Warian, VanArragon, Flanagan & Sigel All Advance

Different strokes for different folks. Actually, it was different kinds of rounds for Ben Warian and Caleb VanArragon, but they both got through the First Stage of PGA Tour/Korn Ferry Q-School on Friday and reserved places for themselves in the Second Stage.

This First Stage was really the second of the four stages in the Q-School series of qualifying tournaments -- Preliminary, First Stage, Second Stage, Final Stage -- on the way, potentially, to the PGA Tour, or the Korn Ferry, which is the feeder tour for the PGA.

The ultimate goal for the more than 1,000 players who signed up for Q-School was to finish in the top five at the Final Stage, which would get them a spot on the 2025 PGA Tour.

There are 13 sites for First Stage qualifiers, and the first four concluded Friday. Warian, the University of Minnesota All-American from Stillwater, basically birdied his way through the qualifier at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Ariz. His 22 birdies tied for the second most in a 77-player field, and he made five of them on Friday in a valedictory 70. That gave him a 72-hole total of 278 (-10), which was good for a tie for fourth. The top 21 finishers in Maricopa will advance to the Second Stage of Q-School, and Warian made it with three strokes to spare.

But things got a little tense on the back nine. The long-hitting lefty, who is still an amateur (you don't have to turn pro to enter Q-School), got off to a great start, with birdies on the 449-yard first hole and the 575-yard, par-5 third. But he bogeyed the par-3 fourth, and after parring the next next eight holes, he bogeyed the 606-yard, par-5 13th. Warian, who set Gopher program records during the 2023-24 season for both the lowest 36-hole score (128) and 54-hole score (198, came right back with a birdie at the short (323-yard) par-4 14th. But he bogeyed the other par 5 on the back nine, the 576-yard 16th, and at that point, he was only one stroke on the right side of the Magic Number (minus 7), but he birdied the 204-yard, par-3 17th and the 463-yard, par-4 18th to cap off his final-round 70.

Caleb VanArragon, who graduated from Valparaison in the spring, took a different approach in his final round on the River Course at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. In 2023, VanArragon had one of the four best summers in the history of Minnesota amateur golf, as he demolished the courses and the fields in the State Open at Oak Ridge (he won by nine with a 13-under 197) and the State Amateur at Minneapolis Golf Club (he won by 12 with a surreal total of 23-under 193). That summer ranks up there with what Gene Hansen did in 1961 and '62 when he won consecutive Triple Crowns (State Am, State Open, State Publinx) and what James McLean did in 1998, when, as a freshman at Minnesota, he won the NCAA individual title (tying Phil Mickelson's 72-hole scoring record of 17-under 271 in the process), and then won the State Am with a record (at the time) 54-hole total of 203 at Rochester G&CC, and the State Open five days later at Bunker Hills. (McLean had a chance to win the Triple Crown that year, but instead of playing in the '98 Publinx, he played in the Pine to Palm tournament at Detroit Lakes -- and won it, too.

But on Friday, VanArragon was a par machine. He made 17 in a row, and concluded his round with a birdie at the 352-yard, par-4 18th at the River Course for a 1-under 70. He finished 72-holes with a total of 277 (minus 6) and tied for ninth.

The top 20 advanced from Oklahoma. It took 280 to make it, and another former Gopher All-American, Angus Flanagan, needed two birdies on the back nine to get through to the Second Stage. As it turned out, he made three birdies -- and no bogeys -- and his final-round 70 got him into a tie for 16th at 279.

Ben Sigel, the former Minnesota state high school champion from Minnetonka, cut it even closer, but survived. He started the final round tied for 10th at minus 8, 205, at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln, Nebraska. The top 21 and ties were going to advance, and after Sigel birdied the 10th hole and the 598-yard, par-5 14th, his prospects looked pretty good. But there were some long par 4s waiting for him, and he bogeyed the 446-yard, 16th and the 463-yard 18th. The result was a 1-over 72, and a 72-hole tab of 277. That turned out to be the number, and Sigel got through to the next stage thanks to a 7-way tie for 19th at 277.

The most nobable casualties among the Minnesotans playing this week in the First Stage were probably Nate Deziel, who won the State Amateur this summer, and Andrew Israelson, the son of former three-time State Amateur champ Bill Israelson and the winner of this year's Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, even if it's not called that anymore. It's now the Minnesota Foundation Pro-Am. In any case, Deziel missed by six and tied for 41st in Nebraska with a 283. Israelson tied for 55th in Arizona with a 291.



PGA TOUR/KORN FERRY Q-SCHOOL
FIRST STAGE (72-hole tournaments)

Maricopa, Ariz.

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes

Par 72, 7,546 yards

Oct. 8-11

The top 21 finishers and ties advance

Final results

T4. Ben Warian, Stillwater 66-73-69-70--278

What it took -- 281 (7-way tie for 19th)

T55. Andrew Israelson, Staples 74-69-72-76--291


Lincoln, Neb.

Wilderness Ridge CC

Par 71, 7,107 yards

Oct. 8-11

The top 25 and ties advance

Final results

T19. Ben Sigel, Minnetonka 72-64-69-72--277

What it took -- 277 (7-way tie for 19th)

T41. Nate Deziel, East Grand Forks 75-67-69-72--283

T49. Nate Adams, Maple Grove 71-71-71-73--286

T56. Thomas Lehman, Scottsdale, Ariz. 72-74-74-68--288

WD -- Jack Ebner, Edina


Broken Arrow, Okla.

Indian Springs - River Course

Par 71, 6,917 yards

Oct. 8-11

The top 20 and ties will advance

Final results

T9. Caleb VanArragon, Blaine 71-69-67-70--277

T16. Angus Flanagan, Surey, England 64-75-70-70--279

What it took -- 280 (2-way tie for 19th)

T51. Will Grevlos, Sioux Falls 77-71-68-74--290



PRELIMINARY STAGE (54-hole tournaments)


Woodstock, Ill.

At Bull Valley GC

Par 72, 7,190 yards

Sept. 11-13

The top 33 and ties advanced

T28. Jack Hiemenz, Blaine 75-77-76--228

What it took -- 228 (6-way tie for 28th)

Failed to advance

T43. Aaron Wilson,k Chaska 80-72-81--233


Kannapolis, N.C.

At Thr Club @ Irish Creek

Par 71, 7,144 yards

Sept. 11-13

The top 34 fiinishers and ties advanced

What it took -- 213 (6-way tie for 31st

Failed to advance

T40. Hentry May, Edina 72-70-73--215


Brunswick, Ga.

Brunswidk GC

Par 70, 6,802 yards

Sept. 18-20

The top 33 and ties advanced

T3. Muzzy Donohue, St. Paul 66-67-66--199

What it took -- 212 (3-way tie for 33rd)


Newton, Kansas

Sand Creek Station TC

Par 72, 7337 yards

Sapt. 18-20

The top 33 and ties advanced

T4. Nate Adams, Maple Grove 72-70-71--213

T12. Nate Deziel, East Grand Forks 75-73-68--216

What it took -- 222 (3-way tie for 33rd)


Chardon, Ohio

At Mayfield SRC - Sand Ridge

Par 72, 7277 yards

Sept. 18-20

The top 35 and tties advanced

What it took -- 219 (4-way tie for 33rd)

Failed to advance

T66. Zach Sklebar, Fargo 77-80-73--230