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November 17, 2007

Wild swings at Q School

Golf pros tell stories about how PGA Tour Qualifying School is the most pressure packed event they play in all year.

Warren’s Greg Sampson and Attleboro’s Jim Renner were living examples on how wild the swings can be at the school. The two had totally different finishes in the third round of the second-stage Friday.

Sampson, who lives in Warren and plays out of Crestwood, had played well all week in competition in Panama City, Fla. However, he closed with a bogey on 17 and a triple on 18. That gave him a 77 and dropped him outside the cutline, into a tie for 31st place.

Renner, who graduated from Johnson & Wales two years ago, appeared dead after opening with rounds of 74-72 and going 2-over through 10 in the third round at Lake Jovita in Florida. But he closed with four birdies and four pars in his last eight holes to get to even for the tournament. He is four strokes above the cut line, but very much alive.

At that same site, veteran Kevin Johnson, a former Massachusetts champion and Nationwide Tour regular, closed even better with a 6-under 30 on his final nine for a 65. He is third and all but ready to make arrangement to play in the finals in two weeks.

Here are the results for area players entering today’s final round:

At Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, Fla.
Rodney Butcher 71-76-70_217, tied for 20th
Geoff Sisk, 70-74-73_217, tied for 20th
Greg Sampson 68-74-77_219, tied for 31st
Patrick Horgan 73-75-76_224, tied for 49th

At Lake Jovita in Dade City, Fla.
Kevin Johnson 67-72-65_204, 3rd
Michael Sims 69-72-73_214, tied for 33rd
Fran Quinn 65-76-75_216, tied for 46th
Jim Renner 74-72-70_216, tied for 46th
Jason Caron 72-68-78_218, tied for 53rd
Jamie Vargas 70-81-67_218, tied for 53rd
Dustin Johnson, the Northeast Amateur champion this year, is in great shape at 205, in a tie for fourth on rounds of 69-66-70

At TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Tex.
Jeff Curl 73-70-70_213, tied for 16th

At The Woodlands in Kingwood, Tex.
Kevin Silva 73-70-71_214, tied for 14th, despite double-bogeying his final hole
Rob Bradley leads at 70-67_137

Champions Tour finals at TPC Eagle Trace, Coral Springs, Fla.
Rick Karbowski 71-70-71-71_283, tied for third, earned $15,000
Kirk Hanefeld 70-74-71-77_ 292, tied for 29th
Hanefeld shot 41 over his final nine but got in on the number
Rick Rhoden and Gene Jones tied for medalist honors at 279
The low 30 players and ties earn spots into qualifiers for Champions Tour events next year

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 10:35 AM to Paul Kenyon on Golf | Permalink

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