McCain, Sletmoen Advance from Web.com Pre-Qualifying

Andrew McCain, who won his second Minnesota State Open title in July, is hoping he won't be around to defend the crown next year. Toward that end, he shot a final-round, 4-under-par 66 on Friday in the Web.com Q-School Pre-Qualifing at Brunswick Country Club in Brunswick, Ga. That gave him a 54-hole total of 209, which got him comfortably through to the First Stage of Q-School, which will begin in late September at  various sites.

He tied for 16th place. The top 40 finishers and ties advanced.  

There are three stages of Q-School in all, not counting the Pre-Qualifying. 

The goal for McCain, 24, and everyone else who enters this qualifying process is to get to the Final Stage, in Chandler, Ariz., Dec. 6-9. From there, the player who finishes first will be fully exempt for the 2019 Web.com Tour season, Players finishing second through 10th (plus ties) will be exempt until the second re-shuffle of the exempt list, and those finishing 11th through 40th (plus ties) will be exempt until the first re-shuffle.

McCain won the State Open for the first time in 2015, as an amateur. He also won the MGA Four-Ball that year, with Hudson Carpenter, and then won the Four-Ball again a year later, this time with Jesse Bull, after Carpenter turned professional. Now McCain is a pro, too. When he's playing in Minnesota tournaments, McCain is listed as being from Dellwood CC, but the Q-School results show him being from Knoxville, Tenn. He played college golf at the University of Maryland.  

The medalist at Brunswick was Zach Caldwell, a University of North Georgia alumnus from Sandy Springs (Ga.) who was over par on only four holes in three days. He made a double bogey the first day, a bogey the second and two bogeys the third. In each case, he followed with a birdie as he shot 67, 66, 67 to finish at 200 (minus 10). 

Landon Lyons of Baton Rouge and Barrett Waters were two strokes behind, tied for second place. 

As it turned out, the Magic Number was 217. Two players tied there for 40th.

There was one other Pre-Qualifying tournament this week, at Yolo Fliers Club in Woodland, Calif. Brandon Sletmoen was under par all three rounds , posting a 209 (7 under) and tying for 10th. The top 38 and ties (40 in all) advanced from Woodland. Sletmoen was a two-time NJCAA All-American at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls before transferring to Nebraska-Omaha in  2016 for his junior year.   

Sam Triplett, who concluded his college career at Northwestern this spring (he was 2nd team All-Big Ten), was the medalist. He opened with a 64 and followed it with a 67 and a 69 to finish with an aggregate of 200. Li Wang of Sammamish, Wash., was second, three behind at 203. 


WEB.COM TOUR Q-SCHOOL

Brunswick, Ga.

At Brunswick Country Club

Par 70

The top 40 finishers & ties advance to the First Stage of Q-School, at various sites Sept. 25 through Oct. 12

1. Zach Caldwell, Sandy Springs, Ga    67-66-67--200

T2. LandonLyons, Baton Rouge, La.     64-72-66--202

T2. Barrett Waters, Dallas, Ga.              67-67-68--202

T16. Andrew McCain, St. Paul            73-70-66--209

What it took: 217 (2-way tie for 40th) 


Woodland, Calif.

At Yolo Fliers Club

Par 72  

The top 38 & ties advance

1. Sam Triplett, Paradise Valley, Ariz.    64-67-69--200

2. Li Wang, Sammamish, Wash.            67-68-68--203

T3. Matt McClung, Fulshear, Texas        69-68-67--204

T3. Justin Kelley, Haiku, Hawaiii             69-68-67--204

T10. Brandon Sletmoen, Hawley         71-68-70--209

What it took: 217 (3-way tie for 38th)