Step by Step

By Gary Baines 

Hunter Swanson of Superior has taken his first step on a path that another golfer from the same Colorado course took all the way to a spot on the DP World Tour.

The former University of Colorado golfer — and current part-time CU men’s golf assistant coach — earned a spot in the second stage of DP World Tour Q-school by tying for eighth place out of 73 players on Friday in a first-stage tournament in Altrincham, England.

The rookie pro — who grew up playing Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, the same course where current DP World Tour regular Davis Bryant cut his teeth — posted rounds of 68-70-70-70 for a 2-under-par total, which left him 11 strokes behind medalist Angus Flanagan of England.

Hunter Swanson finished sixth at the Inspirato Colorado Open in July.

The top 18 finishers and ties from the site — all those 1 over par or better — will advance to the second of three stages of Q-school. The second stage will be held at four different courses in Spain Oct. 29-Nov. 1. The final stage, where 2027 DP World Tour cards — and HotelPlanner Tour privileges — will be awarded, is set for Nov. 6-11 in Tarragona, Spain.

The tournament in Altrincham is one of 10 first-stage events scheduled for late August or September.

Over the four rounds this week, Swanson made 12 birdies and 10 bogeys. In recent months, he’s recorded top-10 finishes in both the Inspirato Colorado Open (sixth place) and the Sinclair Rocky Mountain Open (ninth).

For all the results from DP World Tour 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. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com