December 3, 2009 (UPDATED DEC 8) –Several golfers with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses are currently competing in the PGA Tour Qualifying School in an attempt to secure full playing privileges for the 2010 PGA Tour season. In all, there are more than 30 golfers who play the major tours who have strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses (lived here for a long time, currently live here, or went to UNLV). LIVE SCORING. We will have comments from the two who qualified very soon so click back to the site.
Chris Riley, Ricky Fowler, Chris Riley, Skip Kendall and Won Joon Lee are the five players who made it through to the final stage. Riley was a 4-time All-American at UNLV, and has enjoyed a long PGA Tour career which includes a victory plus an appearance in the Ryder Cup as a member of the U.S. team. Riley lived full time for many years in Las Vegas, but now splits time between Las Vegas and San Diego, his native home. No matter how Riley finishes, he will qualify or be given exemptions into many PGA Tour events. Riley is one of many Las Vegas pro golfers who play and practice at TPC Las Vegas, a Las Vegas resort golf course which is owned and operated by the PGA Tour. Riley finished in a tie for 19th to earn his PGA Tour card.
TPC Las Vegas is available for all Las Vegas golfers, and you can click now to view the official website of TPC Las Vegas. You can reserve your online Las Vegas golf tee times or Las Vegas golf packages via the website. This course has hosted events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, and was designed by the PGA Tour architects with consultation by World Golf Hall-of-Famer Raymond Floyd. Click now to view special TPC Las Vegas golf packages and online golf rates.
Ricky Fowler is, most likely, the newest Tour player with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses (but they seem to move here on nearly a daily basis!). Fowler moved to Las Vegas in October, just prior to the PGA Tour's Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He had a hot start to his PGA Tour career when he parlayed several sponsor exemptions into more than $570,000 in earnings in only six events, but it wasn't quite good enough to crack the top 125 and earn his PGA Tour card without the need for Q School. His earnings would have place him in about 136th on the list, but he should enjoy more sponsor exemptions in 2010 should be not qualify. Fowler finished in a tie for 15th to earn his 2010 PGA Tour card.
Riegger is a longtime resident of the Las Vegas area, and he finished 88th on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2009. He has won more than $580,000 during his long Nationwide Tour career. Skip Kendall is a former standout at UNLV, and a longtime veteran of the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour. He has earned more than $7 million in his PGA Tour career and more than $800,000 on the Nationwide Tour. This year, he finished 58th on the Nationwide Tour money list and 217th on the PGA Tour money list in limited action. Won Joon Lee is also a resident of Las Vegas who is competing in the Q School. Lee finished 47th on the Nationwide Tour money list in 2009. Note: The top 125 players get playing cards for 2010, but each of the players who made it to the final stage of Q School have full privileges on the 2009 Nationwide Tour.