Andrew Landry had hoped this week’s Frys.com Open was going to be his
first event as a card-carrying member of the PGA Tour.
Unfortunately for the former PN-G and Arkansas shotmaker, he missed out because of how the numbers game works with new members, then wasn’t able to play his way in during the Monday qualifier.
Landry is one of 50 players who earned a 2015-16 PGA Tour card —25 through the Web.com Tour regular season and 25 through the year-end playoffs.
Each player has a priority number, based on how he finished. Landry’s number
is in the high 40s, which means he can only get into events skipped by large
numbers of PGA Tour regulars. Unless, of course, he is able to get in via the
Monday qualifier.
Still trying to fight his way through a late season slump that plagued him
on the Web.com Tour, Andrew shot three-over-par Monday in his bid to get into
the Frys.com. He’ll be trying to make it in the same way next Monday in Las Vegas.
The first PGA Tour stop where he is assured of being in the field is the Nov.
5-8 Sanderson Farms Championship at Jackson, Mississippi.
“I’m struggling with consistency right now,” he said Tuesday. “I’ll play
well for most of a round, but mix in a couple of bad holes that kill me. It’s
been that way for a while. I was two under early in the Monday qualifier,
still one under through 12 holes and wound up three-over. It only took two
under to make it.
“It’s different mistakes every time, mostly small stuff that turns out
being really costly. It’s a little discouraging, but I will get through it. I
have a great support system and a lot of confidence in myself. I know I’m good
enough and I know everybody that plays this game goes through tough times.”
While Landry is on the outside looking in, there will be a three-man
contingent of former Lamar players entered in the Frys.com.
Chris Stroud, coming off a second-place tie two weeks ago in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland; Shawn Stefani, coming off his best PGA Tour season; and Dawie van der Walt, who is a new PGA Tour member from the Web.com, are all part of the kickoff event for the 2015-16 season.
Stroud, looking to rebound from a down year, has a checkered record at the
Frys.com. He’s missed the cut both times the Frys.com was a fall launching point for a PGA Tour season, shooting 75-75 last year and 76-72 in 2013. Prior to that,
when the Frys.com was played as the latter part of the tour season, he finished
T15 in 2011, T8 in 2009, T29 in 2008 and T38 in 2007.
All those tournaments, however, were played on a different venue than the
current North Course at the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. This year’s Frys.com field, by the way, is bolstered by the presence of world No. 3 Rory McIlroy
and world No. 7 Justin Rose. Tiger Woods was also in the field, prior to being
derailed by another back surgery.
CHIP SHOTS
Little Cypress-Mauriceville graduate Brooke Brasseaux and Nederland ex Shelbi Vincent delivered impressive efforts for the University of Houston-Victoria in the UHV Women’s Fall Classic.
Brasseaux earned medalist honors with rounds of 76-75-73 for a 54-hole total of 224. Vincent, on the strength of a closing 71 that was the second low round of the tournament, placed third with a 227. Another former Nederland player, Reid Whaley, shot 79 in the final round …
Lamar’s men’s team had his best showing under new coach Jesse Mudd with a T8 in the Utah Invitational. Eason Wang, who closed with a 67, paced the Cardinals with
a 54-hole total of 211 that was good for a T11. Gregory Wiggins and Louis Bemberg also had solid showings for LU, finishing T20 (213) and T33 (218). …
Mike Kirkpatrick of Beaumont recorded his first-ever eagle, and it led to his best-ever round of 89 at Babe Zaharias. Kirkpatrick’s eagle came on the par-5, 10th hole. Witnesses were Gary Duncan, Jim Huebel Sr.and T.K. Donnell. …
The team of Ron Burkhalter, Matt Borel, J.P. White and Kirk Sherer scrambled to a 17-under-par 54 at Bayou Din to win the Sabine Chapter of Kids Classic benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network. …
In a best two-ball format, the foursome of Bill Hammond, Ed Holley, Troy Touchet and Glenn Marino finished 7 under to win the front nine in the Super Saturday Game at The Babe. On the back, the team of Jim Jordan, Don MacNeil, James Shipley and Dan Flood prevailed with minus-2. …
The Senior 50 Plus Game at The Babe was also played in a best two-ball format. On the front, the team of Cap Hollier, Raymond Darbonne, Charles Leard and Paul Brown won with minus-6. The back finished in a tie at minus-4 between the team of Rick Pritchett, Ron Mistrot, Gene Hardy and Paul Duplantis and the foursome of Benny Sharpe, Gary Fontenot, Les McGuire and Pat Waite. …
In the Oct. 5 Senior 50 Plus Game, there was a tie on the front between the team of Pritchett, Lee Bertrand, Ed Hetzel and Gary Anderson and the team of Sharpe, Dennis Frazier, Bob Moore and Larry Rogers. The Sharpe team won the back with minus-2. …
The foursome of Larry Vicknair, Mark Petry, Jim Cooper and Ralph Childress won the Babe Zaharias DogFight with 19 points. Teams captained by David Evans, Larry Johnson, Gary Whitfill and Jordan finished in a tie for second with 17 points. Closest to the pin winners were Bob West (No. 2, No. 12), Robert Stansbury (No. 7) and
Larry Vicknair (No. 15). …
The Senior Game at The Babe was played in a 9/9 best ball, scramble format, with the duo of Jim Jordan-Craig Geoffory winning First Flight was a 63. Harrell Guidry-Hetzel took Second Flight with a 66.
Third Flight ended in a tie, with Mark Petry-Bob Moore and Jim Cooper-E.T.
Robicheaux at 72. Mike Tibbetts-John Akins won Fourth Flight with a 73.
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