Lovemark Stays On Track For 2010 PGA Tour Card

Nov. 2, 2009

By David Shefter, USGA

Losing a three-way playoff at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., cost Jamie Lovemark a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. Failing to finish  solo second at that same event meant Lovemark would not earn enough money for special temporary membership that would have enabled the 2007 USA Walker Cup team member to avoid the first two stages of PGA Tour Qualifying School.

So the former University of Southern California All-American was forced to make a cross-country trek from Arizona to North  

Jamie Lovemark easily advanced to the second stage of PGA Tour Q-School last week in North Carolina.(USGA Museum)

 Carolina last week for the first stage of Q-School. At least the venture turned into a positive for the 2007 NCAA Division I individual champion.

Despite a final-round 77, Lovemark managed to post a 72-hole total of 286 (two under) at Pinewild Country Club’s Magnolia Course in Pinehurst to share eighth position and advance to the second stage of Q-School, to be held later this month at a to-be-determined site.

The low 21 and ties at Pinewild qualified for the second stage. Those advancing from one of the six second-stage sites will compete in the 108-hole Q-School final Dec. 2-7 at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., with the low 25 and ties earning 2010 PGA Tour cards. The next 50 finishers will be fully exempt for the 2010 Nationwide Tour, while the remaining players will have conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.

Lovemark was not the only past USA Walker Cup team member to have success at Pinewild. Matt Hendrix, a member of the 2003 squad, finished third with an 8-under total of 280. Cameron Tringale and Adam Mitchell, both members of the victorious 2009 team, finished T-5 and T-8, respectively. Tringale, a Georgia Tech graduate who qualified for the 2009 U.S. Open, carded a third-round 67 en route to a 284 total, while University of Georgia graduate Mitchell tied Lovemark at 286.

Martin Ureta, the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship runner-up, failed to qualify at Pinewild, shooting 8-over 296.

At Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga., Mike Van Sickle, who won the 2009 USGA Men’s State Team Championship as a member of the Pennsylvania squad,  carded a final-round 67 to share eighth place at 6-under 282 with 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship winner Jason Allred.

But two past U.S. Amateur runners-up failed to advance. Michael Thompson (2007), the low amateur at the 2008 U.S. Open, shot 2-over 290, while John Kelly (2006) carded 3-over 291.

Jonathan Moore, who garnered the decisive point in the USA’s one-point 2007 Walker Cup victory at Royal County Down by making an eagle-3 on the final hole of Sunday singles, came up one stroke short of advancing at Grasslands Golf & Country Club in Lakeland, Fla. The Vancouver, Wash., native closed with rounds of 67-71, but only managed to tie for 25th at 6-under 262. The low 22 and ties at Grasslands qualified for second stage.

At San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister, Calif., 1997 USA Walker Cup team member Joel Kribel tied for 13th at 5-under 283 to easily advance. Also moving on was 2006 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Richard Lee, who shared 11th at 6-under 282.

Two U.S. Amateur runners-up, however, failed to advance. Dillon Dougherty (2005) shot 1-over 289, while Robert Hamilton (2001) carded 7-over 295. Todd Demsey, a member of the 1993 USA Walker Cup team, also failed to qualify at 3-over 291.

Michael Putnam, a 2005 USA Walker Cup team member, shot a final-round 69 to advance at Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee, Calif. The University Place, Wash., native finished at 2-over 290. Brock Mackenzie (2003 Walker Cup Team) and 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Charlie Beljan failed to advance, shooting 292 and 299, respectively.

David Shefter is a USGA Digital Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.