The quest for a 2012 PGA Tour card ended in Plantation, Florida, for Williamsville’s Jake Katz. The two-time Buffalo District champion and NYSGA state runner-up was unable to recapture the magic of his first-round 67 over the final three rounds. Katz finished in a tie for 60th place, 18 strokes behind round winner Erik Flores and 10 strokes away from qualifying for the final q-school tournament in La Quinta, California.
10 strokes, or 2.5 per round, is not nearly the disparity that casual observers would find it to be. Katz had double bogies in the 2nd and 4th rounds, along with pars (6) and bogey (1) on seven of the last nine par five holes. Katz made 12 birdies over the course of the four-day event, not a small number, yet not nearly enough to counter the bogies that crept onto his scorecard over the final three days.
When looking back on the experience, Jake Katz will most likely suggest that his performance was inspiring. He had a shot at making the final round of qualifying for a tour card and will carry that success onto whichever mini-tour he plays next season. At 22, some seasoning is required and Katz will certainly be worth following as he seeks to claim a spot in professional golf.
Complete Scorecard for Jake Katz
