Horn passes 1st stage of PGA Tour Q-school

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This article was published 31/10/2009 (6167 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Battling the nerves of his life, Dauphin’s Ryan Horn has comfortably advanced to the second stage of the PGA Tour’s qualifying school.

The 27-year-old lefty shot two-under-par 286 over four days at Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst Magnolia in North Carolina, finishing in a tie for eighth spot in a field that yielded 24 qualifiers for the second of three stages used to determined 2010 PGA Tour cards.

“This was my first experience with this and it was more than a little nerve-wracking,” Horn said via phone late Friday after his final-day 74 left him three shots on the good side of the cut line.

“I’ve always been wondering what (Q school) would be like. I’ve never felt nerves like this and the money makes it more intense.”

Horn was referring to the US$4,500 entry fee that’s required.

“It’s not cheap to get here,” Horn said. “Luckily George (Sigurdson, leader of Manitoba’s Elite Professional Golfers fund) has helped me out but there is still pressure there to perform.

“This a new experience for me.”

Horn, who finished No. 31 on the Canadian Tour’s 2009 money list, said he spent a fair amount of his evenings this week examining the scores.

“It was cool and rainy today, not an easy golf course, but because I played so well the second day (six-under 66), I knew I wouldn’t have to shoot a five- or six-under today to get on the good side.

“I moved up a lot that second day but I was checking the numbers every night.”

The difficulty of the Pinewild course, he said, was the out of bounds.

“It was on every hole, so there was always that thought in the back of your head that one swing could lead to an eight or nine.

“There’s lots of pressure there.”

Friday, Horn shot even par on his front nine to give him a rare relaxed feeling on the week.

Now he’s looking forward to second stage, which goes Nov. 18-21. His first request was for one of the two sites in Texas, which he should have a reasonable chance of getting given his finish this week. The final stage goes the first week of December in Florida.

Elsewhere in the first stage of Q-school, Winnipeggers Adam Speirs and Matt Johnston failed to make the cut.

Speirs played last week at Dayton, Nev., and shot three-under where 11-under was required.

Johnston played this week in Lakeland, Fla., and shot one-under for four days when seven-under made the cut.

Both players remain fully exempt on the Canadian Tour for 2010.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca