Craig Matheson Takes Over Lead at CanTours Fall Q-School
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:44:49
The 27-year-old Matheson finds himself in top spot with a 72-hole total of 7-under 281, two shots in front of Quebec City's Dave Levesque and Adam
Short of Vineland, ON. Drew Symons of Woodstock, ON, who led through the opening two rounds, is at 2-under 286.
Following Friday's final round, the Canadian Tour will award 15 exempt and a minimum of 10 non-exempt cards for the 2003 season. A total of 61 players had were 17-over or better to make the cut and advance to the final round.
Matheson went on a birdie binge Thursday, with six birdies over a seven-hole span starting on the par-3 16th, his seventh hole of the day. His ten-foot putt on number 18 lipped out, denying Matheson a chance at seven consecutive birdies. Jason Bohn of Atlanta, GA set a new Canadian Tour record this season with eight straight birdies at the Texas Challenge in Austin, TX. After failing to earn a Tour card twice in the past year, Matheson, who took home $10,000 US by winning a mini-tour event in August, has put himself in prime position with just one day left.
"I've worked really hard this past winter, and I've been thinking my way around the golf course a lot better," said Matheson. "I've been hitting the ball well all week, and today I just got hot at the right time."
Matheson, who hit just 13 of 18 greens Thursday after missing just nine in the first three days, joined the pro ranks last April. Teamed with Symons, Levesque and Julian James on Thursday, Matheson more than held his own before struggling to a pair of bogies over his final four holes. But despite his unflattering finish, Matheson knows he has put himself in an enviable spot with just one round left in the 90-hole marathon that is Q-school.
"I wasn't happy with the bogies coming in, but I am not going to gripe about that- I watched a great player (Symons) shoot 74 today, so that is part of the game. I couldn't get it done here last year, and I couldn't get it done in Orlando (at Winter Q-School). Obviously, playing on this Tour is something I want. I'll go in Friday, make sure I finish in the top 15 and not do anything ridiculous."
Short, who played on the Canadian Tour in 2001 but was unable to retain his card, spent most of the past summer on the DP Tour. Last month, he took advantage of a sponsor's exemption into the TELUS Quebec Open, where he finished 20th. In recent months, he has worked with his coach, and has been helped with his mental approach to the game by his father, Kerry, a longtime player on the Canadian Tour.
"A couple of shots here and there is the difference between shooting 74 or 69 or 70, and that is the numbers you need out here," admitted Short, a former second-team All-American at Clayton State University. "My dad has helped me out a lot, he knows this Tour, the players, and what it is going to take to win. "I've learned to take this game for what it is, and not get too high or too low. You are going to hit bad shots, and you have to balance those emotions. I wanted to put myself in a position to win here, so I'll go out tomorrow, hit it one shot at a time, add it up and see where I am."
Scores Thursday after the fourth round of the Canadian Tour's Fall Qualifying School being played at the 7019-yard, par-72 Royal Ashburn GC (15 exempt and a minimum of 10 non-exempt cards to be awarded for the 2003 Canadian Tour season after Friday's final round):
Matheson, Craig Aurora, ON 70-69-73-69_281 -7
Levesque, Dave Quebec City, QC 70-68-72-73_283 -5
Short, Adam Vineland, ON 73-70-68-72_283 -5
Symons, Drew Woodstock, ON 68-69-75-74_286 -2
Kral, Scotty Victoria, BC 74-72-71-70_287 -1
James, Julian Ottawa, ON 70-69-78-71_288 Even
Wagenseller, David Wilmington, OH 73-70-73-72_288 Even
Fukushima, Kent Grande Prairie, AB 73-73-70-73_289 1
Valentin, Jerome France 72-72-71-75_290 2
Burbidge, David Orangeville, ON 79-74-70-68_291 3
Correa, Larry San Diego, CA 71-71-78-71_291 3
Jones, Cory Toronto, ON 71-76-72-72_291 3
Walsh, Bill Unionville, ON 74-68-74-75_291 3
Wilson, Mark Kincardine, ON 73-70-76-72_291 3
Buck, David Abbotsford, BC 73-72-72-75_292 4
Hospodar, Michael Brantford, ON 74-74-70-74_292 4
North, Dean Winnipeg, MB 71-71-78-72_292 4
Speirs, Adam Winnipeg, MB 74-75-70-73_292 4
Davey, Steve Pacific Grove, CA 77-69-72-75_293 5
Hawley, Scott Ottawa, ON 71-75-72-75_293 5
Kennedy, Dean Vancouver, BC 72-74-76-71_293 5
Scutt, Gordy Victoria, BC 73-73-76-71_293 5
Jones, Kevin Ajax, ON 77-72-71-74_294 6
Keating, Walter Thunder Bay, ON 72-77-70-75_294 6
Kureluk, Jamie Calgary, AB 74-77-71-72_294 6
Greville, Jeremy Hamilton, ON 74-74-73-74_295 7
Pence, Todd Cheney, WA 76-73-75-71_295 7
Blais, Jerome Sherbrooke, QC 73-71-75-77_296 8
Haraguchi, Mike Richmond, BC 78-70-73-75_296 8
LeBlanc, Dale Morden, MB 72-76-75-73_296 8
Martens, Chris Surrey, BC 76-72-74-74_296 8
Moore, Brad Oakville, ON 70-73-79-74_296 8
Webb, Brennan Bracebridge, ON 74-75-74-73_296 8
Curtain, Michael Australia 73-73-77-74_297 9
Flugstad, Brian Kenmore, WA 71-71-77-78_297 9
Norton, Danny Richmond, BC 72-72-76-77_297 9
Paniccia, Danny Fresno, CA 71-74-78-74_297 9
Taylor, Craig Hunter River, PEI 72-76-72-77_297 9
Woodcock, Mike Chatham, ON 76-77-70-74_297 9
Young, Matt Burlington, ON 81-68-76-72_297 9
Bailey, John Dallas, TX 72-72-76-78_298 10
Gentry, Brian Tahoe City, CA 72-71-78-77_298 10
Buttar, Blair Leduc, AB 76-74-73-77_300 12
Chilton, Gord Markham, ON 74-72-81-73_300 12
Roy, Denis Charlesburg, QC 73-76-76-75_300 12
Hinds, Jerry Orillia, ON 74-75-72-80_301 13
Komar, Len Tofield, AB 76-76-76-73_301 13
Millage, Reg Ennismore, ON 74-76-76-75_301 13
Wilkins, Brian Courtice, ON 72-73-75-81_301 13
Carr, Dave Sacremento, CA 75-77-75-75_302 14
Jenkinson, Garett Calgary, AB 75-76-71-80_302 14
Fisher, Jason Bakersfield, CA 74-75-78-76_303 15
McNeely, Dan Williamstown, ON 76-75-76-76_303 15
Mortimer, Jamie Kitchener, ON 74-72-82-75_303 15
Philips, Matt Aurora, ON 79-77-74-73_303 15
Snelling, Justin Boise, ID 78-69-81-75_303 15
Fox, Rocky Duffield, AB 77-79-73-75_304 16
Kerr, Matt Vancouver, BC 76-75-74-79_304 16
Matheson, Matt Cole Harbour, NS 78-72-79-75_304 16
Goti, Ramiro Argentina 75-74-80-76_305 17
Krieger, Ty Edina, MN 78-79-73-75_305 17
The following players missed the cut:
Bykowski, Colin Kelowna, BC 79-73-79-75_306 18
Newbolt, Timothy Kihei, HI 76-82-74-74_306 18
Rinker, Joe London, ON 80-74-74-78_306 18
Burch, Jason Vaughn, ON 81-74-76-76_307 19
Castleton, Geoff Coburg, ON 77-72-78-80_307 19
Chartrand, Dan Victoria, BC 79-75-76-77_307 19
Escott, Jeff Paincourt, ON 80-76-72-79_307 19
Ilic, Eric Ocala, FL 75-79-74-79_307 19
Schmaltz, Clinton Calgary, AB 75-77-78-77_307 19
Gibbs, Jonathon Boise, ID 73-75-82-78_308 20
Hendershott, Dennis Brantford, ON 78-81-76-73_308 20
Knight, Troy Lacombe, AB 78-74-81-75_308 20
Moore, Michael Mississauga, ON 74-78-84-72_308 20
Chubb, Matthew Toronto, ON 75-75-77-82_309 21
Heffernan, John Humboldt, SK 75-78-78-78_309 21
Deering, John Calgary, AB 77-78-76-79_310 22
Hicks, Craig Tecumseh, ON 79-80-76-75_310 22
Kachmar, John Vancouver, BC 80-80-80-70_310 22
Douma, John Scottsdale, AZ 82-77-78-74_311 23
Edwards, Jamie Kincardine, ON 77-75-80-79_311 23
Hague, Ryan Vernon, BC 75-81-74-81_311 23
Melton, Brett Corunna, ON 78-79-72-82_311 23
Gordon, Ashley Toronto, ON 81-82-75-74_312 24
Knudsen, Erik Toronto, ON 77-78-78-79_312 24
Demers, Patrick Laval, QC 77-80-84-72_313 25
Mills, Glen Winnipeg, MB 76-78-79-80_313 25
Hins, Mike Ste-Soffie, QC 75-74-82-84_315 27
Murray, Colin Alberton, ON 78-81-82-74_315 27
Kerby, Hal Burlington, ON 76-83-79-78_316 28
Coey, John Toronto, ON 80-86-75-76_317 29
Kane, Matt Oakville, ON 74-78-81-85_318 30
Tate, Leigh Vancouver, BC 79-81-87_247 GW/D
O'Brien, Terry Barrie, ON 74-77-83-85_319 31
Brunson, Daniel Greenville, SC 76-79-82-84_321 33
White, Craig Vernon, BC 79-83-79-80_321 33
Sung, Steven Markham, ON 76-84-82-83_325 37
Retz, Dylan St. Albert, AB 81-82-81-82_326 38
Martel, Steve Courtice, ON 82-87-79-80_328 40
Bailey, Daryl Orangeville, ON 83-79-85-82_329 41
Garrecht, Randy Surrey, BC 85-79-81-84_329 41
Machel, Mike Halifax, NS 80-78-88-85_331 43
Oostrom, Steven Smith Falls, ON 82-82-82-88_334 46
Whitehead, Jeffery Perth, ON 84-84-83-85_336 48
Kang, Tai Abbotsford, BC 85-85-86-82_338 50
Gregga, Mike Toronto, ON 87-88-84-86_345 57
Pickering, Andrew Wallaceburg, ON 90-90-94-85_359 71"
