Headline: James Driscoll and Jim Renner Finish in Top 25 at PGA Tour Qualifying School; Earn 2011 PGA Tour Cards
For Immediate Release: December 6, 2010
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Jim Renner (top) and James Driscoll were two of 29 players who earned PGA Tour cards for the 2011 season. |
Norton, MA — Following one of the most stressful and grueling six days of competition, two former MGA Champions – James Driscoll (Brookline, MA) and Jim Renner (Plainville, MA) – can celebrate because they were two of only 29 players who earned their 2011 PGA Tour card.
PGA Tour Qualifying Quick Links
For the 33-year-old Driscoll, this represents the fifth time in his career that he will compete on the PGA Tour. This past season, Driscoll finished 157th on the PGA Tour money list and was thus forced to take part in Q-School. With his back against the wall, the two-time Massachusetts Amateur Champion and 1996 Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year came through with a month of strong play.
"This is a great feeling,” said Driscoll. “I tried to not get too down on myself this year, even though my results weren't very good. I was somewhat on the right track, so I kept a good attitude. I played pretty well at second stage and then got off to a great start this week and then hung on. I'm looking forward to next year."
He first rode a hot putter to co-medalist honors during the second stage of qualifying. He continued that positive momentum during the third round, was 15-under par through four rounds and held on (despite windy conditions) to finish T16 overall.
"After the first four days, I thought it was going along really well and smoothly,” said Driscoll. “But then after yesterday, the wind picked up and my game left me a little bit. Nothing is easy in this game, ever. Playing well for six straight days is no easy task. These last two days were total survival. The weather was more difficult than the first four days."
For Renner – the 2008 Massachusetts Open Champion – this marks the first time in his young professional career that he will have status on the PGA Tour. He has narrowly missed advancing to the final stage each of the past two seasons, but this year he battled through all three stages to finish T22. It took an incredible finish, however, as Renner had to make birdie on two of his final five holes to earn his card.
"Birdie at No. 17 was something I had to do, because birdies on No. 18 aren't easy to come by,” said Renner. “I knew that one was pretty important. I hit it up there to a good range so I could tap it in."
Renner, who played collegiately at Johnson & Wales, has won an event on the Hooters Tour each of the past two years and has made more than 50 starts there.
"I felt a lot of pressure out there, but at the same time, coming from the mini-Tours, I knew I had a place to play ... whether it be Nationwide or PGA (TOUR). I'd obviously rather it be PGA, but at the same time I knew my career was moving forward. All in all, it was good."
The only other Bay State native in the field was six-time Massachusetts Open Champion Geoff Sisk (Marshfield, MA), who failed to qualify. He finished T127.
** All quotes used above were courtesy of the PGA Tour.