Three Canadians Earn Cards at Q-School
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:38:10
The 27-year-old fired a final-round 6-under 66 to wind up with a five-day total of 15-under 345, seven shots in front of Australia's Michael Curtain and reigning U.S. amateur runner-up Robert Hamilton. Chad Bellbin (Kamloops, BC), Kyle Stinson (Edmonton, AB) and Kent Fukushima (Grande Prairie, AB) were Canadians who earned Tour playing privileges for the remainder of the 2002 season.
Canadians earning non-exempt status were Mark Corrigan (Cornwall, PEI), Blair Buttar (Leduc, AB), Gord Burns (Toronto, ON) and Jamie Kureluk (Calgary, AB).
The trio of Omelia, Hamilton and Curtain were paired together over the final three rounds of the 90-hole event and, with quite a cushion heading into the final day, seemed relaxed on the 7120-yard Dunes at Kamloops course.
"Today I just went out with the attitude that there wasn't any pressure," said Omelia, a former member of the Ireland and Great Britain national squads. "The three of us had set ourselves up quite nicely, but we still wanted to finish strong. There were a lot of good shots out there today, so we were all focused on the job at hand. It gave us a taste of what we can expect, because we are going to have to do that beginning next week (at the Bay Mills Open)."
Curtain, 23, who also holds status on the Asian Davidoff Tour, had his sights set on obtaining a Tour card when he arrived in Kamloops, and a quick start out of the gate earlier in the week pushed that target to a top-five showing. On Friday, he realized that goal, winding up tied for second.
"This is a big step for me, and now I am looking forward to getting right out there," he admitted. "I don't think I would have been in contention had I not had the chance to play with two guys like (Omelia and Hamilton). I am playing pretty confident right now, but there is still a lot to learn. And I know playing on the Canadian Tour will give me that chance to learn."
When the 24-year-old Hamilton dropped his final putt Friday, so too came an end to a stellar amateur career. Playing with Arnold Palmer during the legend's final round at The Masters last month turned out to be Hamilton's amateur swan song, and he can't think of a better way to go out. Now he will face a new challenge beginning next week in Brimley, MI.
"I just talked to my parents, and they are excited- they have waited 24 years to see me turn pro," said Hamilton shortly after his round. "I had done all I could as an amateur, but playing with Arnold Palmer in his final round at Augusta was like a storybook ending. But now it is time to embark on a new journey- there are a lot of great players here, and I am looking forward to it."
Scores Friday after the final round of the Canadian Tour's Spring Qualifying School held at the 7120-yard, par-72 The Dunes at Kamloops (x-earned exempt card in playoff):
EARNED EXEMPT CARD:
Omelia, Bryan Ireland 72-69-70-68-66_345 -15
Curtain, Michael Australia 70-71-69-71-71_352 -8
Hamilton, Robert Carmichael, CA 73-71-69-72-67_352 -8
Correa, Larry San Diego, CA 73-75-69-69-73_359 -1
Forsman, Johan Sweden 74-70-70-72-74_360 Even
Carr, Dave Sacremento, CA 71-75-78-69-68_361 1
Wood, Jeff Fortuna, CA 69-76-75-70-71_361 1
Belbin, Chad Kamloops, BC 77-72-70-71-72_362 2
Brunson, Daniel Greenville, SC 73-72-77-72-68_362 2
Fisher, Jason Bakersfield, CA 77-75-74-68-72_366 6
Stinson, Kyle Edmonton, AB 72-75-72-76-71_366 6
Scaletta, Paul Richmond, VA 73-77-72-73-72_367 7
Yamanaka, Moto Norwalk, CA 73-71-71-76-76_367 7
x-Valentin, Jerome Mission Viejo, CA 73-74-76-73-72_368 8
x-Fukushima, Kent Grande Prairie, AB 72-73-80-71-72_368 8
EARNED NON-EXEMPT CARD:
Corrigan, Mark Cornwall, PEI 72-73-79-72-72_368 8
Serna, Antonio Mexico 75-71-75-77-70_368 8
Buttar, Blair Leduc, AB 76-79-70-71-73_369 9
Flugstad, Brian Kenmore, WA 72-78-72-79-68_369 9
Gibbs, Jonathon Boise, ID 72-73-75-79-70_369 9
Snelling, Justin Boise, ID 74-75-73-70-77_369 9
Davey, Steve Tallahassee, FL 78-69-73-73-77_370 10
Gentry, Brian Tahoe City, CA 75-73-72-74-76_370 10
Nelson, Birk Philomath, OR 77-74-77-70-72_370 10
Bensel, Ken Belligham, WA 74-74-77-72-74_371 11
Burns, Gord Toronto, ON 74-77-72-74-74_371 11
Kureluk, Jamie Calgary, AB 73-75-79-74-70_371 11
DID NOT QUALIFY:
Brown, Michael Grenelefe, FL 81-73-71-75-74_374 14
Havens, David Charlottesville, VA 78-74-70-77-75_374 14
Karr, Jim Jupiter, FL 76-77-79-71-71_374 14
Burke, Jim Hemnet, CA 79-76-73-75_303 DQ
Bykowski, Colin Kelowna, B.C. 73-78-73-73-78_375 15
Dawson, Philip Shinyle Springs, CA 75-73-76-77-74_375 15
Goma, Shinichi Coquitlam, B.C. 75-74-80-71-75_375 15
Petryk, Larry Smoky Lake, AB 74-73-78-73-77_375 15
Risdon, Dustin Strathmore, AB 72-77-75-75-76_375 15
Knowles, Ragan Aurora, CO 72-77-75-76-76_376 16
Williams, Mike Antelope, CA 76-73-78-74-75_376 16
Moore, Michael Mississauga, ON 78-77-74-76-72_377 17
Yoshitake, Masa Victoria, B.C. 73-74-77-76-77_377 17
Takase, Atsushi Northridge, CA 77-78-78-73-72_378 18
Wright, Steve Nanaimo, B.C. 81-72-76-75-75_379 19
Aga, Matt Loveland, CO 76-79-71-77-77_380 20
Chubb, Matthew Toronto, ON 76-78-78-70-78_380 20
Hong, Chang Korea 75-77-78-76-74_380 20
Jacques, Ryan Dexter, MO 74-78-71-78-79_380 20
Arps, Jarrod Australia 78-75-77-75-76_381 21
Yoo, Richard Korea 79-75-82-77-70_383 23
Hayashi, Nory Japan 77-75-76-77-80_385 25
Park, Pedro New Zealand 79-77-78-78-73_385 25
Kubo, Shohei New Zealand 82-78-80-72-75_387 27
Hague, Ryan Vernon, B.C. 80-78-77-78-75_388 28
Nitta, Daisuke Japan 75-77-80-75-81_388 28
Reid, Scott Conover, NC 84-75-76-73-80_388 28
Webb, Mike Eagle, ID 81-81-78-72-77_389 29
Bach, Ted Sundre, AB 77-80-76-79-78_390 30
Hogan, Pat Indianopolis, IN 80-74-84-79-76_393 33
Douglas, Rob Stratford, ON 84-79-77-83-72_395 35
Mignone, Mark Mission Viejo, CA 85-85-78-77_325 37
Michals, Jay Houston, TX 81-80-82-80-77_400 40
Danbom, Jeff Milford, IA 86-85-84-76_331 43
Harding, Ty Santa Clara, CA 88-80-85-78_331 43
Patrick, Daryl Calgary, AB 84-82-79-78-81_404 44
Berthiaume, Marc-Andre Montreal, QC 80-76-84-79-86_405 45
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