shot 66-68 on the weekend (he was in the “honeymoon phase” with his new putter, he said) and made it through.

“It will make me remember that week even more,” Nicholas laughed.

Nicholas will tee it up at the six-round Final Stage of DP World Tour Q-School this week, also in Spain, before he returns to America for Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School in Valdosta, Georgia.

New wedge and putter in hand. Hopefully.