THE FLATS – Connor Howe and Ross Steelman headline six Yellow Jackets in the field for the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School this week … PGA Tour veterans Stewart Cink, David Duval and Matt Kuchar competing with their sons this week in Orlando … Andy Ogletree makes it out of golf limbo … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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HOWE, STEELMAN AND OTHERS IN FINAL STAGE OF Q-SCHOOL THIS WEEK
Connor Howe and Ross Steelman, both of whom graduated from Georgia Tech in May, are among six former Yellow Jackets in the field for the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School, a 72-hole event which begins Thursday at Dye’s Valley Golf Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. It is the first time since 2012 that PGA Tour cards are available through Q-School.
Steelman earned the spot by finishing in the top 5 of the PGA Tour University rankings at the end of the NCAA spring season, while Howe earned a spot in the second stage via the same ranking and advanced to the final stage.
Paul Haley II and Richy Werenski, who both finished outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup rankings on the PGA Tour in 2023, are attempting to regain or enhnance their status for 2024. Chris Petefish, who finished 45th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list in 2023 but did not finish high enough to earn PGA Tour privileges, and Shun Yat Hak, who played on PGA Tour Canada in 2023, also are attempting to qualify.
Petefish has full status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2024. Haley moved from No. 151 to No. 150 in the updated standings (benefitting from Jon Rahm’s exit from the PGA Tour), earning conditional status on TOUR through the 126-150 category. Haley can improve his status by finishing among the top five and ties.
Top five finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn PGA TOUR cards. Next 40 finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season. Click the link below for more details.
“This is awesome, I’m playing golf for a living.”
Ross Steelman reflects on the same dream he had in junior golf with his dad on the bag.
The @PGATOURU alum now gets to bring his dad along for the ride @PriceCutterCC. pic.twitter.com/uk8qWIYkkT
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 19, 2023
The fish is bringing the mojo 🐠
Ever since @petefish7 put on his old fish head cover in Oklahoma, his game has been trending, including a second-place finish last week @UTChampionship. pic.twitter.com/7y2xNBsBnD
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 9, 2023
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OGLETREE TRAVELED THE WORLD TO GET OUT OF GOLF LIMBO … AND HE DID IT
Having bailed himself out of pro golf limbo, Alpharetta’s Andy Ogletree has a little time here at the close of 2023 to set his feet upon familiar red clay, draw a few deep breaths and take stock of one impressive, yet still incomplete, reclamation project.
Although some of the details remain fuzzy. “I don’t even know how many miles I flew this year,” he said last week. At the time, he was awaiting a salmon BLT at his Golf Club of Georgia home base – such fare hard to come by for him the last year or so.
“All the places I went to kind of run together. I got to see a lot of stuff.”
For the past 18 months, Ogletree, 25, the winner of the 2019 U.S. Am while still at Georgia Tech, has played a schedule with serious Indiana Jones overtones. Bumped from the LIV Tour after one event, banned from the PGA Tour because of his LIV affiliation, he packed his clubs and his passport and went looking for a playing future.
More from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Andy Ogletree’s resurgence is not talked about enough.
Dude was hurt, out of money, and took 1 LIV start, knowing he would get suspended to keep his career going.
He shot +24. But the 120K kept him going.
Tomorrow he will go for his 3rd win this yr on the @asiantourgolf pic.twitter.com/b9OfARFNt6
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) August 19, 2023
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THREE JACKETS AND SONS COMPETING IN PNC CHAMPIONSHIP
Golf’s silly season continues this week with the 2023 PNC Championship, the annual hit-and-giggle that features major champions and their family members.
This year’s event will run Dec. 14-17 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando and feature 20 teams, including 18 from last year’s competition, where Vijay Singh and Qass Singh claimed a two-shot win.
Stewart and Reagan Cink, who teamed up for Stewart’s most recent PGA Tour victories are in the field along with Matt Kuchar and his son Cameron, and David Duval and his son Brady. Cink and his other son, Connor, won the event in 2013. Duval previously won with step-son Nick Karavites in 2016. The Kuchars finished T-5 last year and are regulars at the annual event.
Chip in for birdie ✅
Give away the ball to a lucky fan ✅Matt Kuchar is all class. https://t.co/8NgzavtGiE pic.twitter.com/7maGroV8HX
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 17, 2023
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