Nerve racking days await Australasians at Q-School

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 USPGA Tour Q-School - Final Stage | Round Four | 05 Dec 2004

The Australasians playing the US PGA Tour final stage face an agonizing 48 hours as their playing futures remain in the balance.

Scott Gardiner’s two late bogeys today have seen him slip to 22nd at the completion of 72 holes and while he is still well placed to gain one of the thirty 2005 USPGA Tour cards, it will be a nerve racking final thirty six holes for the Australian who has few other playing options for 2005.

Unlike Gardiner Queenslander Scott Hend does have at least limited status on the USPGA Tour in 2005 and is guaranteed of at least fifteen starts and perhaps as many as twenty. He is here however to regain his full status and at 27th currently this week, he know he still has some work to do.

David McKenzie, who started the event so brilliantly with a second round 64, has struggled since and although now still in the mix in 27th place, he will need to reverse the trend of the last thirty six holes if he is to be playing on other than the Nationwide Tour next year.

New Zealand’s Tim Wilkinson has slipped from 71st to 87th following his fourth round 73 and his goal now if he is unable to reel off a strong final 36, is to at least make the top eighty, as those between 30th and 80th will gain full playing privileges for the 2005 Nationwide Tour. Those finishing outside the top 80 get limited privileges on the Nationwide Tour.

Kim Felton made some progress in round four with his round of 69 but at 119th he needs perhaps two rounds of 68 to have any chance of a top 30 finish.

Mathew Goggin, who went so agonizingly close to gaining his card via the Nationwide Tour, had his second consecutive round of 74 to now be in 128th place and his goal now appears to be the Nationwide Tour in 2005. The same could be said for Ewan Porter who is in 152nd position.