Vancouver resident Luke Pidgeon has advanced to a first-round tournament for the PGA Tour Q School by shooting 6-under-par in a pre-qualifying tournament played Sept. 21-23 at Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz.
PGA Tour Q School is the process for earning a spot on the PGA Tour. It is a series of elimination tournaments that begins with this pre-qualifying competition.
The 31-year-old Pidgeon tied for 19th in a tournament where 39 golfers advanced to the first qualifying stage. He shared the lead in the 54-hole tournament after shooting a 66 on the first day. He followed with rounds of 73 and 71 to finish at 210.
“The heat got ahold of me and basically I had to hold on,” Pidgeon said.
About 80 players participated in this pre-qualification tournament for golfers with no previous PGA Tour experience. Pidgeon now will play in a first-stage tournament in late October at a course to be announced. This year’s Q School consists of a total of four stages. The final stage, which will determine who gets new PGA Tour cards for 2012, will be played Nov. 30-Dec. 5 at PGA West — Nicklaus Tournament Course in LaQuinta, Calif.
This is Pidgeon’s first try at Q School. He said he is optimistic about advancing through the four tournaments.
“My mental game is what has taken me to the next level,” he said.
This summer, Pidgeon played in four National Pro Golf Tour events, winning a 36-hole tournament in July at Aspen Lakes, and posting two other top-three finishes.
