TRIMMING THE CHRISTMAS tree awaits me this weekend but more than 150 pro golfers can get the best early present around: a place on the 2012 PGA Tour with a top-25 finish at PGA Tour Qualifying School.
I will have more on the rigorous six-day qualifying event but there are holiday golf happenings right here on the North Olympic Peninsula that I would like to highlight.
Holiday gathering
Discovery Bay Golf Club’s men’s and ladies’ clubs will host their annual holiday party at 5 p.m. on Friday.
All golfers, their children, significant others and friends are welcome to this convivial event.
The course is located at 7401 Cape George Road, a few miles outside of Port Townsend.
For more information, phone Discovery Bay at 360-385-0704.
PTGC holiday party
Port Townsend Golf Club’s Christmas party and Christmas sale will be held on Friday, Dec. 9.
The annual event combines a celebration of the past year of golf with a chance to pick up some Christmas gifts for the golfers in your family in the pro shop.
For more details, phone 360-385-4547.
Pre-Christmas tourney
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim’s Pre-Christmas 27-Hole Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10.
A shotgun start is set for 8:30 a.m. barring frost.
The links course will host 28 two-person teams for the tournament, so sign up quickly!
Golfers will play nine holes of better ball from the green tees; nine holes of aggregate shot from the silver tees; and nine holes of scramble golf from the black tees.
Sign-ups are $80 per team and include the golf, range balls, food and competition money.
A honey pot is available for an extra $20 per person.
Power carts are available for $15 per seat.
Players of the Year
The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) recently announced its 2011 Player of the Year recipients.
The winners include Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho in the men’s category; Erynne Lee of Silverdale in women’s competition; Andrew Whalen of Ephrata in junior boys; Jordan Ferreira of University Place in junior girls; Tom Brandes of Bellevue in senior men’s; and Ginny Burkey of Fircrest in senior women’s.
Williams is a member of the men’s golf team at the University of Washington.
After qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Open at Bremerton’s Gold Mountain Golf Course, Williams missed the cut at Congressional Golf & Country Club by two strokes.
He played on the winning Palmer Cup team and a losing Walker Cup squad for the United States this past summer
Williams also claimed the 18th Sahalee Players Championship and the 45th Pacific Coast Amateur in July.
Lee earned her third Women’s Player of the Year honor in the past four years.
She is on the No. 1-ranked women’s golf team at UCLA.
Q-School blues
During this week’s Q-School, 173 golfers from around the globe will compete against one another for 25 spots (and ties) on the 2012 PGA Tour today through Monday at the PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.
Prize money is low, with $50,000 for the medalist, $40,000 for second and $25,000 for the rest of the PGA qualifiers.
This is before entrance fees of at least $3,500 ranging to $12,000 (depending on which stage of the three-tiered qualifying process golfers begin with) are factored in.
Pressure is high for all 108 holes as players are competing for an exempt “place at the table” on tour next year.
You’ve got former golfing royalty like past No. 1 in the world David Duval still tryng to turn his game around; up and comers like Arnold Palmer’s grandson, Sam Saunders, who finished 15th at Pebble Beach last year; and former tour champions like Lee Janzen, Rich Beem and Bob Estes.
Looking at player ages, many of the entrants are between 45 and 50, not young enough to consistently compete on the PGA Tour and not yet old enough to make headlines on the Champions Tour.
Are these guys caught in pro golf limbo or just too many sand traps?
Golf Channel will have coverage from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and the final round from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday.
Tune in and find out.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.