Colorado native Jake Staiano earns medalist honors — going away — in stage 1 PGA Tour Q-school tourney in Albuquerque
By Gary Baines – 10/18/2024
Colorado native Jake Staiano, who whet his appetite with 17 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2022 and ’23, seems determined to return to that tour — or beyond — in 2025.
The 2017 CGA Player Player of the Year not only earned medalist honors on Friday at a first-stage PGA Tour Q-school event in Albuquerque, but he lapped the field.
Staiano, a former Colorado State University golfer and winner of the 2021 Sinclair Rocky Mountain Open, posted four straight rounds in the 60s — 69-68-66-68 — for a 13-under-par total at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course, where the top 23 finishers out of a field of 82 earned berths into stage 2 of Q-school.
That was good for a seven-stroke victory over runner-up Ryan Hall of Knoxville, Tenn.
Staiano, a soon-to-be 28-year-old who has three top-10 finishes in the Inspirato Colorado Open, carded two eagles, 17 birdies and eight bogeys over four rounds in Albuquerque.
Staiano joins four other Coloradans who this month have advanced through stage 1 of Q-school. Griffin Barela of Lakewood, Davis Bryant of Aurora, Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins and AJ Ott of Fort Collins made the grade last week.
Five more first-stage tournaments will start later this month, with the last one concluding on Nov. 1. Even though this month’s events are called “first stage”, numerous players involved previously had to make it through pre-qualifying to make the first-stage field.
Those who advance to the second stage will compete either in November or early December at one of five courses. At the final stage, set for Dec. 12-15 in Ponte Vedra, Fla., five PGA Tour cards (plus ties) will be up for grabs, with the next 40 finishers and ties earning some exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour, and the remaining players landing conditional status on the KFT.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Top 23 Advance to Second Stage)
Advances to Stage 2
1. Jake Staiano, Englewood 69-68-66-68–271
Failed to Advance
35. Former Colorado School of Mines golfer George Markham 67-75-75-72–289
40. Franklin Huang, Lafayette 72-77-68-74—291
68. Gabe Goodman, Lakewood 78-72-78-83—311
MADISON, Miss. (Top 25 Advance to Second Stage)
Failed to Advance
26. Roberto Lebrija, Edwards 71-71-68-64—274
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com