Coloradans advance in Q-School competitions

Pro golfer Coloradans are trying to qualify for 2025 seasons on the PGA, LPGA and DP World Tour

By Jim Bebbington

Davis Bryant, the rookie pro from Aurora, qualified Monday for the final round of the DP World Tour Q-School by surviving a 7-for-4 playoff after the 2^nd round of play.

Bryant played Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 in the second-stage competition at the Desert Spring Golf Club in Almeria, Spain.

This is qualification season for the professional golf tours, and Bryant is among several men and women moving through the competitions in hopes of solidifying spots in next season’s PGA, LPGA, Korn Ferry, DP World or Epson Tours.

Bryant narrowly made the finals of the DP World Tour qualification tournament. The top 23 finishers moved on to next weekend’s finals, and Davis finished his fourth round tied at 11-under with seven golfers vying for the final four slots.

He birdied the 18^th hole Monday – a fourth round that was delayed – to make the playoff. Then he birdied the first playoff hole, hitting a 9-iron to two feet to move ahead.

For the DP World Tour, he will have to be among the top 20 from a field of 156 players this weekend to earn his 2025 card. The winners survive a six-round competition that begins Friday.

In the Korn Ferry Q-School, the gateway for many players to the PGA Tour, the first stage wrapped up last weekend and several Colorado golfers qualified for the second stage competition.

Jake Staino of Englewood won the first-stage competition held Oct. 15 to 18 at the University of New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque.

Christ Korte of Littleton finished tied for 5^th in competition at Abilene, Texas, Country Club.

Griffin Barela of Lakewood finished tied for second place in the first stage competition at Wilderness Ridge Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. Davis Bryant also qualified for the second stage from there, finishing T-11. AJ Ott of Fort Collins finished T-18, earning a place in the second stage too.

Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins qualified for the second stage by finishing T-13 in competition at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Course in Maricopa, Ariz.

Next is one of five Korn Ferry second-stage competitions – one Nov. 19 to 22 in Georgia and four Dec. 3 to 6 in Alabama, California, Florida and Georgia. The finals are Dec. 12 to 15 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

On the women’s side, Denver’s Becca Huffer – who played several LPGA tournaments this year – finished T-15 in the LPGA Q-School second stage competition held Oct. 22 to 25 in Venice, Fla.