Blick etched his name into Q School lore on Sunday with a performance quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. On a day filled with its usual share of heroic — and tragic — rounds, the San Jose State product’s 63 stood out because he did it without his golf clubs, which he realized were stolen a couple hours before his final-round tee time. Turns out, rental-home garages aren’t the safest places to leave valuables. . .

Anyway, thanks to his unlikely low score with borrowed clubs, Blick will graduate from the Mackenzie Tour to the Web.com Tour next season. But before that, we caught up with him to hear all about his wild experience at an Arizona golf course fittingly named Whirlwind. The Golf Digest crew also debated the Q School system and offered up our Christmas golf wish lists. Please have a listen:

https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/cody-blick-tells-his-crazy-q-school-story-our-christmas-wish-lists

The post Cody Blick tells his crazy Q School stolen clubs story, and our Christmas golf wish lists appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
The nightmares suffered at Q-School are too frightful for even the most sadistic of “American Horror Story” episodes. While some players are able to escape from such hell—including Cody Blick, who bounced back from having his clubs stolen to shoot a final-round 63—for others, they are victims of inexorable fates.

Case in point: the plight of Patrick Sullivan.

Sullivan, a 35-year-old journeyman who missed 20 of 23 cuts on the Web.com Tour last season, looked to be in fine standing to retain Web status for 2019, in 23rd place heading into the final round of Q-School at Whirlwind G.C. in Chandler, Ariz. Unfortunately for Sullivan, on a day when the field went low, he hovered around par for 13 holes, and then had the bad fortune of finding the water on the 14th hole.

From the green:

We’ve heard all the QSchool horror stories over the years. I was wondering if anyone had ever putted it into the water on the back nine to miss by one? If not…..dibs. ?‍

— Patrick Sullivan (@sullivangolf) December 9, 2018

Sullivan ultimately made a double, and followed with a bogey on the 15th. And while he did mount a commendable charge, answering with a birdie on the 16th and eagle on the 17th, Sullivan missed a four-footer on the final hole:

The fine line can be cruel.

Patrick Sullivan (@sullivangolf) went birdie-eagle on holes 16 and 17 Sunday to move within a shot of the current projected top-40.

This was his birdie try at the last. pic.twitter.com/jSlnrf55ni

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) December 9, 2018

As Sullivan’s Tweet alluded to, he finished with a final-round 70, 17 under for the tournament…and one shot out of the top 40, which would have bestowed guaranteed starts on the Web.com circuit.

It’s not a total lost cause for Sullivan; he does have conditional status for next season. But there will be a lot of Monday qualifiers in his future. Let’s hope it’s a future that doesn’t serve as another Q-School cautionary tale.

The post Pro putts ball into water at Q-School, misses four-footer on the 18th hole to lose status by one shot appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Even though it no longer grants PGA Tour access, Q-School remains a notoriously brutal endeavor. But the cards Cody Blick was just handed makes that endeavour damn near unplayable.

At the end of the third round of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, the 25-year-old Blick was 10 under for the event, tied for 74th. While catching the leaders (23 under) was a pipe dream, Blick had a reasonable shot at a top-40 finish (after Saturday, that standing hovered around 14 under). An important figure, as those who finish 11th to 40th earn eight guaranteed starts on next year’s Web.com circuit.

Unfortunately for Blick, he’ll have to surmount that charge with clubs that aren’t his own, as his own bats were apparently swiped. On Sunday morning, Blick took to Instagram, pleading for whoever took his bag to return it, offering $5,000 for his sticks, no questions asked.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

?STOLEN GOLF CLUBS?TO WHOEVER HAS OR HAS SEEN MY GOLF CLUBS- I will give you $5,000 cash no questions asked. Please call (925)766-6034

A post shared by Cody Blick (@blick_golf) on Dec 9, 2018 at 8:02am PST

Alas, it appears Blick was forced to use a borrowed set, teeing off at Whirlwind G.C. in Chandler, Ariz. at 10:39 a.m. local time.

Through his first three holes Blick, who finished 12th last year on the Mackenize Tour’s Order of Merit, is one under, which has dropped him to T-75. No cheering in the press box, but here’s hoping Blick can pull off a miracle.

UPDATE: Whatever set of clubs Cody Blick used on Sunday, he might want to hang on to them. Following a one under through three holes start to his round, Blick played his final 15 holes in eight under, including three straight birdies to finish off a final-round 63. It was his low round of the week, and it vaulted him into a tie for 25th, a significant finishing position:

Wild: Cody Blick got his clubs stolen last night at @WebDotComTour Q-School. Today he shot 9-under in the final round to finish T25 and earn a spot in the first eight Web Tour events of 2019.

— Adam Stanley (@adam_stanley) December 9, 2018

Blick’s 63, which featured a back-nine 31, jumped him 49 spots up the leader board, earning him eight Web.com Tour starts in the process. When he tees it up at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic in January, he’ll be making just the second Web.com Tour start of his career, the last coming at the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic, where he tied for 53rd. Blick has spent the bulk of his pro career on the Mackenzie Tour, playing in 33 events since 2016 and collecting seven top 10 finishes and two runner ups.

Even more impressive was that, according to Adam Stanley, this wasn’t a ready-made set of clubs. Blick pieced together a bag with some help from everybody:

Update: I’ve been told Blick used wedges from the pro shop, borrowed a driver from the superintendent, and picked up some “random” irons for his round today. More to come.

— Adam Stanley (@adam_stanley) December 9, 2018

All things considered, this was one of the more impressive 63s you’ll see in professional golf this season.

The post Pro has clubs stolen before final day of Q-School, offers $5,000 to anyone who finds them (UPDATE: Cody Blick shoots 63, earns Web.com Tour status) appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.