Through 36 holes of DP World Tour Q-School’s 156-player final stage, Vince Van Veen was beating just four players.
Four!
The 28-year-old Dutch pro, who is ranked No. 1,080 in the world rankings, opened in 74-73 at Infinitum Golf in Tarragona, Spain, and was on his way to missing the 72-hole cut at this 108-hole event.
But then Van Veen orchestrated the unthinkable: He shot 59.
59!
After six combined birdies over the first two days, Van Veen doubled that total on Sunday, rattling off 12 birdies, including eight in his final nine holes to post 12-under 59 and rocket 127 spots up the leaderboard, to T-22. At 8 under, Van Veen is a shot out of the top 20 and ties who will earn their DP World Tour cards on Tuesday evening and four shots above the cut line.
John Hahn holds the DP World Tour Q-School record. The American shot 12-under 58 in 2014. Three 59s have been recorded at PGA Tour/Korn Ferry Tour Q-School.
Since turning pro at the end of 2018, Van Veen has competed mostly on the Alps Tour, which he won on two years ago en route to earning his Challenge Tour card. However, Van Veen’s rookie year on the DP World Tour’s main feeder tour didn’t go as planned; he missed 15 cuts and was back playing mostly Alps Tour events this year.
Three-time DP World Tour winner Edoardo Molinari leads by four shots at 17 under following a third-round 72. France’s Clement Sordet is second, followed by England’s Matthew Southgate at 12 under.
Davis Bryant, a 24-year-old Colorado State product who was born three months premature, is tied for eighth at 10 under. He is joined inside the number by American Matt Sharpstene (9 under), who played collegiately at West Virginia and Charlotte.
South Africa’s Justin Harding is among those at 10 udner while reigning British Amateur winner Jacob Skov Olesen is part of the logjam at 9 under.
Notables within striking distance of the top 20 and ties include England’s Eddie Pepperell (8 under), Austria’s Maximillian Steinlechner (8 under), American Palmer Jackson (8 under), American Charlie Rieter (7 under), American Spencer Cross (6 under), Italy’s Renato Paratore (6 under), Irish amateur Max Kennedy (6 under), Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen (6 under), South Africa’s George Coetzee (6 under), India’s Rayhan Thomas (5 under), France’s Bastien Amat (5 under), Spain’s Gonzalez Fernandez-Castano (5 under), South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber (5 under) and American Nick Carlson (5 under).
American Ryggs Johnston (4 under), German amateur Tiger Christensen (3 under) and Peru’s Julian Perico (3 under) are among those currently below the cut line.
