It was another step closer to the goal of playing on the PGA Tour for Red Deer’s Mitch Evanecz after making it to the final stage of qualifying school in LaQuinta, California.
He posted rounds of 74, 69, 73, 70, 75 and 71 to finish in a tie for 139th out of 172 players but he says the experience he gained was worth the grind over six days.
He wasn’t totally pleased with his play but felt if he gained a shot on each of the nine holes over the six days it might have been a different story and he intends to build off of that.
“That final stage is so tight, you change one or two shots and you jump 10, 20, 30 spots,” he said. “It was a tight race and I just fell a little short.”
It’s the last year the Q School will take place as the system changes to allow players to move up the ladder on the Web.com Tour in order to gain entrance to the PGA Tour.
“I think it’s encouraging because now I have some Web.com status so I can try and use that next year to either stay on the Web.com or work my way toward the PGA Tour,” he said.
In all his golf experience to this point Evanecz said this was the most gruelling and stressful time he has ever spent on a golf course.
“You just want it so bad (the tour card) that it’s tough to not force things out there and not get frustrated,” he said.
If there was one thing he can take away from this whole experience he figures it might be the fact he felt like he belonged out there with players who had some PGA status at one point.
“I was very comfortable all week. I feel my game is good enough to play there, playing with those guys.”
With partial status on the Web.com tour the plan at this point is to get into as many events as he can to enhance his shot at reaching the PGA.
“They kind of tell you the number of players who got in (to the PGA) last year so you can judge it off that but at the same time you really don’t know.”
He is looking at events in the southern states when the Web.com finishes a four-stop swing through South America sometime near the end of March.
The main focus will be on that tour but he might fit in some Canadian Tour events as well.
“It’s all experience now. I mean the Web.com has proven itself to give the guys experience enough to play on the big stage and that’s where I want to focus.”
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