Five more Aussies in Q-School golf finale

Five more Australians are through to the final stage of Q-school, with former British Amateur champion Bryden MacPherson and 2002 Australian Open champion Steve Allan among the list trying to get their ticket to the US PGA tour.

MacPherson and Allan will be joined by veteran Gavin Coles and tour rookie hopefuls Luke Hickmott and Ash Hall in the last stage, adding to an Aussie contingent that already includes Matt Jones, Steven Bowditch, James Nitties and Mat Goggin at Palm Springs from November 28-December 3.

The gruelling six-day tournament will award the final 25 tour cards for the shortened 2013 season.

Coles qualified out of Florida despite an early triple bogey in his final round of the second stage where his ball was lost in a tree.

Needing a top-19 finish, Coles started the day seemingly safe in a tie for third but bogeyed the second hole and then took a seven on the fourth to put himself under extreme pressure.

A birdie on the 11th hole was offset by bogeys on 12 and 15, leaving him right on the bubble over a nervous final three holes.

But a clutch birdie on the difficult finishing hole was enough as he finished in a tie for 12th to book his ticket to Palm Springs.

"I played better than my score suggests but I certainly hit a few squiggly ones early and paid full price for them," the 44-year-old Coles told AAP.

"I was walking up the last thinking `I needed to birdie it' because you never know in these events without scoreboards."

While the next goal is a top-25 finish in Palm Springs Coles says the bar needs to be set higher.

Players looking for starts in 2013 are still ranked on their finishing order, meaning the winner of the final stage will have the opportunity to play many more tournaments then the 25th-ranked golfer.

And with 2013 featuring a shortened season to get ready for a new 'wrap-around' schedule for 2013-14, chances will be few and far between.

"You really need to aim for the top 10 to get some early starts," Coles said.

"It's different golf in Palm Springs and only 25 guys get through six days of play so you can't afford days like I had today.

"I have to go out there with the idea of trying to win the tournament."

Also in the Florida field Peter Lonard and Anthony Summers finished well back in the pack to end their hopes.

In California, where the top 19 also advanced, Allan (tied eighth), MacPherson (tied 13th) and Hickmott (tied 17th) all did enough to make the final stage but Nick Cullen, Kieran Pratt and Marcus Both finished well off the pace.

Hall finished tied for 15th at the Brooksville location to get his ticket but Jamie Arnold finished agonisingly one shot short at the same venue while Matthew Griffin was a distant eight shots off the pace.

Rod Pampling and Nick O'Hern will also be in Palm Springs thanks to 2012 season performance exemptions.

Source: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8566376

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