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Holmes wins PGA Tour qualifying event
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-06 08:43
Ellis was even more spectacular at the end. He figured 10 under would be the
number and wanted to get his chip close enough for a tap-in. He chipped in for
eagle, which was a good thing when the cutoff moved to 11 under.
"I was just trying to get it close," Ellis said. "It was perfect."
The best comeback of all belonged to John Engler, a former All-American at
Clemson who was told he probably wouldn't play golf again and might never walk
properly after a horrific car accident two years ago.
Engler was driving home to Augusta, Ga., after a Hooters Tour event when he
was involved in an accident on a rural road that left him trapped in a burning
car, with a badly broken leg and head injuries. Two people were killed in the
accident, and Engler nearly lost his leg to a staph infection.
But he worked harder than ever, got through the first two stages of Q-school,
then shot 67-68 over the final two days to earn his card with two shots to
spare.
"When I think of what I've been through the last 30 months," Engler said. "To
think you can play a game like golf ¡ª and play it pretty well ¡ª and then have it
taken away from you ... words can't describe what it feels like to get the
opportunity to get all that back. It just shows that you should never give up."
On the other side of the emotional gamut was Tommy Tolles, who birdied six of
nine holes down the stretch to reach 11 under. But when he got to his last hole,
No. 9, he put his tee shot in the water and made double bogey to miss by two
shots.
Scott Hend, who led the PGA Tour is driving distance this year, was poised to
make it easily until he struggled from the start in the final round, shooting 41
on the back nine for a 78 to miss by two shots.
"It was gut-wrenching," the Aussie said. "I feel pretty empty at the moment.
No matter what I did, I didn't do the right thing. It wasn't meant to be. I'll
just have to work my butt of next year (on the Nationwide Tour).
The last player to go from college to the top of his Q-school class was
Willie Wood in 1983. Holmes made it look easy, becoming the first player since
Ben Crane in 2001 to post all six rounds in the 60s.
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