This is a list of the Fall 1976 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates. The tournament was held at Rancho Viejo Resort and Golf Course in Brownsville, Texas. It was known for its "miserable weather."[1]
Tournament summary edit
A number of notable players did not graduate onto the PGA Tour. They included Curtis Strange, then considered by some the top amateur in the country. Strange finished with three consecutive bogeys to miss qualifying by a shot.[2] It was considered "the most stunning development" of the event.[3] In addition, "sure-fire bets" Phil Hancock and Wayne Levi were also unsuccessful.[4]
A number of notable players were successful, however. Strange's teammate from Wake Forest, Jay Haas, did graduate.[5] In his third attempt, Mark Lye qualified for the PGA Tour.[6] After several successful seasons abroad, Australian Graham Marsh earned his PGA Tour card for the first time.[7] Lye and Marsh tied for third place.[8] The newly turned professional Keith Fergus earned medalist honors by a sizable margin defeating Mike Sullivan by ten shots.[1]
List of graduates edit
| # | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Keith Fergus
|
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| 2 | Mike Sullivan
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| T3 | Mark Lye
|
1 PGA Tour of Australia win |
 Graham Marsh
|
4 European Tour wins. 9 Japan Golf Tour wins | |
| 5 | Jimmy Wittenberg
|
|
| T6 |  Vicente Fernández
|
1 European Tour win. |
| Jay Haas
|
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| George Kunes
|
||
| Jeff Mitchell
|
||
| Greg Pitzer
|
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| T11 | Dick Mast
|
|
 Alberto Rivadeneira
|
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| T13 | John Abendroth
|
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| Jim Barker
|
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| Mark Pfeil
|
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| Bobby Stroble
|
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| T17 | David Canipe
|
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| Bruce Ford
|
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| Richard Friedman
|
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| Jack Newton
|
3 European Tour wins. 1 PGA Tour of Australia win | |
| Doug Schryer
|
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| Ray Sovik
|
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| Larry Webb
|
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| T24 | Ray Arinno
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| Jim Booros
|
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| Peter Jacobsen
|
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| Don Pooley
|
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| Mike Reid
|
Led 1976 U.S. Open after first round | |
| Ron Streck
|
Source: [8]
References edit
- ^ a b "Dunaway Finds His Game..." The Charlotte Observer. 1977-01-30. p. 56. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ Diaz, Jaime (1990-12-10). "GOLF; Qualifying School For the PGA Tour Isn't Elementary (Published 1990)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
- ^ "Strange Flunks PGA Tour School". The Item. 1976-12-20. p. 23. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
- ^ "Confident Levi Ready". The Tampa Tribune. 1977-05-06. p. 50. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
- ^ "Ex-Wake Forest Star Strange Scores 'F'..." The News and Observer. 1976-12-19. p. 34. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
- ^ "'Vagabond' can't wait for..." The Akron Beacon Journal. 1977-06-19. p. 36. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
- ^ "MARSH WINS CARD". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
- ^ a b Gould, David (1999). Q-School Confidential: Inside Golf's Cruelest Tournament. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 256–257. ISBN 978-0312203559.