Brad Fritsch from Ottawa wins the Web.com Tour Q-schoolThe Canadian Press
Brad Fritsch carded a final round 5-under 66 to guarantee himself a full time schedule on the Web.com Tour next year.
The Ottawa-area golfer had five birdies, two bogeys and an eagle on the Champion Course at PGA National on Tuesday to finish at 27-under par and claim medalist honours at the tour's qualifying tournament. The victory means he can pick and play any tournament he wants on the developmental circuit as he attempts to play his way back onto the PGA Tour for 2016.
"I didn't come here to shoot 27-under. I'm surprised," said Fritsch, who has limited status on the PGA Tour in 2015 after finishing 151st on the FedEx Cup standings this past year. "I couldn't imagine coming here and doing that."
Ted Brown of Peterborough was the only other Canadian to earn some measure of control over his playing status on the Web.com Tour next year. He carded a final round 73 on the Champion Course, one of two courses being used over the six day event this week, to finish at 8-under par and in a tie for 35th. That makes him fully exempt until the second reshuffle of the 2015 season.
Players finishing second through 10th are fully exempt through the third reshuffle of the year.
Ryan Williams of Surrey, B.C. made a spirited move up the leaderboard on the final day with seven birdies on the Fazio Course to finish with a 66. That left him four strokes shy of the top 45, leaving him with conditional status next year.
Calgarians Ryan Yip and Wes Heffernan, Cory Renfrew of Victoria, B.C., and Beon Yeong Lee of Montreal will also have conditional status in 2015.