Chasing A Dream at Dayton Valley

by Vic Williams | posted October 21, 2009

While FG (as in, yours truly) spent the better part of a week blogging and Tweeting from the Presidents Cup in San Francisco and loved every minute of it, at no time were we under the impression that it was a “real” pressure-packed event. A bunch of millionaires playing for charity (not exactly “free,” but better than that) in front of thousands in person and many millions around the world on TV and the web? Nationalistic pride, sure. Pressure no. Yes, there was drama. Tiger pumping his fist. Phil getting with the program. The Americans winning yet again. But in the end, each of the 24 players, their captains, spouses, families and friends are pretty well set or this lifetime, and several more. They’ve long since Made It.

No pressure, no problem. Just a whole lot of fun at the game’s highest reaches.

Now Q-School, there’s some pressure. As in 72 guys playing for a few minuscule spots on the PGA Tour, one shot, one round, one stage at a time. More than one of them is working full time, and might have saved up for months to get this slim chance at glory. It’s the true crucible of professional golf, and it’s taking place across America right now, with a handful of hopefuls earning a shot at the big bucks come December.

The settings and climates at 13 Stage One venues are as different and diverse as America itself, but one longtime Q School spot that’s dear to FG’s heart is Dayton Valley Golf & Country Club a few miles east of Carson City, Nev. For a record 15^th straight year, through Oct 24, this well-wrought Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay course hosts a 72-hole, Stage 1 Q-school tournament. The streak started in 1995 and the 2009 event continues the longest consecutive streak of hosting a PGA Tour qualifying event for any course in the nation.

The action begins Wednesday, and admission is free. Tee-times begin at approximately 9 a.m. off the 1st and 10th tees each day barring possible frost delays — it gets chilly at 4,500 feet in the high desert, and already the course — a stellar Arnie effort with plenty of water hazards, a good mix of sand and grass bunkers and huge greens that roll as well as any putting surfaces in the entire Silver State — has had its first fall taste of freezing temperatures and spits of snow. A field of 71 players from 16 states and five foreign countries plopped down their day-job cash to take part; approximately a third of the field has gone through Dayton’s Q School grinder in the past.

Notables in the 2009 field include Dayton 2007 co-medalists Seung-su Han and Tyrone Van Aswegen, 2005 medalist Ben Portie, 2000 medalist Jeremy Anderson and Jason Allen and Mike Pearson, co-holders of the tournament and course 18-hole record of 10-under par 62 set in 2003. Veteran Chris Kamin will be making his tenth appearance in Dayton. Call them gluttons for punishment or brave souls — they’re all solid sticks out to prove to everyone, and themselves, that they’ve got the right stuff to tee it up alongside Tiger.

In 2006 the PGA Tour introduced a new stage to the qualifying process and this year, 227 players qualified for 2009 Stage One tournaments at five Pre-Qualifying sites in September. Those players with qualifying low scores and ties set by the PGA Tour (in 2008 the number was the low 23 scores and ties) will advance to 72-hole Stage Two qualifying tournaments at six sites on Nov. 18-21. The heat gets turned up for the Finals — 108 grueling holes on Dec. 2-7 at Bear Lakes Country Club, Lakes and Links Courses, in West Palm Beach, Fla. The low scores and ties — exact number is yet to be determined — will earn PGA Tour playing privileges. Just getting to the last stage carries a decent reward; all players reaching the finals earn exempt or non-exempt playing status on the Nationwide Tour.

Last year Marc Lawless of Aptos, Calif. was the low qualifier with a 22-under par, 266 total that tied the 72-hole Dayton Q-school record set in 2003 by Jim Rutledge. Twenty-four players advanced to the second stage from the field of 77 with a two-way tie for the 23rd and final spot at 7-under.

Six of the 24 who advanced made it to the Q-school finals. Will Collins of Rapid City, S.D. and Gary Woodland of Berryton, Kan. were among the 28 players who earned a PGA Tour card for 2009 at the final stage.

Over the years plenty of well-known tour players, many of them champions, have negotiated Dayton Valley’s outstanding mix of desert and semi-parkland holes, most of which are played from the tips in sometimes capricious breezes. Rod Pampling, Charlie Wi, Parker McLachlin, Chez Reavie, Jeff Overton, Charley Hoffman, Bob May, Steve Allan, Notah Begay, and Casey Martin have all gone for the gold here.

Last year 42 players had rounds under par in the final round and 41 players in the field finished under par for the 72-hole tournament. The field shot a collective average score of 71.85 for the 72-hole tournament. The par 4, 450-yard 9th hole, which is bisected by a lake that’s reachable for these guys, forcing most to club down to a fairway metal or long iron, was the most difficult averaging 4.51 strokes. The par 3, 234-yard 16th hole — all over water with a broad, bunkered green — was the second most difficult averaging 3.26 strokes. The easiest hole was the par 5, 505-yard 3rd hole that yielded 19 eagles, 172 birdies and averaged 4.35 strokes.

Yeah, these guys are good. Maybe not Presidents Cup good. Not yet. But make no mistake, they know pressure.

Follow the Q School grind at http://www.pgatour.com/qschool/index.html.

For more on Dayton Valley Country Club, visit www.daytonvalley.com

Vic Williams is editor and publishing partner of Fairways + Greens, a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to golf, travel and lifestyle for the West and beyond. He has written thousands of stories on golf and will cover every facet of the game right here, primarily travel but also the major tours, equipment, personalities and more. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it