This is a list of the Fall 1977 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates.
The event was held at
Pinehurst Resort
Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina in the United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including three U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateur Championships, one ...
in North Carolina. There were 144 players in the event.
The top 30 players would earn playing privileges for the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
.
The length of the tournament was reduced from 108 holes to 72 holes.
According to the ''Associated Press'', recent two-time NCAA champion
Scott Simpson and 1976
U.S. Amateur
The United States Amateur Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Amateur, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for amateur golfers. It is organized by the United States Golf Association and is currently held each August ov ...
champion
Bill Sander
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William Knox Sander (born April 16, 1956) is an American professional golfer.
Amateur career
Sander won the 1976 U.S. Amateur. He also competed in the 1976 Eisenhower Trophy and the 1977 Walker Cup match. In 1976 he was ranked the #3 amateur i ...
were considered the favorites.
In addition, former All-Americans from
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, Tom Jones and
Jaime Gonzalez, were also "expected to succeed."
Tournament summary
In the first round Rick Beck of
Geneva, Alabama
Geneva is a city in and the county seat of Geneva County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1875. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. Since 1940, it has been the largest city of Geneva County, and had a ...
shot a 68 (−4) to take a one-stroke lead over a number of players.
After the first two rounds
Ed Fiori and Len Mickles held the joint lead at 139. Fiori's round of 66 was the tournament's best so far. It concluded five consecutive birdies.
In the third round, playing amidst "cold weather and chilling winds," Fiori and Mickles expanded their lead with rounds of 73 (+1). At 212 (−4), they held a two shot lead over
Gary Jacobson
Gary C. Jacobson (born July 7, 1944) is a professor of political science and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of California, San Diego, where he has been since 1979.
Biography
He was born in Santa Ana and raised in the Los ...
.
Skeeter Heath was in fourth place at this point, three back, tied with Jeff Hewes and Parker Moore.
In the final round, Fiori shot a "steady" even-par 72 while Mickles "faltered" on the final hole ensuring that Fiori was medallist. Fiori finished at 284 (−4), the only player under par, and defeated Mickles by four.
Sander failed to qualify. He was at the cut-off point after 16 holes of the final round. However, he shot five-over-par over the final two holes to miss qualifying by five strokes.
Simpson also failed to qualify.
He was especially hurt by a septuple-bogey 12 on the par-5 12th hole during the first round.
Among the players from Oklahoma State, Jones failed to earn playing privileges but Gonzalez was successful.
List of graduates
Source:
References
{{PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
1977 2
PGA Tour Qualifying School Graduates
PGA Tour Qualifying School Graduates