State golfers open play at Q School
Posted on Thursday, December 4, 2008
Conway’s Bryce Molder shot a 4-under-par 68 Wednesday and is tied for 19 th after the first round of the final stage of PGA Tour Q School.
Molder, playing the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., had a bogey-free round. He made birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 13 and 15.
The top 25 players plus ties earn PGA Tour cards for 2009. Molder already has earned his card by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour this year, but he is attempting to improve his tour status through this tournament.
The six-round tournament ends Monday.
In LPGA qualifying at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., Little Rock’s Audra Burks and former Arkansas Razorback Stacy Lewis both shot 3-underpar 69 s Wednesday and are tied for sixth.
“Today was an OK round of golf, ’” Lewis said. “I started off kind of rocky a little bit, but then was able to get a couple birdies, so I am OK with how I did.”
Shino Oyama is the leader at 8 under, while Michelle Wie also shot 3 under.
The top 20 players at the LPGA event, which consists of five rounds and ends Sunday, earn full playing privileges for 2009. Lower finishers earn limited status.
Major Manning, Craig Kanada and Joey Lamielle each shot 7-under-par 65 s Wednesday to lead the PGA Tour event. Former PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks is in a group of players tied for fourth.
Farmington’s Scott Gardiner is tied for 36 th after shooting a 3-under-par 69 on the Nicklaus Course. Little Rock’s Glen Day and Drew Laning both shot 2-under-par 70 and are tied for 57 th.
Former Arkansas Razorbacks Tag Ridings and Nick Beach have plenty of work to do. Ridings shot an even-par 72 and is tied for 104, while Beach shot 1-over-par 73 and is tied for 126 th.
Gardiner, who played the Nationwide Tour this year, had four birdies and a bogey while playing the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Day made four birdies and two bogeys playing the Stadium Course. Laning, playing the Nicklaus Tournament Course, got to 4 under after making an eagle on the seventh hole, but he double bogeyed No. 8 to drop back.
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