See who advanced to Final Stage of PGA TOUR Champions Q-School
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Five players will earn 2024 PGA TOUR Champions membership via Final Stage of Q-School later this month.
In the meantime, several players jostled across three First Stage sites in order to gain access to Final Stage. (Other players have earned direct access to Final Stage, as well.) Final Stage will be contested Dec. 5-8 at TPC Scottsdale (Champions) in Arizona.
The final First Stage site was contested Nov. 28-Dec. 1 at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, California, with 18 players advancing to Final Stage.
Two of three First Stage sites were contested from Nov. 14-17, with 32 players advancing to Final Stage.
Notables to advance from First Stage include MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz and former TOUR winners Guy Boros (pictured above) and Shaun Micheel, as well as social media sensation Ho Sung Choi.
Here's a look at who advanced from First Stage of the 2024 PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament, with a chance to earn PGA TOUR Champions membership at Final Stage.
San Jacinto, California -- Soboba Springs Golf Course
Seventy-two players competed for 18 spots. There was a two-way T18 after 72 holes, requiring a 2-for-1 playoff to determine the final spot. Brett Melton earned the final spot; Tracy Vest was the odd man out.
Players to advance: Michael Wright, Cameron Percy, Brian Cooper, Ho Sung Choi, David Bransdon, Jeff Gove, Keith Horne, Micah Rudosky, John Balfanz, Brian Hoops, Harry Rudolph, Jonathan Kaye, Justin Boatman, Gordon Burns, Steve Allan, Christopher Hanell, Raphael Jacquelin, Brett Melton
Michael Wright earned medalist honors at 10-under 278, two strokes clear of the field. The Australian has competed in two Open Championships (2006, 2009) and has made 16 career Korn Ferry Tour starts. He will turn 50 on Feb. 21 ... Australia's Cameron Percy finished solo second at 8 under. Percy has notched 36 top-25 finishes in 220 career PGA TOUR starts ... Ho Sung Choi finished solo fourth at 5 under. The South Korea native has won three times on the Japan Golf Tour and is commonly known for his idiosyncratic follow-through ... Jeff Gove finished T6 at 3 under. The Washington native is a three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner ... Two-time PGA TOUR winner Jonathan Kaye finished T11 at even-par 288.
Valrico, Florida -- Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club
Seventy-two players competed for 19 spots.
Players to advance: Kris Blanks, Simon Griffiths, Andrew Marshall, Andrew Johnson, Alan McLean, Donald Carpenter III, Craig Bowden, Hank Kim, Todd Demsey, Guy Boros, Tim Weinhart, Dennis Hendershott, Harold Wallace, David Morland IV, John Smoltz, Jeff LeMaster, Chad Proehl, Jesus Amaya, Neal Lancaster
Kris Blanks earned medalist honors at 14-under 274, five strokes clear of the field. Blanks, 51, won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour and recorded two runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR. He made six PGA TOUR Champions starts this season, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in May ... Andrew Johnson, the uncle of PGA TOUR veteran Tyler Duncan, finished solo fourth at 7-under 281 ... Guy Boros, winner of the TOUR's 1996 Greater Vancouver Open, finished T9 at 1-under 287. He's also the son of three-time major winner Julius Boros ... Eight-time MLB All-Star John Smoltz finished T14 at 1-over 289, one stroke clear of the playoff score. Smoltz had made three prior appearances at First Stage of PGA TOUR Champions Q-School. This is his first time advancing to Final Stage ... All players 2-over or better advanced to Final Stage.
Saucier, Mississippi -- Grand Bear Golf Club
Fifty-one players competed for 14 spots. There was a two-way T14 after 72 holes, requiring a 2-for-1 playoff to determine the final spot. Kent Jones survived the playoff; Chris Gum was the odd man out.
Players to advance: Gibby Gilbert III, Eric Bogar, Fran Quinn, Robert Russell, Jeff Martin, Shaun Micheel, Jason Schultz, Tim Ailes, Steve Holmes, Mick Smith, Kevin Dillen, Mike Stone, Tim Bogue, Kent Jones
Gibby Gilbert III earned medalist honors at 8-under 280, one stroke clear of the field. Gilbert made 91 career Korn Ferry Tour starts in addition to three PGA TOUR starts. He has made 41 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, including six top-25 finishes ... Fran Quinn, a four-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, memorably qualified for his hometown 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club at age 57. He finished T2 at this site, one back of Gilbert ... Shaun Micheel, who won the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, finished solo sixth at 5 under ... All players 1-over or better advanced to Final Stage; the Jones-Gum playoff occurred at 2-over 290.