Eighty players will compete in quest for PGA Tour cards
San Juan Bautista – San Juan Oaks Golf Club will host a first-stage PGA Tour qualifying tournament on Oct. 26 – 29.
A field of 80 players will compete for four days with the ultimate goal of achieving their tour cards and becoming eligible to enter PGA events. San Juan Oaks previously served as a Tour Stage One site in October 2001.
PGA Tour qualifying tournaments — also known as Q-School — are considered to be some of the most mentally grueling events in all of sports. Hundreds of golfers with aspirations of professional golf careers compete all over the country, but just 35 qualify for the tour each year.
San Juan Oaks is one of 12 golf courses throughout the country hosting the first stage. The top golfers advance to the second stage, held in the middle of November on six courses. The finals are held Dec. 1-6 in La Quinta.
Though it is a long journey from Stage One to the PGA Tour, there are success stories.
Three players who competed at San Juan Oaks in 2001 are currently on the PGA Tour — Kevin Na, Scott Hend and Arron Oberholser.
Na has played in 28 PGA Tour events this year and has won more than $800,000. He had a third-place finish at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
Hend has played in 26 events and has earned more than $500,000 , including a third-place finish at the Bell South Classic. He is second on the PGA Tour in driving distance with an average of more than 313 yards.
Oberholser has competed in 19 TOUR events this year, earning just more than $1.3 million. He’s had three top-10 finishes, including a second place at the Wachovia Championship.
Now in its ninth year, San Juan Oaks is ranked among the top daily fee courses in Northern California and is the First Fred Couples Signature course in the state.
