Chris Stroud’s ability to handle adversity on the golf course was underscored late Sunday afternoon in the Frys.com Classic in Scottsdale.

Stroud went to the 12th hole two-under forthe day, minus 15 for the week and in a tie for third place only two shots off the lead. Twenty minutes later, after a bad drive that led to an unplayable lie and ultimately to a triple bogey seven, he’d fallen all the way back to 12th.

With what was at stake for Stroud — namely finishing high enough to secure his PGA Tour card for 2010 — a lesser player might have struggled the rest of the day. Not the unflappable former Lamar All-America. He nearly birdied the 13th, did birdie the 14th, parred in to shoot 70, tied for 8th and won $135,000.

Once all the numbers were crunched, he’d moved up 14 places to No. 111 on the money list at $735,019 and pretty well assured he won’t be heading to PGA Tour Q school this year. The Golf Channel’s TV crew, in fact, as he putted out on 18, declared his mssion had been accomplished.

“I’d say it’s at least 95 percent certain I’ve got it secured,” Stroud said upon his return to Southeast Texas. “The purses for the final two tournaments aren’t that big, so it’s almost impossible for 15 guys to pass me up.”

Stroud, who is awaiting the birth of his first child, has already withdrawn from this week’s tour stop in Mississippi. If the baby arrives before the final event, which is Nov. 12-15 at Disney World, he says he would probably play there.

“We’re thinking the baby could come as early as this week,” he said. “The doctor is now projecting Nov. 6, but Tiffany has already started having contractions.”

Asked about the aftermath of the triple bogey, Stroud said he didn’t have any trouble staying calm.

“I just stayed positive,” he said. “I knew there were some birdie holes coming up and that I was playing well. I certainly didn’t want to make a triple bogey, but it happened. I hit a bad drive, then, after I took an unplayble and walked back to where I had a shot, it was blind.

“The good news was that my next shot was really hit well. The bad news is that I got confused, hit at the wrong target and wound up back in the desert with a bad lie. Then my next shot hit the edge of the cart path and kicked back. I wound up having to get up and down for a seven.”

Stroud’s tie for 8th was his second highest finish of the year. His best was a tie for 6th at Pebble Beach. With the $135,000 paycheck boosting his 2009 earnings to $735,019, he reached a personal high. He won $673,106 as a PGA Tour rookie in 2007, then dropped off to $482,405 last year.

His official PGA winnings stand at $1,900,880.

CHIP SHOTS: Golfers with Southeast Texas ties were one for two at moving on from the first stage of PGA Q-school last week. Orange’s Michael Arnaud carded rounds of 71-73-75-71 for a three-under 285 to tie for 13th at Auburn University Golf Club. That was good to punch his ticket for the second stage at Deerwood Golf Club Nov. 18-21. Lamar ex Dawie Van Der Walt didn’t far as well, posting a two-over 290 at Cypresswood Golf Club that wasn’t good enough. Three others — LU exes Shawn Stefani and Casey Clendenon and Kelly’s Anthony Broussard — are playing in first stage qualifiers this week . . . Joshua Stevens of Port Arthur and Ron Sedtal of Nederland got the chance to celebrate holes in one at Babe Zaharias on Sunday and Monday. Stevens scored his ace on the 140-yard, 2nd hole, using a 9-iron. The shot was witnessed by Eric Delahoussaye, Ken Jones Thomas Hall and Harold Nelson. Sedtal got his ace on the 115-yard, 15th hole, using a 9-iron. His playing companions included Kelly Guarnere and Red Simmons . . . The Babe Zaharias DogFight was won at 17&5 by the team of Jim Jordan, Rick Pritchett, E.T. Robicheaux and Paul Duplantis. Placing second at 16&6 was the foursome of Darrel Dugas, David Arnaud, Jim Cooper and Don Duplant. Closest to the hole winners were Kenny Robbins, Billy Tucker, Steve Picou and Bryan Sanches . . . In the Bayou Din DogFight, the team of Rick Pritchett, Gerald Huebel, Buddy Silcox and Cap Hollier won at 18&5 . . . The Senior Game at The Patch was played in a 2 Best Ball format. The team of Larry Morris, Wadsworth Thompson, Mike Simon and Tommy LeMire, won the front nine in minus seven and the back nine at minus 10 . . . Despite heavy rains that washed out the Belle Oaks’ DogFight and Senior Games, course superintendent Bryan Jackson did have something good to report. A team of hog hunters from Mid County — Danny Meeker, Eddie Weeker, Justin Sanderson, Mark Mingle, Ryan McCormick and Robert Bodin — killed five of the wild hogs that have been digging up the golf course. Jackson said the crew used dogs with GPS collars to locate the hogs when they showed up at night, then killed them with knives.

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