News

PGA Tour Q School Update

Published

19 years ago

Nov 24, 2007

Round 2 is in the books, so who were the big names to make it into the top 20 and who missed out from the six regional Round 2 qualifying sites?

The PGA Tour may have a revamped schedule and the FedEx Cup, but in terms of sheer pressure no event can match the grind that is the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School. Whehter it is the burgeoning professional golfer anxious to make the final step in his career development, or the aging PGA Tour veteran who is fighting for his Tour Card, Q School takes no prisoners and preys upon the young and old alike. This year, the second stage was played at six venues around the country. Those who advanced are rewarded with a five round marathon at Orange County National Golf Club in Florida to play golf in the dead of winter all in hopes of finishing in the top 25 and securing their playing privileges for the next year.

Lake Jovita Country Club

Located in Dade City, Florida and playing 7100 yards the cut line at Lake Jovita was -6. Bubba Dickerson and Scott Parel shared medalist honors, both scoring 16 under par. PGA Tour veterans Jim McGovern (-15), Carlos Franco (-12), and Tommy Tolles (-9) all made the cut to advance. Among the notables who did not make the cut were Arjun Atwal (-5) who missed the cut by just one stroke while Tripp Isenhour (-4) missed by two.

Hombre Golf Club

Panama City, Florida’s qualifying site boasted tougher conditions, the final cut line was +5. However, someone neglected to tell Richard Johnson who finished at -16, eleven strokes clear of his nearest competitor. Spencer Levin (+2), Spike McRoy (+4), and Greg Owen (+5) all finished inside the cut.

TPC Craig Ranch

Just outside of Dallas, Texas TPC Craig Ranch played at par 71 and just over 7400 yards. The final cut for the top 20 players was -1. Cameron Percy was the medalist with a four round total of 275 (-9). Also advancing was 2007 U.S. Amateur Champion Colt Knost (-5) who came in second. Tag Ridings (-3), Duffy Waldorf (-2), Notah Begay III (-1), Hunter Haas (-1), and Scott Gutschewski (E) all made it inside the cut line. Another notable score was Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey who made the cut at two under par. Gainey first gained fame on Golf Channel’s Big Break series and reaffirmed his talent qualifying for the Wachovia Championship last year. Gainey’s counterpart Anthony Rodriguez (+4) from Big Break VII was among the notables who missed the cut.

Woodlands Tournament Course

The fourth qualifying site just north of Houston, TX featured a shorter course than many other qualifying sites playing at just over 7000 yards, but difficult conditions hurt scoring with the cut line coming in at -2. Mark Walker from Hurst, TX earned medalist honors finishing at -10. Several former PGA Tour players including Mark Brooks (-1), Len Mattice (+7), Neal Lancaster (+1), and Glen Day (+6) all failed to make the cut.

Royal Dunes Golf Club

Maricopa Arizona’s Royal Dunes Golf Club played at almost 7500 yards but scoring was among the best of any of the qualifying venues. The final cut number was -10 for the 20 players who made the cut. Kevin Streelman and Chris Kirk shared medalist honors at -17. Ricky Barnes was the biggest name to miss the cut, his bogey on the 18th hole brought his four round total to -9, placing him just one stroke away from advancing. Bryce Molder (-6), Roger Tambellini (-3), and Rich Barcelo (-9) were among the victims of the low scoring course.

Oak Valley Golf Club

Beaumont, California’s Oak Valley Golf Club played at just over 7000 yards and also featured very low scoring with the cut line coming at -7. Y.E. Yang was the medalist with a final score of -19. Chris Riley (-8) and Steve Pate (-8) were among the players who made it through California’s lone Q School venue. T.C. Chen, the infamous double chip victim at the 1985 U.S. Open withdrew after rounds of 80 and 81.

News

5 Things we Learned: Thursday at the U.S.. Women’s Open

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 5, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Gone are the days when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Scenic Hills or Churchill Valley. Fine courses that they are (or were, as Churchill Valley went bankrupt a decade ago) there is something to be said for the venue. Not all Women’s Open playings need to take place on Men’s Open venues, but some should. This week in Los Angeles, the Women’s Open visits Riviera Country Club for the first time. Down the road, we will visit Inverness, Oakmont, Interlachen, Oak Hill, Chicago Golf, and Merion. That is quite the murderer’s row (1927 Yankees reference) of golf clubs.

What can we expect from the 2026 tournament? Greatness and uncertainty. Unlike the PGA Tour, which visits Riviera each February, the LPGA does not, so the women will not have nearly the body of work over the George C. Thomas layout. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll play #10 smarter than the men do. Maybe they’ll figure some things out that their male counterparts can not. For today, we’ll try to find five things to learn, and share them with you.

First, this ain’t your momma’s U.S. Open course

How do we know? Well, so far, only one previous champion currently sits inside the top thirty. That would be Minjee Lee, the 2022 winner at Southern (NC) Pines. Lee made par on her first nine holes, the inward side at Riviera. She dropped birdie putts on the first and ninth holes (ten and eighteen for her day) and tallied another seven pars, for 69. She sits three shots off Jennifer Kupcho’s opening 66. Don’t worry about Kupcho; we’ll get to her. After Lee, defending champion Maja Stark ranks T30 at even par, joined by three other, former winners.

What Minjee did, is the sort of thing that wins U.S. Open titles. She guided her ship safely past swells, and made a move when the waters calmed. The fewer the bogeys, the more likely Minjee figures in the outcome on Sunday evening in Pacific Palisades. Off the tee, Lee was unmatched. She hit 14 of 14 fairways. Her iron play was a bit loose in comparison. She putted for birdie on 12 of 18 holes, which meant that her recovery short game was on point. Lee was ten yards longer on measured driving holes than the field average, and was below the field average (a good thing) in putting.

Second, the amateurs beat a loud drum

Three of the world’s top amateur golfer posted 70, placing them four off the lead, in a tie for 14th place. Canada’s Aphrodite Deng, Spain’s Paula Francisco Llaño, and Colombia’s Maria José Marin, showed the professional world that their game is strong. Both Deng and Francisco Llaño collected five birdies on the day. Should they match that output on day two, and minimize the foozles, they’ll be the topic of conversation on Saturday morning. Marin, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and an NCAA team semifinalist last week, played a game similar to Minjee Lee: few mistakes and few taken risks.

The last amateur to post the low medal score for 72 holes was Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998. She lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak, who matched her plus-six effort at Blackwolf Run. The last amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste in 1967. The amateurs are stronger than they’ve ever been, but the professionals have not allowed them to close the gap. A victory by one of the college set would be a cannon shot heard round the world. Could it happen? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not at all.

Third, let’s talk Kupcho

Jennifer Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She won three times on tour in 2022, including the Chevron, a major title. She won a fourth event in 2025, but has not established the winning credentials projected on her after 2022’s marvelous coming-out.

Kupcho hails from Colorado, and spent four years in the Carolina Piedmont, at Wake Forest Universtiy. Neither of those locales cries out I’ll be at home at Riviera, but here we are, after a seven-birdie performance. Kupcho posted birdie on each of her first three holes, and added four more (against two bogeys) to assume a one-shot advantage over Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Kupcho drove the ball decently, approached moderately well, but putted lights out on Thursday. Her 26 putts were tied for best in show on day one. There might just be something about the putting surfaces at Riviera that aligns with Kupcho’s vibe. If that is the case, just get the ball on the green, anywhere, and let the flatstick do the lifting.

Fourth, how young is Sei Young?

Sei (pronounced “So”) Young Kim won a dozen times from 2015 to 2020. She took time off from winning until 2025, shen she captured a thirteenth LPGA title. Like Kupcho, Kim has hardware from one major event, the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. How to explain the five years away from victory? No idea. When Sei Young was in contention during the prime of her career, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

What to expect over the next three days at Riviera? Anyone’s guess. It might be the 2015-2020 Sei Young, or it could be the 2021-2025 version. Kim began her day with birdies at 10 and 11, then settled into a stretch of pars before her solitary bogey at the 4th (her 13th) hole. Kim regained her composure and reeled in three birdies to close the front nine. Her four-under performance trails Kupcho alone, and there is a real chance that Sei Young will produce a second score in the 60s and take a bit of control of the tournament.

Fifth, we’re giddy for Gaby

Although I cannot place my finger on why, it seems that each year, Gaby Lopez pops up on the U.S. Open leaderboard. She hasn’t figure out how to remain in contention, but here we are, in 2026, and Lopez is once again in the mix. The three-time champion on the LPGA circuit had a stunning first nine holes, turning in minus-five. She reached six deep at her tenth hole, but then gave three shots back coming home. Which Gaby will show up on Friday, and for how long? If back-nine Gaby can somehow channel front-nine Gaby, all outcomes are within reach. If the loose play continues, Lopez’ wiki page will add one more T41 to her majors column.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

2 days ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums