In 2000 Notah Begay III had the world on a string. He had just won his first PGA Tournament in 1999 and quickly backed it up with two wins and a spot on the Presidents Cup team in 2000. Life was good.
In December 2008 Notah Begay III is not even listed in the Official World Golf Ratings that ranks the top 1,000 golfers in the world. Coming off a season where his highest finish was tied for 53rd, life, as least his life as a PGA Tour golfer, was flat-lined.
Nevertheless, the Tour’s only Native American somehow mustered up one of the great rounds in Q-School history and shot himself into the final stage with a dazzling 65 in the final round in Lantana, Texas on Saturday. Notah’s round of 7-under was the low round of the week at the Lantana Golf Club. Now all he has to do is shoot six more brilliant rounds to get his card and his life back.
Life is hard and golf is cold and hard.
Notah’s story is not all that unusual. Two-time Tour winner Paul Stankowski will join Notah after shooting a 68 to advance. A 22-year-old by the name of Sang-Moon Bae who shot a 64 at Oak Valley in Beaumont, California will also be there, as will Jim Rutledge who hammered out a 65 on the same course. Who is Jim Rutledge you ask? He’s 49-year-old Canadian with no wins and no top tens in 55 starts on the PGA Tour, but he still has a dream.
There are also guys like Rich Barcelo who is trying to secure his card for the third time in four years, and John Maginnes who has been to Q-School six times and has been successful three of those times.
Then there are guys like Tom Gillis who has had more success than most. He's 2-for-3 earning his card in 2002 and 2004 both times at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., where the final stage will be played once again this year.
Of the 160 or so golfers who made the final field, there are at least 160 stories. Like Mark Brooks, the 1996 PGA Champion who now ranks 215 on the PGA money list and finished 410 in the FedEx Cup race. How about Byron Nelson Winner Robert Damron, or Glen Day whose slow play has earned him the nickname of “All Day.” Brad Elder and Joe Durant will be there, as will Harrison Frazar and Tommy Gainey.
Remember when Jason Gore contended for the U.S. Open? He’ll be fighting for his card this week. How about Hunter Haas, John Huston, Frank Lickliter II, Bob May, Kevin Stadler, B.J. Staten, Scott Sterling, Chris Stroud, Brian Stuard, Chip Sullivan and a hundred other guys you never heard of. They all want one thing and most of them will fail.
Q-School. It is golf’s annual rite of passage, and there is nothing like it in all of sports. It’s real life in plaid pants. Some are about to realize their dream and some are about to have theirs crushed. It’s a mixture of young and old because the rungs on the ladder of success both ascend and descend. Sometimes the faces that pass you on that ladder are recognizable, sometimes they are not because they are only 20 years old and full of hope, but life is like that, isn’t it?
Good luck to the young men who are starting their journey and good luck to those hardy souls who are trying to rekindle their dream.
So, why is it that doctors, lawyers and Presidents don’t have annual Q-Schools?
The GOLF Channel will televise the final three rounds of Q-School this weekend.
