It is well known that few tests are more challenging than the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying School. It attracts the cream of the crop of players who are, or will soon be, over 50 years old, and only five earn playing rights. A tough selection process. This week at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona, home of the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour, the final of this year has been played, and we have several familiar faces from the DP World Tour who have been in the spotlight.
The first of them is Soren Kjeldsen. The small great Dane has dominated this four-day school. He won with an eight-shot lead over the runner-up. In fact, his final score, -24, is a record. It is the best total since it has been played over 72 holes, since 2006. He had already clearly won in the preliminary round of this final.
It may have surprised people in the United States, but certainly not in Europe. Kjeldsen remained very competitive on the DP World Tour, although he hasn’t been able to keep his card for the last two years due to the Race to Dubai. In Korea, at the last tournament of the European circuit season, he finished in 23rd position. He has four wins on the European Tour and has played a total of 712 tournaments.
The reality is that the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying School has been a festival of familiar faces from the DP World Tour. In addition to Kjeldsen, the Swede Freddie Jacobson and the Chilean Felipe Aguilar have earned their cards. The former had a significant career on the PGA Tour, but the latter has spent his entire life on this side of the Atlantic. He stopped playing on the European Circuit some time ago but has found a way to remain competitive for this occasion. Aguilar will immediately join the PGA Tour Champions, as he turns 50 next month, while Kjeldsen will do so in May and Jacobson from September.
The other two players who have secured their PGA Tour Champions cards are the American Mark Walker and the Australian Brendan Jones, another who has played a significant part of his career on the European circuit.
It has been an edition of the school with many well-known names. Among those who did not secure a card are the Argentine Ángel Cabrera, who was just two shots short of the target, the Scots Stephen Gallagher and David Drysdale, the Indian Arjun Atwal, or the Americans Jason Bohn, Scott Parel, Boo Weekley, Chris Riley, Bo Van Pelt, or JJ Henry. Also missing out was the Englishman Brian Davis, with a long career on the PGA Tour, or Raphael Jacquelin, who withdrew after two rounds.
