Coloradan Micah Rudosky and former CU golfer Jonathan Kaye advance to final stage of PGA Tour Champions Q-school; locals can’t overcome stage 2 hurdle in PGA Tour qualifying in California
By Gary Baines – 12/1/2023
Quests for 2024 PGA Tour Champions cards remained alive this week for Micah Rudosky of Cortez and Denver native and former University of Colorado golfer Jonathan Kaye.
Rudosky, winner of the last three Colorado PGA Professional Championships (a record-tying four overall), and Kaye, twice a champion on the PGA Tour and of the Inspirato Colorado Open, on Friday advanced to the final stage of Champions Q-school.
With the top 18 finishers and ties in San Jacinto, Calif. — the third and final first-stage tournament — moving on, Rudosky tied for sixth place and Kaye for 11th.
So the two will be in the field for the final stage of Champions Q-school, set for Dec. 5-8 at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. At that event, the top five finishers will land PGA Tour Champions exempt status for 2024.
Rudosky, the PGA head professional at Conquistador Golf Course, ended up at 3 under par for 72 holes in San Jacinto, seven strokes behind medalist Michael Wright. Rudosky made 13 birdies, six bogeys and two double bogeys for the tournament.
Kaye, who double bogeyed his first hole of the event, finished with a dozen birdies, six bogeys and three double bogeys.
Jonathan Kaye.
Harry Rudolphi, a two-time winner of the Colorado Senior Open, tied Kaye in 11th place and likewise advanced.
PGA Tour Champions Q-School First Stage
Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in San Jacinto, Calif. (Top 18 and Ties Advance)
Advance to Final Stage
6. Micah Rudosky, Conquistador 71-73-70-71—285
11. Denver native and former CU golfer Jonathan Kaye 74-71-71-72—288
Failed to Advance
23. Former CU golfer Bob Kalinowski 72-71-73-79–295
25. Former Durango resident Tom Kalinowski 79-76-69-72—296
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile, at the second stage of PGA Tour Q-school, the three players with strong Colorado connections competing this week fell short of advancing to the final stage. With the top 13 finishers and ties in Valencia, Calif., moving on, former Colorado School of Mines golfer George Markham placed 26th, Davis Bryant of Aurora 37th and Chris Korte of Littleton 47th.
One player who did advance — on the number — was former Pepperdine golfer William Mouw, who won the 2022 Trans-Miss title at Denver Country Club. Mouw finished 13th on Friday.
Last week, three other second stage Q-school tournaments were held, with Josh Creel, a Cheyenne native who began his college golf carer at the University of Colorado before transferring to Central Oklahoma, advancing to the final stage.
The final stage of Q-school, set for TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is set for Dec. 14-17. There, the top five finishers and ties will earn PGA Tour cards, and the next 40 and ties will land some exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour. The next 20 and ties will be exempt for the Latin America Swing of the 2024 PGA Tour Americas season, while also earning conditional Korn Ferry Tour status. All the rest of the final-stage finishers will have conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.
PGA Tour Q-School Second Stage
Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in Valencia, Calif. (top 13 finishers and ties advance to final stage)
Failed to Advance to Final Stage
26. Former Colorado School of Mines golfer George Markham 73-71-74-74–292
37. Davis Bryant, Aurora 76-71-72-75—294
47. Chris Korte, Littleton 75-82-68-74—299
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
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. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com