Four Southern Ohio PGA Professionals competed in the First Stage of PGA Tour Champions Q-School, with Sam Arnold, PGA, and Bob Sowards, PGA, both qualifying for the Final Stage in December.
Bob Sowards, PGA, finished solo 3rd at Grand Bear Golf Club.
Sowards, Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Powell, Ohio, booked his trip to Scottsdale by finishing 3rd at Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier, Mississippi. Sowards opened the tournament with a pair of rounds under par including a second round 67. Rounds of 74 and 71 on the weekend secured the top three finish at -7 and a trip to TPC Scottsdale for Final Stage. Sowards played consistently good golf and was among the steadiest in the entire tournament, finishing with only five bogeys, good for second across the board.
Sam Arnold, PGA, finished T15 at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club.
Arnold, General Manager of The Vineyard Golf Course in Cincinnati, traveled to Valrico, Florida and Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club where his -1, T15 finish was more than good enough to qualify. Arnold opened with an even par round of 72 but really turned a corner late in the second round. Standing at one under for the tournament, Arnold closed with two birdies in the final three holes to shoot 69 and sit well inside the qualifying range. A pair of 73s on the weekend solidified Arnold’s spot inside the Top 20.
Joseph Moore, PGA, and Brad Loomis, PGA, also competed at the Buckhorn Springs tournament. Moore, the Head Golf Professional at Beavercreek Golf Club, finished outside the cutline at +13. Loomis, the Head Golf Professional at Miami View Golf Club, missed the cut at +15.
Final Stage of the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying School is set for December 3-6 at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course.