Corey Shaun’s course-record 61 at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley on Thursday was the highlight of the first round of PGA Tour Q-School, presented by Korn Ferry. At 9-under, the former UCLA player and DP World Tour member has a five-shot lead over Richy Werenski.
Here are the takeaways from the first round:
Sawgrass Country Club was a beast
With two par-5s converted to par-4 holes for the tournament (Nos. 8 and 18), the first home of The Players Championship averaged 73.049, more than a shot-and-a-half higher than Dye’s Valley.
No. 8 played 522 yards and No. 18 525 yards.
Those who opened at Sawgrass will play at Dye’s Valley on Friday in the second round, and vice-versa. The top half of the 36-hole scorers will play at Sawgrass in the third round on Saturday, and the top half through 54 holes will be at the Valley Course on Sunday.
What were the toughest holes on each course?
The par-4 eighth hole on Dye’s Valley, usually a par-5 for resort play, averaged 4.523, with only three birdies and seven scores of double bogey or higher.
The par-4 18th hole at Sawgrass averaged 4.655 with only two birdies and 11 scores of double or higher.
PGA Tour veterans weather the conditions
Although going back to Q-School is not exactly the career path a player imagines after winning on the PGA Tour, the experience seemed to matter in the cold and windy conditions in the first round.
Among past Tour winners who had good days: Werenski (67, Valley), Lanto Griffin (67, Valley), Tyler Duncan (68, Valley), Austin Cook (68, Valley), Chez Reavie (69, Valley) and Scott Piercy (71, Valley).
PGA Tour University graduates have work to do
Ten players among the top 25 on the 2024 PGA Tour University rankings for college seniors are in the field. Most are still in the running, led by Matthew Riedel (Vanderbilt) with a 68 at Sawgrass, good for a tie for seventh.
Nick Gabrelcik of the University of North Florida shot 69 at Sawgrass and is tied for 20th. Petry Hruby (Washington) is tied for 30th with a 70 at Sawgrass and Christo Lamprecht (Georgia Tech) is tied for 42nd after a 71 at Sawgrass.
Who’s on the PGA Tour Q-School bubbles?
The top five, plus ties after Sunday’s final round, earn PGA Tour cards for 2025.
After the first round, six players are tied for third or higher: Shaun (61), Werenski (66) and Cooper Musselman, Ryan McCormick, Lanto Griffin and Callum Tarren (all at 67).
The next 20 players earn full Korn Ferry Tour status.
That bubble for that is 23 players at 1-under and 2-under, which includes past PGA Tour winners Tyler Duncan, Austin Cook and Chez Reavie, plus First Coast players Gabrelcik and Doc Redman
Are there tickets available for PGA Tour Q-School?
Yes, and they’re free … but only for rounds at Dye’s Valley, since Sawgrass is a private course. Fans must register at the tournament’s ticketmaster.com site for the tickets. Enter one of the two gates to the TPC Sawgrass, tell the attendant you are going to Q-School and you will be directed to parking.
Is PGA Tour Q-School televised?
Yes, on the weekend. The NBC Sports App will air portions of the Saturday rounds from 1-3 p.m. and Sunday from Noon-2 p.m. Golf Channel will be on the air Saturday from 3-5 p.m. and Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour Q-School: Takeaways from first round at Dye’s Valley, Sawgrass
