Coloradan Becca Huffer earns return trip to final stage of LPGA Q-Series; Chris Korte, fellow former DU golfer Chris Gilman advance to stage 2 of PGA Tour Q-school
By Gary Baines – 10/25/2024
Becca Huffer of Monument, who made six starts on the LPGA Tour this year after earning conditional status, will return to the final stage of LPGA Q-Series after advancing through a Q-school tournament Friday in Venice, Fla.
The two-time Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open champion, who also played on the LPGA Tour in 2019, finished 15th out of 194 players in Florida, where the top 35 and ties earned spots into the final stage of Q-Series. That event will take place Dec. 5-9 in Mobile, Ala., where the top 25 and ties — a reduction from past years — earn LPGA Tour cards for 2025.
Huffer, a 34-year-old Littleton High School graduate, posted rounds of 73-67-69-71 for a 8-under-par total. Over the four rounds, she carded 19 birdies, seven bogeys and two double bogeys.
Last year, Huffer earned conditional status on the 2024 LPGA Tour by tying for the 45th — and final — qualifying spot at the final stage of the Q-Series.
Meanwhile, other competitors in the Florida Q-school event with strong Colorado ties did not advance to the final stage of Q-series but will have conditional status on the Epson Tour in 2025 by virtue of completing four rounds in this week’s tournament. That includes former University of Colorado golfers Sabrina Iqbal (128th place) and Brittany Fan (144th place), and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland (173rd place after a final-round 68).
Meanwhile, in the first stage of PGA Tour Q-school, former CGA Amateur and CGA Match Play champion Chris Korte of Littleton punched his ticket to the second stage on Friday by finishing fifth out of 80 players in Abilene, Texas.
Korte, who recently Monday qualified for his first start on the PGA Tour, went 69-69-70-66 for a 14-under-par total in Abilene, which left him twostrokes behind co-medalists Nate Stember of Portland, Ore., and Tanner Napier of Paris, Texas. The top 21 finishers and ties from that site advance to stage 2.
Also moving on, but from a stage 1 tournament in Murrieta, Calif., was another former University of Denver golfer. Chris Gilman (70-72-69-71) placed 19th at that site, where the top 22 finishes and ties punched their tickets into stage 2.
Korte, a regular on PGA Tour Americas in 2024, joins five other Coloradans who this month have advanced through stage 1 of Q-school. Jake Staiano of Englewood, Griffin Barela of Lakewood, Davis Bryant of Aurora, Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins and AJ Ott of Fort Collins were successful earlier.
One more first-stage tournament will be held next week. Even though this month’s events are called “first stage”, numerous players involved previously had to make it through pre-qualifying to land spots in 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.
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.
LPGA Q-SERIES IN VENICE, FLA.
(Top 35 and Ties — Out of 194-Player Field — Advance to Final Stage of Q-Series)
Advances to Final Stage
15. Becca Huffer of Monument 73-67-69-71–280
Failed to Advance
128. Former CU golfer Sabrina Iqbal 71-75-76-72—294
144. Former CU golfer Brittany Fan 74-76-69-77–296
173. Lauren Lehigh of Loveland 83-69-80-68—300
PGA TOUR Q-SCHOOL FIRST STAGE
Abilene, Texas (Top 21 and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
Advances to Stage 2
5. Chris Korte, Littleton 69-69-70-66—274
Failed to Advance
69. Brandon McDonough, Denver 76-70-75-74–295
Murrieta, Calif. (Top 22 and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
Advances to Stage 2
19. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 70-72-69-71–282
SCORES
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