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Dec 6, 2024

Søren Kjeldsen wins PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament-Final Stage

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The five advancers from PGA TOUR Champions Q-School are Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar, Soren Kjeldsen, Freddie Jacobson and Brendan Jones (left to right). (Credit Rudy Ramirez)

The five advancers from PGA TOUR Champions Q-School are Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar, Soren Kjeldsen, Freddie Jacobson and Brendan Jones (left to right). (Credit Rudy Ramirez)

Freddie Jacobson, Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar and Brendan Jones also earn status for 2025

    Written by Staff

    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen cruised to an eight-stroke win at the PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament (Final Stage) following a final-round 66 at TPC Scottsdale (Champions Course) on Friday.

    Kjeldsen, who turns 50 on May 17, 2025, posted 24-under, the lowest total score since Q-School Final Stage returned to 72 holes (from 108 holes) in 2006. His eight-stroke triumph is the largest margin of victory in Final Stage history, bettering a seven-stroke victory by Bob Gilder in 2000. Kjeldsen, who co-led after the first round, held the solo lead by two after the second round and by three after the third round before matching the low round of the day on Friday.

    “This week has been incredible,” Kjeldsen said. “Yesterday morning when I started out, I was really nervous. I actually had a good warm-up today and was a little bit calmer, but the first few holes were playing tough, so I was a little on edge. I wanted it so badly.”

    Kjeldsen, who also medaled at last month’s First Stage Q-School site at Grand Bear Golf Club in Mississippi, had his son Emil caddying for him all week.

    “This is a week I’ll never forget,” Kjeldsen said. “It’s probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played. It’s been such a special moment for the two of us.”

    Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson, who turned 50 in September, finished runner-up at 16-under, playing with fellow European Kjeldsen in all four rounds.

    “Nothing was easy out there for me today,” said Jacobson, who closed with 71 after opening 65-66-66. “It was just a matter of hanging in there and luckily, I played well the last couple holes to secure it. I haven’t competed that much lately, so I definitely had nerves today.”

    Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar and Brendan Jones shared third place at 14-under to earn their PGA TOUR Champions cards for 2025. They are each fully exempt into open, full-field events next year. Walker, 57, has made 20 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

    Aguilar, who turned 50 last month, was the medalist at last month’s First Stage Q-School at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club in Florida, where he won by eight strokes. Jones, who turns 50 on Mar. 3, 2025, joins the recent Australian contingent to earn Champions Tour status via Q-School with four players from last year’s class (December 2023) and two players from the previous year’s Final Stage (December 2022).

    Dicky Pride, Scott Barr and Andre Stolz tied for sixth at 13-under, one stroke out of a playoff that would’ve been for 2025 status on the Champions Tour. Players who finished sixth to 30th at Q-School are eligible to play in open qualifiers in 2025.

    Top five finishers at Q-School (Final Stage)
    1. Søren Kjeldsen
    2. Freddie Jacobson
    3. Mark Walker
    4. Felipe Aguilar
    5. Brendan Jones

    Quick link: Final Results