6 locals advance to Stage 2 of Korn Ferry Tour Q-shool, including Coloradans Korte, Mason, Brown and Michael Schoolcraft
By Gary Baines – 09/27/2019
Four Colorado residents, plus former golfers from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, earned berths into the Second Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-school thanks to their performances in Stage 1 events that ended on Friday.
Punching their tickets to the Second Stage of the three-stage qualifying process were Chris Korte (pictured) of Littleton, Nick Mason of Parker, Zahkai Brown of Golden and Michael Schoolcraft of Denver, along with former CU golfer Yannik Paul and former CSU player Colton Yates.
Korte, a former University of Denver golfer who won both the CGA Amateur and CGA Match Play during his amateur days, finished fourth out of a 75-man First Stage field in The Woodlands, Texas. He posted rounds of 68-65-72-69 for a 14-under-par 274 total, ending up two strokes behind medalist Braden Bailey of Groves, Texas.
Four players with local ties advanced from a First Stage tournament in Maricopa, Ariz. Paul (74-67-68-70) and Yates (69-70-70-70) tied for 12th at 9-under-par 279. And Brown (71-66-74-71), an ex-Ram who won the 2013 CoBank Colorado Open, and Schoolcraft (69-69-72-72) earned two of the last available Second Stage berths as they made it on the number at 282.
And in Mobile, Ala., Mason, who won his second Nebraska Open on Sept. 15, advanced with an 11th-place showing, shooting 69-64-74-71 for a 10-under-par 278 total.
Four more First Stage tournaments will be held next week.
The Second Stage, set for five sites, is scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 or Nov. 5-8. The Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where 2020 cards will be awarded, is set for Dec. 12-15 in Winter Garden, Fla.
Here are the scores for all the local players who participated in First Stage tournaments this week.
FIRST STAGE RESULTS (SEPT. 24-27)
The Woodlands, Texas (Top 23 Finishers and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Advance to Second Stage
4. Chris Korte of Littleton 68-65-72-69–274
Failed to Advance
60. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 71-73-72-79—295
Maricopa, Ariz. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Advance to Second Stage
12. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul 74-67-68-70—279
12. Former CSU golfer Colton Yates 69-70-70-70–279
19. Zahkai Brown of Golden 71-66-74-71–282
19. Michael Schoolcraft of Denver 69-69-72-72—282
Failed to Advance
63. Jake Staiano of Englewood 73-74-76-73—296
Mobile, Ala. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Advance to Second Stage
11. Nick Mason of Parker 69-64-74-71–278
San Jacinto, Calif. (Top 23 Finishers and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Failed to Advance
41. Cole Nygren of Longmont 70-69-75-71–285
Garland, Texas (Top 21 Finishers and Ties Advance to Second Stage)
Failed to Advance
27. Former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland of Broomfield 71-71-70-69—281
27. Former Coloradan Eric Hallberg 72-75-70-64—281