Doeden Closes with 67, Ties for 2nd in Mackenzie Tour Q-School

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The top 16 finishers in the Mackenzie (Canadian) Tour's Q-Schools receive exemptions for the 2018 season, but they're not all equal. Which is why the 5-under-par 67 that former University of Minnesota star Justin Doeden shot last Friday in the final round of the Q-School East USA 1 -- and the three consecutive birdies he made at the end of the round -- really mattered.

If Doeden had merely shot 74, he would have tied for 14th and earned his Mackenzie Tour Card. But the guys who finished sixth through 16th are guaranteed to be fully exempt only through the first four events of the season. Those who finished second through fifth are assured of being fully exempt for the first eight events (there are 12 events in all). And with that 67 at the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley Course, Doeden finished the 72-hole Q-School at 278 (10 under) and tied fellow second-year pro Christopher Hickman for second place.

They ended up one stroke behind the winner, amateur Dawson Armstrong, who shot 66 on Friday for an aggregate of 277. Hickman also shot 66 on his way to 278.

Ian Davis, the 54-hole leader, closed with a 70. That was good for a 279 total, and solo fourth. Dalton Ward shot 70, as well, and he filled out the top five with a 280.

Doeden, Hickman and Armstrong all finished strong. Doeden birdied the 402-yard, par4 15th, the 559-yard, par-5 16th and the 499-yard, par-5 17th to secure his place in the top five. His late surge enabled him to catch Hickman, who didn't birdie the 15th, but did birdie the 16th and 17th holes.

Armstrong didn't birdie the 15th, either. When Doeden did, he tied Armstrong, a former Western Amateur champ, and Hickman for the lead. They remained tied as all three birdied the 16th, but then Armstrong made a 35-foot putt for an eagle from a few feet off the green at the 17th -- and that was the difference. His eagle trumped the birdies by Doeden and Hickman at No. 17. They all parred 18.

Doeden was the No. 1 player for the Gophers as a senior in 2016-17. He was named All-Midwest Region and was the only Minnesota player who received an invitation to the NCAA regionals. He played in the Stanford Regional and tied for 23rd. The NCAA format is stacked against individuals competing without a team, and he failed to advance to the NCAA Championships. A few weeks later, he won the Krugel Invitational at Mankato Golf Club for the second year in a row. He then left the amateur realm, and in his first tournament as a pro, he tied for fifth in the State Open. 

Armstrong said after his victory at Dye's Valley that he is an amateur now, but he won't be one for long. He intends to finish his senior season at Lipscomb University. He and his team made it to the NCAA Championships last year, and they hope to get there again this year. After the NCAA, Armstrong will turn pro. 

The timing should work out pretty well for him, because the NCAA, which will be played at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., is scheduled to end May 30, and the first Mackenzie Tour event -- the Freedom 55 Financial Open -- will begin the next day, May 31, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

As a Q-School medalist, Dawson will be exempt for the entire 2018 Mackenzie Tour season. 

The Q-School East USA 1 was the second of five Mackenzie Q-School tournaments. Another one, Q-School West USA 2, is going on now at the Wigwam Golf Club in Phoenix and will end Friday.

In the larger scheme of things, the Mackenzie/Canadian Tour is two levels below the  PGA Tour, and the goal of all the players who get through these Q-Schools is to finish in the top five on the money list, because that will get them onto the Web.com Tour next year. The player who is No. 1 on the money list will be fully exempt for Web.com tournaments, and Nos. 2 through 5 conditionally exempt. Those who are No. 2 through No. 10 will also be exempt into the Final Stage of the Web.com Q-School. 

From the Web.com, the next step up is the PGA Tour. The top 25 on the Web.com money list for the regular season move up to the Big Tour the following year, and so do the top 25 finishers from the four-tournament series at the end of the season known as the Web.com Finals -- not counting the top 25 who have already qualified during the regular season. If you think this system seems convoluted, that's because it is. But basically, the top 50 players from the Web.com are promoted to the PGA Tour every year. 

MACKENZIE TOUR

Q-School USA East 1

At TPC Sawgrass - Dye's Valley

Par 72
 
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 

Final results

The medalist will be exempt throughout the 2018 Mackenzie Tour seasons. Those finishing second through fifth will be exempt through eight events. Those finishing sixth through 16th will be exempt for the first four events. Players in 16th through 40th -- and ties -- will be conditionally exempt. 

1. (A) Dawson Armstrong         69-70-72-66--277

T2. Justin Doeden                   67-72-72-67--278

T2. Christopher Hickman          71-69-72-66--278

4. Ian Davis                               67-71-71-70--279

5. Dalton Ward                         71-66-73-70--280


Q-School USA West 1

At Carleton Oaks 

Par 72

Santee, Calif. 

Final results 

1. Sam Fidone                           68-68-71-69--276

2. Andrew Levitt                        72-69-68-69--278

3. Paul Barjon                           71-73-70-66--280

T4. (A) Ian Holt                         73-70-70-68--281

T4. Andrej Bevins                     69-73-69-70--281

Did not qualify

T58. Andrew McCain              72-72-72-79--295

T103. Matthew Rachey           81-75-75-78--309