PGA Tour: Policy board approves Q-School changes

The Associated Press is reporting the PGA Tour's policy board has approved the changes to Q-School that will revamp the system for professionals to make it onto golf's top tier in America.

Q-School will still exists, but as a means to the Nationwide Tour, where more qualifiers at season's end on that tour will earn PGA Tour cards.

The AP is reporting the details of the new system are yet to be decided.

To read the full story, click here.

Travis Hampshire slips up at Nationwide Tour event

Logo provided by the WFGT.

West Florida Golf Tour alum and former Purdue University standout Travis Hampshire failed to recover after a few bogeys to begin the back-nine en route to a tie for fourth place in the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am.

Hampshire began the South Carolina event with a mind-boggling 12-under par 60, before posting a second-round 68.

He then shot 70 on Saturday, which kept him in the lead through 54-holes.

But a 1-over 72 on the par-71 Thornblade Club track in Sunday's final round left Hampshire at 16-under par for the tournament.

That number was two shots behind Garth Mulroy and Sunghoon Kang, who battled in a sudden-death playoff.

Mulroy won with a par on the first playoff hole.

The pro-am tournament featured three different golf courses and a variety of celebrities in the field, including "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky.

To whet your appetite, check out this stellar shot from Hampshire's second round.

Travis Hampshire goes super low at Nationwide Tour event

West Florida Golf Tour alum Travis Hampshire torched the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am in Thursday's first round.

He carded a 12-under 60 to take a five-shot lead into Friday.

Hampshire played the WFGT's inaugural season, earned a berth into last year's U.S. Open and locked up a Nationwide Tour card following his play at last fall's PGA Tour Q-School.

He had struggled, making just two cuts in six starts in 2011, before Thursday's opening round.

Hampshire posted a 7-under par 29 on the back nine en route to flirting with 59.

"I had a really good warm-up session this morning and you know that this is the kind of course you've got to take advantage of, it's got the softest greens of the three courses," said Hampshire, according to pgatour.com. "You knew you had to shoot a good round here to get off to a good start."

Area players make it through various U.S. Open local qualifiers

Qualifying for the 111th United States Open is in full swing, with the USGA receiving a reported 8,300 entries.

The local qualifying stage in Florida began May 6 and continues until Sunday.

Several players have gotten through with ties to Manatee County.

Travis Hampshire, who played several West Florida Golf Tour events in its inaugural 2010 season until he gained full-time playing privileges on the Nationwide Tour, made it through last Thursday at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Hampshire earned one of the last spots in the sectional tournament after a playoff. He played in the 2010 U.S. Open.

Reigning City of Sarasota Men's Amateur champion and University of North Florida senior Chris Kennedy qualified last Monday at Hunter's Green Country Club in Tampa.

Kennedy played his high school golf at Cardinal Mooney.

Former IMG Academies student Christo Greyling advanced from the MetroWest Golf Club qualifier in Orlando last Monday.

West Florida Golf Tour participant Justin McCarraher, who lives in Fort Myers, was the medalist at the local qualifier held Monday at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers.

Also on Monday, the lone Bradenton qualifying site took place at the Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club.

To read more about how the area players fared in Monday's qualifier at the Ritz, check out Tuesday's edition of the Bradenton Herald.

The Monday Recap: Local Edition

While the Sarasota City Men's Amateur wrapped up its 40th annual four-day, 72-hole tournament, area players also were on the tournament trail.
University of North Florida senior and former Cardinal Mooney standout Chris Kennedy polished off his second Sarasota City Men's Amateur title at Bobby Jones Golf Club's British Course.

He carded a final round 71 for a 12-under par 276 total. Kennedy's four rounds were all under par, and he downed reigning Bradenton City Men's Amateur champ Aaron Bishop (second place, 283 total) and Bradenton resident Phil Walters (third, 288) for the crown.

Walters previously won both the Bradenton and Sarasota City Men's Amateur titles, and recently took the Bradenton City Two-Man Combo championship with Bishop.

For full results, click here.

Meanwhile, Bradenton's Jaclyn Sweeney collected 3,668.75 Euros for her performance overseas in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open.

Sweeney carded a 1-over par 74 in the final round to tie for 14th place at 6-over par.

Christel Boeljon won the tournament at 5-under par 287. Only four players broke par for the 72-hole tourney.

Sweeney is 23rd on the Ladies European Tour's Order of Merit with 11,237.64 Euros.

That equates to $16,111.40 based on the current exchange rate.

Back in the United States, Florida State University alumnus Seath Lauer fired his best round of the week to vault up to a tie for 44th place at the eGolf Professional Tour's Willow Creek Open in High Point, N.C.

The former Lakewood Ranch High standout shot 5-under par 67 to grab a $1,377.50 payday for the 72-hole event.

Lauer had previously attempted to Monday qualify for the Nationwide Tour events in Georgia.

He missed in his bids the past two weeks, but area pro Devin Spies made it into the Stadion Classic at UGA field.

Like Lauer and Nationwide Tour regular Travis Hampshire, Spies has played regularly on the West Florida Golf Tour in the past year.

However, both Spies and Hampshire failed to make the cut after posting a 148 and 146 total, respectively.

The cut came at 144.

Lakewood Ranch's Seath Lauer makes eGolf Tour cut

Seath Lauer at a West Florida Golf Tour event in September. Photo by Paul Videla/Bradenton Herald

Former Lakewood Ranch High standout Seath Lauer didn't qualify for the Nationwide Tour stop in Georgia stop, but the Florida State University grad is plugging along in North Carolina where the eGolf Professional Tour is hosting a 72-hole event.

Lauer, who is currently ranked No. 7 on the West Florida Golf Tour's Order of Merit, made the cut after shooting 70-74 for a 2-under par 144 total at the halfway point at the Willow Creek Open in High Point, N.C.

However, he soared to a 76 on day three and is tied for 69th out of the 77 players that made the cut.

Lauer's 218 total is 15 shots behind tournament leader Jerry Richardson.

Lauer's final round tee time is 9:50 a.m. off No. 10.

Seath Lauer tries Nationwide Tour Monday qualifier

Seath Lauer during a West Florida Golf Tour event last September. Photo by Paul Videla/pvidela@bradenton.com

Florida State University alum Seath Lauer, who played at Lakewood Ranch High, tried Monday qualifying for another Nationwide Tour event.

Last week, he attempted to earn a spot into the South Georgia Classic.

On Monday, Lauer carded a 1-over par 72 to miss out on a berth into the Stadion Classic at UGA slated to begin Thursday in Athens, Ga.

There were two different sites to qualify from as Lauer joined other West Florida Golf Tour members at Achasta Golf Club.

Only seven players qualified from that venue, the last spots came at 6-under par 65.

WFGT participant Devin Spies qualified after a 7-under par 64.

Former Bradenton Academy alum Casey Wittenberg posted a 1-over par 73 at the Jennings Mill Country Club qualifying site.

However, the scoring on that course was much different as the last player in shot 3-under par 69.

Wittenberg, who shares David Whelan as a coach with LPGA Tour star and friend Paula Creamer, also tried qualifying for last week's John Smoltz headlined Nationwide Tour stop like Lauer.

Matthew Galloway also attempted to qualify once again.

Galloway, who is No. 2 on the WFGT's Order of Merit, also shot a 73.

Former IMG Academy standouts Tyler Leon and Ty Tryon failed with a 77 and 78, respectively.

Seath Lauer joins area players in Nationwide Tour bid

Casey Wittenberg at the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Network Classic in 2009. Courtesy of McClatchy-Tribune News Service

The Nationwide Tour's South Georgia Classic featured some West Florida Golf Tour players attempting to Monday qualify.

Former Lakewood Ranch High and Florida State University standout Seath Lauer joined Matthew Galloway and Daniel Stone for a spot into this week's event.

Former PGA Tour regular Casey Wittenberg also tried qualifying.

So did Ty Tryon and Tyler Leon, who spent time at IMG Academies like Wittenberg.

None of those made it through the one-day qualifier.

The Nationwide Tour conducted the qualifier at two separate venues - seven players made this week's field at each site.

Stone came the closest after a 6-under par 66. His round at Doublegate Country Club only netted him a seven-way playoff for four spots.

He lost out.

Wittenberg finished in 53rd after a 2-under par 70.

Lauer, Galloway, Tryon and Leon all played at Glen Arven Country Club.

Lauer and Galloway both carded 70s to tie for 41st at that site.

Leon, whose sister Taylor is playing the Avnet LPGA Classic this week, posted a 1-under 70 and Tryon finished at 1-over 73.

The tournament has generated buzz because former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz was given a sponsor's exemption into the tournament.

The Monday Recap: Notes from the PGA and Nationwide tours

• Travis Hampshire, who has played the West Florida Golf Tour regularly, shot three straight 68s en route to a tie for 20th in the Nationwide Tour's Chitimacha Louisiana Open. Hampshire opened with a 74 on the par-71 Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club. He earned $6,060 a week after Monday qualifying for the PGA Tour's Transitions Championship where he would later miss the cut.
  

• Fellow WFGT participant and former multiple PGA Tour winner Robert Gamez missed the cut in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Gamez carded rounds of 77 and 73 to miss the cut by two. He won the event back in 1990 when it was called the Nestle Invitational. Gamez also lives in the Orlando area and played the course during an episode of the Golf Channel's Playing Lessons with a Pro.

Check out this video on Gamez's remarkable iron shot to win the tournament back in 1990:

• Tiger Woods struggled on the weekend to finish in a tie for 24th. The good thing for Woods was that, despite carding an even-par 72 on Sunday, he moved up five places as only six players in the field broke 70.

Stay tuned on the latest from the LPGA Tour's recent event where Bradenton's Jessica Korda got off to a decent start.

Seath Lauer's game continues to grow

Seath Lauer during a West Florida Golf Tour event in Sept./photo by Paul Videla/pvidela@bradenton.com

Despite not gaining entry onto the PGA Tour for the 2011 season, Seath Lauer's first full year in the professional ranks has promise.

That's because Lauer advanced from pre-qualification all the way to the final stage of the grueling PGA Tour Q-School.

Progressing that far has given Lauer some fortuitous aide in the form of financial help.

"I've signed with an agent and I've done that move," Lauer said. "A lot of things have come about it, because a lot of people look at it in terms of it being my first year. And how many first-year guys out of college never would make it that far ... I've definitely seen some doors open already."

Lauer said his plan is to Monday qualify for Nationwide Tour events and make a few dollars early to set himself up for the remainder of 2011.

In other words, getting off to a hot start to secure exemptions into additional tournaments down the road.

To read more about Lauer, visit "Lakewood Ranch's Lauer pursues pro golf career."

And if you'd like a visual aide on how important Lauer was during his senior year at Florida State, then check out the following video:

Lauer and Revell missed the cut at Nationwide Tour stop

Former Lakewood Ranch High standout Seath Lauer and Lakewood Ranch resident Brad Revell didn't make the cut in the Nationwide Tour's Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open this past week at Dye's Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.

Lauer shot a 2-over 72 in round one, before struggling to a 77 that featured eight bogeys and just one birdie.

Lauer ended up with two birdies over the two rounds, while bogeying 11 holes.

His length was there - Lauer averaged 319 yards off the tee - but he found just 60.7 percent of fairways.

Consequently, he hit 66.7 greens in regulation - not a bad number - but he had 33.5 putts per round.

For Revell, a native Canadian, he had too many big numbers.

Revell had three double bogeys in two days that accounted for his 72 and 75 in the first two rounds, and a missed cut.

Revell didn't record a birdie on day two.

His trouble stemmed from not hitting enough greens (just 50 percent over two rounds).

A couple WFGT products playing this week's Nationwide Tour stop

Lakewood Ranch resident Brad Revell joins former Lakewood Ranch High standout Seath Lauer as Monday qualifiers for this week's Nationwide Tour event.

Revell shot 32-33--65 at Marsh Creek Country Club to earn entry for the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open at TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley Course).

Lauer tees off No. 10 at 2:05 p.m. today, while Revell begins the tourney at 9:30 a.m. off No. 10.

Revell is playing alongside Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, for the first two days.

Both players have worked their craft on the West Florida Golf Tour.