Dec. 7, 2009
Complete Q-School Coverage and Results from PGATOUR.com
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Northwestern graduate and 2006 Big Ten champion Chris Wilson has earned his PGA TOUR card for the 2010 season after finishing tied for 12th Monday during the final stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, popularly known as Q-School.
Wilson earned his card by finishing in the top-25 and ties out of the 152 entrants in the 108-hole final round of qualifying, which is considered to be the most grueling test in golf. After opening with rounds of even-par 72 and 2-over 74 at Bear Lakes CC, Wilson strung together scores of 67 (-5), 67 (-5), 71 (-1) and 69 (-3) to finish at 12-under 420 for the event. The tourney was held on both the Links and Lakes courses at Bear Lakes CC.
Wilson joined TOUR veterans Jeff Maggert, J. P. Hayes, Jay Williamson and Joe Ogilvie in earning their 2010 cards on Monday. Among the notables who did not qualify out of Q-School were major champions David Duval, Todd Hamilton and Shaun Micheel.
Wilson played in one Nationwide event in 2009, finishing T43 at the Children's Hospital Invitational on Aug. 2. He also earned an exception into his hometown Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village on the PGA TOUR in June, missing the cut with scores of 79 and 77.
In addition to winning the Big Ten individual title and leading the Wildcats to the team championship in 2006, Wilson was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time GCAA All-America Scholar during his career at Northwestern. Wilson graduated in 2007 with a degree in communication studies.
Wilson joins Luke Donald (23rd in 2001), Jess Daley (13th in 2001) and Tom Johnson (eighth in 2006) as former Wildcats who have earned their PGA TOUR cards through Q-School since 2001. Wilson, Donald and 1987 NU graduate Fran Quinn, who qualified as one of "The 25" on the Nationwide Tour in 2009, all will represent Northwestern as full-time PGA TOUR members in 2010.
Daley also competed in the 2009 Q-School final stage, finishing T48 at 4-under for the six-round tournament. He will earn Nationwide Tour status with his performance.