Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 7, 2004 Clutch Allred earns PGA card By Tim Trower For the Tidings Jason Allred knew if he was to be promoted, he'd have to earn it. That's precisely what the professional golfer from Ashland did Monday, crafting a closing charge that included four birdies over the last eight holes at the PGA Tour qualifying tournament. With a final-round score of 3-under par 69 on the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, Calif., Allred tied for 13th place in the field of 170. He was one of 35 players to shoot 7 under or better and earn PGA Tour cards for next year. "This is a dream come true," said Allred, 24, in a teary-eyed television interview. He glanced at his wife, Kimberly, who was nearby and has served as his caddie through much of his mini-tour career. "It's something I've thought about since I was just a little kid," said Allred, who now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz. "By God's grace, me and my wife had so much fun this week, and I'm just really excited." The tournament, the last of a three-stage process, is considered by many pros to be harder than all others because it's six days of pressure-packed play that dictates career paths. Brian Davis won with a 17-under total of 415 and earned $50,000. Rob Rashall was second, one shot back. Allred, who made $25,000, was making his third attempt at the PGA after playing full time this past season on the Canadian Tour. He opened the tournament strong on Wednesday with a 1-under par 71 despite making double bogey on the 18th hole. He continued to hover near the line for PGA exemption over the next five rounds. The top 30 and ties earned their cards; the next 50 gained full-time status on the Nationwide Tour, the PGA feeder circuit. Allred began the day in 32nd place but quickly dropped with bogeys on the first and sixth holes. "Man, I kind of had a rough front nine," said Allred. "I couldn't get anything going and just hung in there. I made about a 30-footer for par on nine, and then hit a horrible tee shot on 10 and somehow made a par. Then I just tried to give myself as many chances coming in as I could. It was just one of those days where it worked out." A par on No. 9 might have been the turning point, said Jason's father, Gene, who spoke from his Ashland home with his son moments after Jason turned in his card. After birdieing the par-5 eighth hole, Allred had to pitch out of rough on the long par 4. He then hit a wedge on his third shot to about 30 feet from the cup and made the putt. "He said that was a huge boost to him," said Gene Allred. "Instead of being 2 over on the front, he finished 1 over. That kind of kept his round going. Sometimes those par saves when you're scrambling are bigger than birdies." The 10th hole proved to be another impressive save. After his tee shot found a fairway bunker, he was left with 200 yards of carry over water to reach the green. "When it's that far," said Gene Allred, "there's no margin for error. You get a few grains of sand behind the ball and you're wet. You have to hit it perfect, and he did." Jason Allred knocked it to the middle of the green and two-putted. He then birdied the 11th and 12th holes to reach 7 under. He got to 8 under with a birdie at the 580-yard par 5 16th, ripping a 330-yard drive and 250-yard 2-iron to get to the middle of the green. Allred capped his memorable day with a 35-foot, right-to-left birdie putt on the 18th hole that vaulted him from 20th place to 13th. That could turn out to be important, said Gene Allred, because even players with tour cards don't get into every event. By finishing that much higher Monday, he might have opened doors to a few more tournaments. Once on tour, Allred would need to finish in the top 125 on the money list to earn exemption for the following year. This year, Tag Ridings was 125th with earnings of $623,262. Allred allowed himself to consider the future and what impact it would have on him and his wife. "Gosh," he said, "hopefully we'll enjoy every minute of it. But as far as who we are, hopefully that won't change at all. It's something I've thought about forever, but it still won't change who we are as Christians and a husband and wife who love each other. We're just going to enjoy it and have a blast." The first full-field tournament of the 2005 season is the Sony Open Jan. 13-16 in Honolulu, Hawaii. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Online Casinos Community Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams