First stage qualifying for the 2016 Web.com Tour concluded recently, with 28 golfers with Georgia ties advancing to the second stage. Five second stage qualifiers will be played over two weeks in November, with the top finishers moving on to the finals Dec. 10-13 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Among the first stage qualifying sites was Callaway Gardens, with eight Georgians placing among the top 24 to advance. Leading the way was ex-UGA golfer Adam Mitchell of Atlanta, a former Web.com player who earned medalist honors with scores of 66-64-64-68 on the Mountain View course for a 26-under total of 262.
Former Kennesaw State golfer Jeff Karlsson, a Canton resident, shot 68-68-66-65 for a 267 total to place second, five behind Mitchell. Former South Carolina golfer Wesley Bryan, an Augusta resident, was fifth at 273 with scores of 67-66-72-68.
Tying for 10th at 276 was recent Georgia Tech golfer Anders Albertson of Woodstock, who closed with scores of 65-68, and former Armstrong Atlantic golfer Chris Wolfe of Warner Robins, who also closed with a 68.
Alpharetta resident Drew Czuchry, Albertson’s teammate at Georgia Tech, shot a final round 67 to tie for 14th at 277. Tying for 20th at 278 to advance on the number was former Web.com Tour player Jonathan Fricke of Covington and Decatur’s Kyle Scott, who saw limited action on the tour this season. Fricke, a 2-time Georgia Open champion who played in college at Georgia State, had seven birdies in a final round 69. Scott, who played at Georgia Tech, opened with scores of 69-67-70 and held on with a 72 in the fourth round.
Among those missing the cut were recent Coastal Georgia golfer Dylan Freeman of Athens; St. Simons resident Bobby Wyatt (Alabama); recent Georgia Southern golfer Charlie Martin of LaGrange and two-time Georgia Open champion Jay McLuen of Forsyth. Freeman and Wyatt both shot 280 to fall short by two, with Martin and McLuen finishing at 282. Martin shot himself into contention with a third round 64, but settled for a 72 the next day. Like Martin, McLuen shot 76 in the second round, with a final round 68 not good enough to advance.
Also failing to qualify at Callaway Gardens were Acworth’s James White (Georgia Tech), Savannah’s Joe Lewis (Ole Miss) and Drew Aimone, Bowdon’s Seth Parmer, Atlanta’s Brett Lange, recent Georgia Tech golfer Bo Andrews, and Dalton’s Matt Hughes.
Former Georgia Southern golfers Spence Fulford and Scott Wolfes advanced in Lakeland, Fla. Fulford shot 17-under 271 to tie for fourth, with Wolfes, a St. Simons native who completed his college career earlier this year, firing a final round 65 to tie for 16th at 276.
Travis Williamson of Brunswick (Armstrong Atlantic) was tied for 16th after 54 holes, but shot 75 the final day for a 283 total, failing to advance by four strokes. Williamson had seven birdies in his final round, but also had two triple bogeys and a double bogey. Macon’s Taylor Floyd (Augusta State) missed by five at 284.
Former UGA golfer T.J. Mitchell of Albany advanced in Nebraska, placing 14th with an 8-under 280 total. Shun Yat Hak, who played at Georgia Tech, tied for eighth at 278. Ryan Chitwood of Gainesville failed to advance, as did recent Mercer golfer Hans Reimers, who shot four consecutive 72s to miss by four shots in Arizona.
Five Georgians advanced the following week in Dothan, Ala., with Augusta’s Chase Parker earning medalist honors at Highland Oaks. Parker, who played his college golf at Kentucky, shot 11-under 277 with a final round 67.
Veteran mini-tour player David Skinns of Suwanee was second at 278, with Reid Edstrom, also a mini-tour veteran with Web.com experience, tying for 14th at 283. Edstrom played at Auburn and has settled there after growing up in the Atlanta area. Augusta’s Dykes Harbin (South Carolina) tied for 18th at 284, and Dawsonville’s Blake Palmer advanced on the number at 287, tying for 21st.
Recent Georgia Tech golfer Seth Reeves of Suwanee could not recover after an opening 78 and failed to advance, as did Atlanta’s Charlie Harrison (Wake Forest), Pooler’s Kyle Peterman and St. Simons resident Brad Arrington.
Advancing in Kannapolis, N.C. were J.T. Griffin (Georgia Tech), Michael Cromie (UGA), James Beale (Mercer) and Alpharetta’s Franco Castro (Charlotte). Griffin, a St. Simons resident, tied for third at 7-under 277.
Cromie tied for 12th at 279 after a final round 68, with Beale T16 at 280. Castro bounced back after a second round 76, shooting 65 the next day and closing with a 71 to tie for 20th and advance on the number at 281.
Failing to advance was Evans resident Christo Greyling (UGA), Duluth’s Jin Chung, recent Mercer standout Trey Rule of Eatonton, Roswell’s Jeff Rives and Duluth’s Ryan An.
Savannah’s Tim O’Neal, who has played six seasons on the Web.com Tour dating back to 2001, advanced in West Palm Beach, Fla. O’Neal was tied for fourth after 54 holes following scores of 68 and 67, and finished T11 at 282 after a closing 74. Recent UGA golfer Mookie DeMoss of Duluth failed to advance, as did former Alpharetta resident and ex-Augusta State golfer Derek Chang in Texas.
All four Georgians advanced from a qualifier at the Woodlands outside Houston. Recent UGA golfer Joey Garber tied for third at 8-under 280, two shots behind the medalist. Recent Clemson golfer Billy Kennerly of Alpharetta tied for seventh at 282 along with St. Simons resident Rick Lamb. Bobby Wyatt (Alabama), also a St. Simons resident, tied for 20th at 287, two under the cut line.
Both Wade Binfield of Fayetteville and Chip Deason of Evans tied for ninth in Garland, Tx., to make it to the second round. Deason (Alabama), a long-time tour player who competed on the Web.com Tour in 2006, shot 10-under 278 with 68s in the second and third round, while Binfield (Clayton State), who has played most of his professional golf at the mini-tour level, closed with scores of 68-67.
Recent UGA golfer Nicholas Reach tied for 27th at 283, missing the top 22 by one shot. Reach was in strong position after shooting 69-70 the first two rounds, but followed with a pair of 72s. Atlanta’s Brent Witcher, who has been a non-exempt Web.com Tour member three of the last four years, missed by three shots at 285 after opening with a 75.
Many of those players had to first compete in the pre-qualifying stage, with one of those six events played at Brunswick Country Club. Parker preceded his victory in Dothan by earning medalist honors in Brunswick with scores of 64-64-70 for a 12-under 198 total.
Also advancing from Brunswick were Albertson and Harbin (T4, 202), Wolfes (T10, 204), Martin (T12, 205), Kennerly, Freeman and Parmer (T19, 208), Rule (T28, 211) and An (T30, 212). Czuchry tied for third in a pre-qualifier in St. Augustine, Fla.