Blaum, Smith Advance in Q-Schools

DURHAM, N.C. - Former Duke golfer Nathan Smith advanced to the final stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying School, while 2005 & 2006 ACC Player of the Year Ryan Blaum reached the last leg of European Tour Q-School on Monday.

Smith carded rounds of 71-70-69-73=283 to finish the second stage at five-under-par in a tie for 12th place. The two-time All-ACC selection qualified at The Deerwood GC in Kingwood, Texas, from a field of 76 golfers, including several former PGA TOUR professionals. Smith also led the field in par 3 performance, recording a 2.62 average by going six-under-par in the second stage.

Currently based out of Soquel, Calif., Smith will join 156 players (including ties) at the final stage of Q-School at Bear Lakes CC in West Palm Beach, Fla., from Dec. 2-7. The six-round event will be played over 108 holes of stroke play. The top 25 players (with ties) will earn PGA TOUR cards for the 2010 season.

Blaum cruised through the final round of qualifying at the Hacienda Del Alamo in Murcia, Spain, clearing the field by five shots. The first team All-America choice went low in four consecutive rounds (68-65-67-68 = 268) to end the second stage at twenty-under-par over the 2008 European Amateur Champion Stephan Gross Jr. of Germany. Blaum was the only American to finish in the top 24. He also earned medalist honors in the first stage of qualifying at The Oxfordshire GC at Thame, England on Sept. 25.

The final stage will be held at PGA Golf de Cataluyna from Nov. 28-Dec. 3. Similar to the PGA TOUR format, the European Tour final stage will be conducted over six rounds (108 holes) of stroke play, but includes a cut after 72 holes. The 75 qualifiers from the second stage will be in the field, but the final field numbers have not yet been determined. The top 30 players in the final stage will gain exemption for the 2010 European Tour season.

Former Duke standouts Jason Buha, Clark Klaasen and Leif Olson were also in the second stage of PGA TOUR qualifying, but did not advance to the final stage. Olson was a PGA TOUR member in 2009, with his best finish a tie for third at the Turning Stone Resort Championship.

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