Rask, Ross Both Qualify for PGA Tour Canada -- on Opposite Coasts

Clayton Rask and Travis Ross were playing several thousand miles apart earlier this month, but they both wound up in the same place -- exempt for the 2014 PGA Tour Canada. 

Rask made it through the West USA Qualifying at Oak Valley Golf Club (par 72, 7,003 yards) in Beaumont, Calif. The former University of Minnesota star and 2007 MGA Player of the Year shot 71-66-70-69--276 and ended up alone in fifth place.

Ross, who finished second to Jon Sauer in Player of the Year points in 2009 (Ross was also second in the Players Championship and the State Amateur that year), entered the East Qualifying, which was contested on the Nicklaus Signature Course (par 72, 7,244 yards) at Reunion Resort near Orlando, Fla. He put together a 75-75-72-72--294 and tied for 13th. 

The top 43 finishers received tour cards at both sites, and the top 18 got exempt status. 

There will be one more qualifier, the Canadian version in British Columbia. That will be next week. 

The first of this year's 12 regular PGA Tour Canada events will be the PC Financial Open, May 26-June 1 in Vancouver. Which means Rask should be available to defend his title in the Minnesota Golf Champions tournament next weekend (May 9-11) at Golden Valley G&CC. 

Rask has won the Golf Champions crown each of the last two years, and four times in all. 

His ultimate goal is to make it to the PGA Tour (what mini-tour pro doesn't have that as his goal?), and he's been close. He played on the web.com Tour in 2011 -- it was called the Nationwide Tour then -- but wound up 92nd on the money list and lost his exempt status. Rask spent most of the first half of last year on the NGA -- formerly Hooters -- Tour and concluded the year No. 6 on the money list, with $49,345 in 17 tournaments. 

Ross was a regular for most of 2013 on the eGolf Professional Tour. He made $44,651 in 22 starts, which was enougth to put him at No. 11 on the eGolf money list. 


PGA TOUR CANADA

USA West Qualifying

At Oak Valley Golf Club

Par 72, 7,003 yards

Beaumont, Calif.

Final results

(the top 43 finishers earn tour cards for 2014; the top 18 earn exempt status)

1. Daniel Miernicki              66-72-71-64--273

T2. Alexis Anghert               65-71-66-73--275

T2. Greg Eason (A)             69-66-68-72--275

T2. Sam Ryder                    69-71-67-68--275

5. Clayton Rask                 71-66-70-69--276


USA East Qualifying

At Reunion Resort -- Nicklaus Signature Course

Par 72, 7,244 yards

Orlando, Fla.

Final results

(the top 43 finishers earn tour cards for 2014; the top 18 earn exempt status)

1. Jordan Krantz                74-75-71-66--286

2. Ryan Brehm                  72-73-71-72--288

3. Paul Cormack               73-79-70-67--289

T13. Travis Ross              75-75-72-72--294