Brandt Jobe wins Champions Tour Q-School, five earn full 2016 status

 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Brandt Jobe won the Champions Tour qualifying tournament Friday to earn one of five fully exempt spots next year, closing with a 2-under 69 for a one-stroke victory.

 

Jobe, a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, had an 18-under 266 total on TPC Scottsdale's Champions Course.

 

"I actually played pretty good today, but I just didn't make many putts," Jobe said. "I thought I was still in pretty good shape at the turn, but made bogey at No. 10 from the middle of the fairway with a 5-iron in my hand for my second shot. Luckily, I regrouped and hit quality shots coming in. I did just a good enough job today and now I'm really looking forward to next year. It's be awhile since I've been able to plan a schedule."

 

Tom Byrum, Willie Wood and Jose Coceres tied for second, and Mike Grob was another stroke back to take the last fully exempt spot.

 

The next seven players – John Riegger, Gibby Gilbert III, Jean-Francois Remesy, Stan Utley, 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, Chien Soon Lu and Miguel Angel Martin – are conditionally exempt. The rest of top 30 finishers and ties are eligible to compete for spots in open qualifiers.

 

Byrum shot a 63.

 

"I just went out today and tried to make as many birdies as I could," Byrum said. "I got it going and had some good swing thoughts today. I had putted well all week, so I knew if I could give myself some better scoring opportunities on the greens, I'd have a chance. It was nice to put this kind of a round together."

 

Wood and Coceres shot 67, and Grob had a 69.

 

Grob made a key birdie at the 17th, getting up-and-down from underneath a tree left of the green. On his knees to hit his third shot, Grob chipped within 3 feet of the hole and made the putt to move in front of Riegger. The Billings, Montana, player two-putted for par from 20 feet at the final hole to secure the full exemption. 

 

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