Capan Is a Medalist in First Stage of Korn Ferry Q-School

National

Frankie Capan torched the Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C., earlier this month and won the First Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School tournament there by eight shots.

The 22-year-old former Minnesota State Amateur champion opened with a 6-under-par 65 and followed it with a 63, a 64 and a 66 for a 72-hole total of 258 -- 26 under par. Charles Huntzinger finished second with a 266.

So Capan made it through to the Second Stage of Q-School with 19 shots to spare. The top 26 finishers and ties advanced, and it took 277 to make it. Three players tied for 24th at that number.

There are four stages in the Korn Ferry Q-School process -- a Preliminary Stage, plus a First Stage, Second Stage and Final Stage. The Second Stage will be played Oct. 11-14 and Oct. 18-21 at various sites, and the Final Stage will be held Nov. 4-7 at The Landings Club. Two rounds will be played on the Magnolia Course, and two at the Marshwood Course. 

Capan had tied for third in Pre-Qualifying at the Capitol Hill Senator course (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) in Prattville, Ala. Pre-Qualifying tournaments were 54 holes, and Capan shot 69-68-69--206.

Among other players with Minnesota advancing to the Second Stage of Q-School was Ben Sigel, the former state high school champion from Minnetonka. He made 23 birdies at White Eagle GC in Napperville, Ill., and shot 66-64-66-72--279 (-9). He tied for third. Sigel was seventh with a 67-65-71--203 (-7) in Pre-Qualifying at Brunswick CC in Brunswick, Ga. 

Van Holmgren, the 2022 State Open champ made it on the number in Fort Myers, Fla. He closed with a 5-under 66 at Crown Colony G&CC for a 276, which put him into a six-way tie for 25th. The top 30 advanced. Missing by one shot in Fort Myers was Angus Flanagan, the former University of Minnesota star who won the State Open in 2020 and the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am each of the last two years, setting a tournament and course record at Southview CC this year with a final round of 10 under 61. He shot 67 in his final round at Crown Colony and finished with a 7-under total of 277, but that was one too many, and he tied for 31st. 

Andre Metzger, who lists his residence at Scottsdale, Ariz., these days but has spent quite a few summers playing out of Sioux Falls -- and he's made a lot of money on the Dakotas Tour -- advanced easily from Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club in Rockwall, Texas. One of the oldest  players to make it through to the Second Stage, at 40 years old, Metzger shot 70-66-70-69--275, which earned him a tie for third. 

The First Stage of Korn Ferry Q-School continued a week later, and another former Gopher, Will Grevlos, was the co-medalist, along with Charlie Hiller at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, Neb. Grevlos, who won five South Dakota State Junior titles, plus two state high school championships, alternated 70s and 67 on his way to a 10-under total of 274.

Also advancing from Lincoln, albeit just barely, was two-time former Tapemark Charity Pro-Am champ Ross Miller. He opened with a 68 and followed it with a 70, but he then shot a pair of 73s and ended up making it on the number, in a six-way tie for 24th at 284. Alex Beach, the former National Club Pro champ from Stillwater, and this year's Tapemark runner-up, Trey Fessler, both missed qualifying at Wilderness Ridge.

Andrew McCain, a two-time Minnesota State Open winner (2015 and '18), made it out of The Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala. The scores were low and it took 15 under, 273, to get from here to the Second Stage. McCain shot 270 (68-67-67-68) and made it with three to spare, tying for ninth.   


Korn Ferry Tour Q-School (Pre-Qualifying, plus First, Second and Final stages)

Pre-Qualifying (Aug. 24 - Sept. 2)

At Capitol Hill Club -- Senator (par 72)

Prattville, Ala. 

Final results (top 33 and ties advance to First Stage of Q-School)

T3. Frankie Capan        69-68-69--206 (-10) 

T33. Thomas Lehman   77-70-72--218

What it took to advance -- 218 (3-way tie for 33rd)


At Brunswick CC (par 70) 

Brunswick, Ga. 

Final results (top 35 and ties advance)

7. Ben Sigel           67-65-71--203 (-7)

What it took -- 213 (5-way tie for 33rd)


At Quarry Oaks (par 71)

Ashland, Neb.

Final results (top 29 and ties advance)

T13. Will Grevlos      72-70-68--210 (-3)

What it took -- 214 (2-way tie for 29th) 

Did not advance

WD -- Tommy Vining


First Stage (Sept. 13 - Sept. 30)

At Club at Irish Creek (par 71)

Kannapolis, N.C. 

Final results (top 26 and ties advance)

1. Frankie Capan             65-63-64-66--258 (-26)

What it took -- 277 (3-way tie for 24th)

Did not advance

Evan Long                       75-67-73-69--284


At Wilderness Ridge (par 71) 

Lincoln, Neb. (top 24 and ties advance)

T1. Will Grevlos      70-67-70-67--274 (-10)

T24. Ross Miller      70-68-73-73--284

What it took -- 284 (6-way tie for 24th)

Did not advance

T62. Alex Beach       73-74-74-74--295

T70. Trey Fessler      75-66-81-78--300


At White Eagle GC (par 72)

Napperville, Ill. 

Final results (top 22 and ties advance)

T3. Ben Sigel                  66-64-77-72--279 (-9)
 
What it took -- 285 (4-way tie for 22nd) 


At Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club (par 72) 

Rockwall, Texas 

Final results (top 22 and ties advance)

T3. Andre Metzger          70-66-70-69--275 (-13)

What it took -- 283 (2-way tie for 22nd)


At The Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove (par 72)

Mobile, Ala.

Final results (top 24 and ties advance)

T9. Andrew McCain           68-67-67-67--270 (-18)

What it took -- 273 (6-way tie for 21st)


At Crown Colony (par 71) 

Fort Myers, Fla. 

Final results (top 25 and ties advance) 

T25. Van Holmgren           69-72-69-66--276 (-8) 

What it took -- 276 (6-way tie for 25th) 


At Waldon on Lake Conroe GC (par 72)

Montgomery, Texas

Final results (top 22 and ties advance)

What it took -- 282 (9-way tie for 17th)

WD -- Justin Doeden 


Second Stage

Oct. 11-21

At various sites



Final Stage

Nov. 4-7

At The Landings Club

Magnolia Course (2 rounds)

Marshwood Course (2 rounds)

Savannah, Ga.