Qualifying blow to Bowditch bid

November 25, 2009

ONE shot was all that stopped Steve Bowditch from advancing to thefinal stage of the US PGA Tours qualifying school.

And that one shot means Bowditchs golfing life in 2010 may not becentred around the United States.

The Sunshine Coast professional was forced to play in the second stage of Tour qualifying, which finished yesterday, after enduring another disappointing year on the Nationwide Tour in the US.

By finishing outside the top 70 on the tour moneylist, in 106th place, the 24-year-old lost his playing status on the secondary tour.

The Q-school gives players like Bowditch a chance to right the wrongs of the previous 11 months and the recent Queensland PGA Championship winner took renewed confidence in his game back to America.

The top 21 finishers at the TPC Craig Ranch course in Texas, one of six courses used in the second stage, would advance to the 108-holefinal stage, earning some degree of status on the Nationwide Tour and opening up the possibilities of a place on the richest tour of all,the US PGA Tour.

Bowditch started well, with a round of two-under-par 70, but his week turned sour with a four-over-par 76 on day two, toppling him welladrift of where he needed to be.

The situation was somewhat rescued with a 68 in the third round but even his best round of the week, a 67 yesterday which included seven birdies, wasnt enough for Bowditch, who birdied his last hole of the event, to move on.

With a 72-hole total of three-under-par, he was in a tie for 24th and his plans for next year will need some work, although it was unclear last night if he would still earn some starts on the Nationwide Tour.

One option he definitely has is playing all 10 events on the fledgling OneAsia Tour.

Former US Amateur winner Nick Flanagan, who finished equal 33rd, was among the others to miss out in Texas.

Three-time Australian PGA champion Peter Lonard withdrew after three rounds at the Hombre Golf Club in Panama in Florida, meaning he will only have limited starts on the PGA Tour in 2010 after finishing outside the top 125 on the end-of-year moneylist.

Lonard had shot 72-71-74 to be well behind the cut-off mark, as was his good mate from Sydney, Paul Gow (71-80-76).

For Coast Golf followers, however, it will mean Lonard and Bowditch will not be battling tiredness and jetlag when they come to Coolum for the PGA Championship from December 10 to 13.

The final stage of Q-school finishes on the Monday of PGA week.