Weworski leads group of 33 winners in Web.com qualifier at Dayton Valley Golf Club
DAYTON, Nev. — Tyler Weworski of Carlsbad, Calif., fired a 4-under 68 in the final round to finish low qualifier by five shots at 14-under par 274 in the final round of Stage One Web.com Qualifying at Dayton Valley Golf Club.
Tony Finau of Lehi, Utah shot even par 72 to finish second at 9-under. John Catlin of Gold River, Calif., and Chris Gilman of Yorba Linda, Calif., finished in a tie for third at 8-under 280. Former Nevada Wolf Pack golfer Scott Smith also qualifies in 22nd spot at 1-over 289.
"It was fun and I have lots of positive vibes going forward," said Weworski who held the lead for the final three rounds. "I felt good, confident and comfortable and I was able to take more aggressive lines into the greens because I had more room to work with in where I stood on the leaderboard."
Weworski will head to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Tex. again for second stage qualifying. He missed getting to the finals there last year by one shot. “My game has been really good all year and it’s good to see the results getting me where I want to be going – get through to finals and play on the Web.com next year.”
Former Nevada Wolf Pack golfer Scott Smith shot a 1-over par 73 to finish at 1-over par 289 in 22nd place to qualify and advance to the second stage for the first time. "I felt a lot of pressure out there, it's been a long tough year" said Smith. "I felt I could have controlled my nerves better but that's part of the learning process. It's just a grind in these qualifiers and you know you have to play well."
Smith was inside the qualifying number last year but shot 3-over in the final round to miss advancing from Dayton. "I learned from that and just keep my head up and stayed positive and it worked out," he said. "I was prepared for this thanks to Coach Tom Duncan and Duncan Golf Management for allowing me to play and practice here."
Matt Marshall of Marana, Ariz., made six consecutive threes on holes no. 2 through 7 to card a 5-under 67 that tied for the low round of the day. The Reno-born Marshall had a 5-under total of 283 to finish in a tie for 10th place.
“I’m glad it’s over, because this thing is a test,” said Marshall after playing in his fourth qualifier at Dayton. “It’s a school, a q-school, and it seems like it is never easy. After that bad first round (78), I just focused on improving each round and it got me where I wanted to be – going to second stage for the fifth time.”
There were 33 winners in the field of 75 who will move on to 72-hole Stage Two qualifying tournaments at one of six sites on Nov. 12-22. Eleven players tied for the final qualifying spot at 2-over and the battle for the final qualifying places was where the drama played out.
Christopher Cunningham of San Diego, Calif., tied Marshall for the low round of the day with a 5-under 67 and 1-under 287 total. Cunningham jumped 23 places from a tie for 37th into a tie for 14th.
Andrew Vijarro of Bend, Ore., shot a 3-under 69 to also be tied for 14th place. “It feels good to get the golden ticket because I’ve been struggling to finish on the back nine all week,” said Vijarro who played at Oregon for coach Casey Martin, who also advanced through a Dayton qualifier in 1997. “I birdied three of the last four holes to lock it up.”
Jake Itzen of Pomona, Calif., made the biggest move to get in on the number by shooting a 4-under 68. He moved up 17 places from a tie for 40th after three rounds. “I knew what I had to do and I just started believing – it’s amazing what good things happen when you do,” said the 30-year old Itzen who has pulled through in tour qualifying final rounds before. “It was a gut check because I’m getting older and I know I belong out there on tour – I just need to get there.”
It took a birdie on the 18th and final hole for Jake Johnson of Cameron Park, Calif., and Clayton Rask of Elk River, Minn., to get in on the number.
It was the first time through a first stage qualifier for Johnson. “Wow, did it get hard going down the stretch,” he said. “I’m elated that last putt went in the hole.”
“I had to go for 18 again,” said Rask who hit a 5-iron to the fringe 15 feet from the hole. “I wasn’t real aggressive with the eagle putt because I wanted to be sure to make birdie.”
Rask faced the same situation in the 2009 Dayton qualifier when he also finished on the number to advance. It may be a good omen for him as that year he played in the final stage and spent the 2010 season playing the then Nationwide Tour. “I know what I’ve got to work on to get there again, the putter, because I hit so many putts that lipped-out or just wouldn’t go in,” he said. “But this is the best I’ve swung the golf club in a long time so I’m looking forward to getting down the qualifying road again.”
Notes:
Twenty-four players had rounds under par in the final round and 17 players in the field finished under par for the 72-hole tournament. The field shot a collective average score of 73.38 for the 72-hole tournament.
For complete results and individual player scorecards, go here.