The Stakes of Qualifying

Josh Creel shot 7 under and Chase Johnson posted 6 under to earn their spots in the field this week. Two other players, Blake Hathcoat and Anders Larson, survived a 4-for-2 playoff to win the final spots over Mike Van Sickle and Jack Sparrow. Hathcoat birdied the 17th and 18th to get into the playoff, and made it three-in-a-row on the first playoff hole to win a spot. 

The disappointment of being so close to a spot in a PGA Tour event and collapsing hits hard. Mike Van Sickle, once a top-10 amateur in the world, hooked his playoff tee shot into the trees and played his third from knee-high fescue. Van Sickle stopped pursuing professional golf full-time a couple years ago, but occasionally shows up in a qualifier. With the ability to catch fire and go low, Van Sickle likely still harbors the hope that an elusive performance at the right time might alter the trajectory of his professional life. A bogey ended that short-term possibility on Monday’s opening playoff hole.

As a player, you try to accept disappointment by reminding yourself of how close you came; nearly qualifying for a meaningful tournament means you’re improving. There were nine players who faced a frustrating ride home after finishing at 4 under. The group included Danny Guise, who survived an eight hole playoff last week to earn a spot in the Rocket Mortgage Classic but struggled in the event.