Second Stage Recap
I had my attention mostly on the Chicago Bears last weekend, as they took on the struggling Cleveland Browns in below freezing temperatures at Soldier Field. After a dominant performance through the first three quarters by Caleb Williams and company, my family and I flipped to the Golf Channel, where we would watch 5 players change their lives by securing a PGA Tour card at the Final Stage of Q-School.
Less than two weeks ago I was competing in the final round of the 2nd Stage of Q-School, with a real chance to punch my ticket to this Final Stage. The very same one I was now watching from the couch.
After a week or so of prep in South Carolina, I made the short drive to Savannah, GA to begin my first of two practice rounds at The Landings. Host of the Club Car Championship, a favorite stop on the Korn Ferry Tour each year, The Landings provides a challenging setup off the tee, but can be taken advantage of with lots of wedge opportunities.
I started off slow in the four round event, with tentative swings and scrappy pars. Paired in the field’s only twosome, myself and Kaito Onishi plotted our way around the course. Not knowing much about Kaito besides seeing his University of Southern California yardage book, I simply asked if he had any status last year. He replied with a wry smile; “Yeah, I was on the PGA.”
The Tour? The Tour.
For the next 24 holes, I peppered Kaito with questions about his year on the biggest stage in golf, what he learned, and what he thinks about the overall professional landscape.
He described his time playing in a Sunday pairing with Tommy Fleetwood, and watching 2-time winner Brian Campbell top a tee shot at Torrey Pines. Kaito continued to emphasize that the majority of players on the PGA Tour aren’t as ridiculous as you think, something I hear a lot, but it resonated differently coming from a guy who had actually played a full season at the highest level.
With rounds of 72 the first two days, I needed something special to happen to fight my way into the top 15 and the lucrative Final Stage of Q-School.
That third round started exactly like I needed it to, with birdies on 5 of my first 8 holes, jumping me into the mix. An unfortunate double bogey on the scoreable par 5 18th set me back, but I made two more birdies on my final nine holes to sign for a 5 under 67. We still had a chance. After what had felt like a lackluster 2 and half days of golf, we had a chance. Needing something very similar to my final round 64 at First Stage, I had nothing to lose, and was looking forward to free-wheeling it for the last round.
Paired with PGA Tour player Brandon Wu and mini-tour legend Brady Calkins, we were off on the back nine. I birdied 10, rolled in a 25 footer on 11, hooped a 50 footer on 13, and hit it stiff for birdie on 14. 4 under through 5; just what the doctor ordered. And with the hottest putter on the course, it suddenly turned ice cold. With look after look on the next several holes, I couldn’t buy a birdie putt to drop. There is a fine line between trying to make putts versus hitting good putts and letting the process dictate the result. A lesson learned in a high-pressure situation.
Similar to my experience with Kaito the first two rounds, it was eye-opening to play with Brandon on that last day. After a decorated career at Standford, Brandon had immediate success on the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour, racking up top finishes and earning more than 5 million dollars within a couple of years.
Playing with him and holding my own has given me a sense of belief I haven’t felt before. I really think I can do this. Like actually.
I ended up missing the Final Stage by 4 shots. Was it the bladed bunker shot in the water leading to a double bogey? Was it the chunked wedge, also leading to another double? Or was it the 2 three putts, or an easy par 5 that I made a lazy bogey on?
There are lots of places to look to find those 4 shots over the 72 holes, but the place I look forward to looking at the most is inside of me.
I am filled with joy and gratitude to have the privilege to chase this dream. I also now have an added layer of confidence, knowing I have what it takes to compete at any level. I need to be on my game of course, but I feel there is no longer a need to search for a secret sauce: I have seen it, and there is no secret at all.
So, as the Bears were putting a beatdown on the Browns and we flipped that channel to watch the golf in sunny Jacksonville, I wasn’t filled with jealousy or admiration. I was simply watching my peers, knowing what I am capable of.
Onward!
