Monday Musings The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from this week’s Qualifiers Welcome to my new weekly column rounding up the action at Monday qualifiers across the golf world. The journey continues… Korn Ferry Tour Monday Qualifier The Good Nick Hardy didn’t even play in the tournament Monday—he is on the verge of his PGA Tour card but he still had a role in the qualifier. His friend Patrick Flavin had played in an All-Pro Tour event in Oklahoma last week and he had no real intention of playing the KFT Monday qualifier. Enter Hardy, who called Flavin and talked him into signing up. It doesn’t end there; Hardy then left his home in Scottsdale a day early and drove hours out his way to pick up Flavin in Oklahoma and bring him to Kansas City. That is a good friend…but it doesn’t end there. Sunday, in the pouring rain, Hardy walked the course with Flavin and helped him strategize for the qualifier. Monday morning, he woke up early and drove Flavin to the course. And finally, after Flavin shot 66 that would tie him for medalist, Hardy sat with him in the clubhouse and helped him stay focused for a potential playoff. Nick Hardy is on the verge of his Tour card and did all that for a friend. That’s as good as it gets… Speaking of Flavin, he didn’t birdie a single par-5. In the three years I’ve been tracking Monday qualifiers it’s the first time a medalist hasn’t birdied at least one of the par-5s… Kyler Dunkle qualified for his first-ever Korn Ferry event tying Flavin for medalist with a 66, including birdies on four of the last six holes. He finished early, and the wait is always excruciating as scores slowly trickle in. Dunkle said went to eat lunch with friends, talked on the phone as much as possible, and tracked his alma mater Utah playing in the Regionals…anything to keep his mind occupied. Dunkle told me after the round, “Every time you look at scores, you just pray there isn’t anyone that beat you.” … Daniel Sutton got through for the first time in 2021. Last year he Monday qualified for his first KFT event and went on to finished fourth. He parlayed that into six total starts, making four cuts. Can he recapture the Monday magic again in his first start this year? … Zach Bauchou, who lost in a playoff at the Byron Nelson Monday qualifier, shot 67 and got through but it was a wild ride: five birdies, two eagles, four bogeys and seven pars equals out to a five-under round. There are a lot of shapes on that card.
Monday Musings: 5/17/21
Monday Musings: 5/17/21
Monday Musings: 5/17/21
Monday Musings The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from this week’s Qualifiers Welcome to my new weekly column rounding up the action at Monday qualifiers across the golf world. The journey continues… Korn Ferry Tour Monday Qualifier The Good Nick Hardy didn’t even play in the tournament Monday—he is on the verge of his PGA Tour card but he still had a role in the qualifier. His friend Patrick Flavin had played in an All-Pro Tour event in Oklahoma last week and he had no real intention of playing the KFT Monday qualifier. Enter Hardy, who called Flavin and talked him into signing up. It doesn’t end there; Hardy then left his home in Scottsdale a day early and drove hours out his way to pick up Flavin in Oklahoma and bring him to Kansas City. That is a good friend…but it doesn’t end there. Sunday, in the pouring rain, Hardy walked the course with Flavin and helped him strategize for the qualifier. Monday morning, he woke up early and drove Flavin to the course. And finally, after Flavin shot 66 that would tie him for medalist, Hardy sat with him in the clubhouse and helped him stay focused for a potential playoff. Nick Hardy is on the verge of his Tour card and did all that for a friend. That’s as good as it gets… Speaking of Flavin, he didn’t birdie a single par-5. In the three years I’ve been tracking Monday qualifiers it’s the first time a medalist hasn’t birdied at least one of the par-5s… Kyler Dunkle qualified for his first-ever Korn Ferry event tying Flavin for medalist with a 66, including birdies on four of the last six holes. He finished early, and the wait is always excruciating as scores slowly trickle in. Dunkle said went to eat lunch with friends, talked on the phone as much as possible, and tracked his alma mater Utah playing in the Regionals…anything to keep his mind occupied. Dunkle told me after the round, “Every time you look at scores, you just pray there isn’t anyone that beat you.” … Daniel Sutton got through for the first time in 2021. Last year he Monday qualified for his first KFT event and went on to finished fourth. He parlayed that into six total starts, making four cuts. Can he recapture the Monday magic again in his first start this year? … Zach Bauchou, who lost in a playoff at the Byron Nelson Monday qualifier, shot 67 and got through but it was a wild ride: five birdies, two eagles, four bogeys and seven pars equals out to a five-under round. There are a lot of shapes on that card.