Coloradan Jackson Solem advances to stage 2 of PGA Tour Q-school after top-5 finish in Texas; fellow former DU golfer Chris Gilman just misses out at another first-stage site
By Gary Baines – 10/27/2023
Jackson Solem of Longmont, who won the Sinclair Rocky Mountain Open in August, punched his ticket to the penultimate stage of PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
The former University of Denver golfer, a one-time 4A state high school individual champion, tied for fifth place on Friday in a first-stage Q-School tournament held in Abilene, Texas. And with the top 19 finishers and ties — out of an initial field of 76 — earning spots in next month’s second stage of qualifying, Solem easily made the grade.
Solem, a 2021 U.S. Amateur qualifier, carded scores of 66-72-69-68 for a 13-under-par total, which left him seven strokes behind medalist Dylan Healey of Mesa, Ariz. Over the four days, Solem made 23 birdies, eight bogeys and one double bogey. In Tuesday’s first round, he posted birdies six holes in a seven-hole stretch.
Meanwhile, at another first-stage tournament — this one in Semmes, Ala. — another former DU golfer barely missed advancing to the second stage. At that site, Chris Gilman of Sioux Falls, S.D. tied for the 21st spot, but only the top 19 and ties landed spots in stage 2. Gilman shot a final-round 68, but needed to go two lower to advance. He finished at 12 under par overall.
Earlier this month, four other players with strong Colorado ties qualified for stage 2: Jim Knous of Littleton, Davis Bryant of Aurora, AJ Ott of Fort Collins and former Colorado School of Mines golfer George Markham.
This week’s tournaments were part of a new-look Q-school that eventually will result in at least five players earning 2024 PGA Tour cards. It’s the first time in a decade that PGA Tour playing privileges are at stake in Q-school.
Five 72-hole second-stage events are scheduled for either Nov. 14-17 or Nov. 28-Dec. 1. And the final stage is planned for TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Dec. 14-17.
At that final stage, the top five finishers and ties will land 2024 PGA Tour cards. Spots on other tours, including the Korn Ferry circuit, are also at stake during this Q-school. Each player who finishes the final stage of Q-school will have at least some Korn Ferry Tour status for 2024, depending on where they place in that final stage.
PGA TOUR FIRST-STAGE Q-SCHOOL RESULTS FOR LOCAL GOLFERS
Oct. 24-27 in Abilene, Texas (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
Headed to Stage 2
5. Jackson Solem, Longmont 66-72-69-68–275
Failed to Advance
62. Ben Lanting, Castle Rock 72-68-74-75–289
Oct. 24-27 in Semmes, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
Failed to Advance
21. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 68-69-71-68—276
Oct. 24-27 in Bermuda Run, N.C. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
Failed to Advance
57. Former Fort Collins resident Matt Liringis 76-72-72-73–293
For all the results from Q-school, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com