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One of the top male college players in the country is a step closer to earning his DP World Tour card.
There’s a catch, though.
Tiger Christensen, a 21-year-old from Hamburg, Germany, was among the 24 players who advanced out of one of four sites for DPWT Q-School’s second stage, carding a 3-under 68 to climb seven spots and tie for 16th on Sunday at Golf Las Pinaillas in Albacete, Spain. But despite what he does at final stage, Christensen is planning on returning for his final semester at the University of Arizona.
Christensen’s college coach, Jim Anderson, said Christensen is hoping to earn status via PGA Tour University. Christensen is currently No. 14 in those rankings, a position that would earn him PGA Tour Americas status; the top 10 players in the final ranking, post NCAA Championship, earn at least conditional Korn Ferry Tour cards with the No. 1 player getting a PGA Tour card.
Should Christensen, competing as an amateur, finish among the top 20 and ties and secure a DPWT card at six-round final stage, which will take place Nov. 8-13 in Costa Dorada, Spain, he would have at least one tour to play on starting this summer.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 11 in the national rankings while Christensen is No. 16 individually thanks to four top-6 finishes in as many starts.
Two other amateurs, Jakob Skov Olesen and Max Kennedy, also advanced to final stage, though both have graduated college. Kennedy, a Louisville alum, will turn pro after Q-School is over while Olesen, who played his final year at Arkansas, has spots in the Masters, U.S. Open and The Open available to him next year courtesy his British Amateur triumph, provided he remains amateur for them.
Here is a quick look at the three second-stage sites that wrapped up Sunday (the fourth, in Almeria, Spain, will finish on Monday with Americans Gavin Hall and Palmer Jackson comfortably in position to finish in the top 23):
GIRONA, SPAIN
Fontanals Golf Club
Medalists: Haydn Barron and Jacob Hrinda (-18)
Notables advancing: Ryggs Johnston, Rayhan Thomas, Bastien Amat, Charlie Reiter, Luis Masaveu, Aymeric Laussot, Scott Stevens, Teddy Tetak
Notables not advancing: Julian Perico, Edoardo Lipparelli, Jorge Garcia, Paul Chaplet, Canon Claycomb, Alvaro Quiros, Toby Tree, Oliver Fisher, Aman Gupta
HUELVA, SPAIN
Isla Canela Links
Medalists: Clement Sordet and Maximilian Steinlechner
Notables advancing: Taylor Funk, Jakob Skov Olesen, Adam Wallin, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Nick Carlson, Max Kennedy, Tom Lewis, Ben Sigel, Tim Tillmanns, Ryan Lumsden
Notables not advancing: Mark Power, Mats Ege, Jerome Lando-Casanova, Jimmy Zheng, Jack Wall, Hurly Long, Herman Wibe Sekne, Oliver Farr, Paul McBride, Juuso Kahlos
ALBACETE, SPAIN
Golf Las Pinaillas
Medalist: David Boriboonsub
Notables advancing: Chase Hanna, Christoffer Bring, Dan Erickson, James Nicholas, David Nyfjall, Tiger Christensen, Michael Miller, Spencer Cross, Marc Hammer
Notables not advancing: Jay Card III, Pedro Figueiredo, Charlie Huntzinger, Vince India, Ivan Ramirez, Rikard Karlberg, Alejandro Canizares, Ashley Chesters, Dan Brown, James Ashfield, Manuel Ballesteros, Jonas Blixt