Finishing With a Flurry

Though he’s broken par in all three rounds, Jim Knous of Littleton finds himself on the bubble in his bid to return to the Final Stage of Web.com Tour Q-school.

With the top 20 finishers and ties after Friday’s last round advancing to the Final Stage, Knous shares 19th place through Thursday’s third round of a Second Stage tournament in Plantation, Fla.

Fresh off making a cut in a PGA Tour event for the first time, Knous stands at 6-under-par 207 through 54 holes after a 1-under 70 on Thursday.

The former Colorado School of Mines golfer, who finished 94th on the season-long Web.com Tour money list in 2017, had a wild back nine on Thursday in which he didn’t make a par. After going birdie-bogey-double bogey-bogey on holes 10-13, Knous birdied his last five to shoot the 70. He trails co-leaders Rick Cochran of Paducah, Ky., and Steven Ihm of Peosta, Iowa, by six strokes.

A.J. Morris of Aspen also is in the running to advance to the Final Stage. After following up a first-round 74 with scores of 67-69 he shares 32nd place at 3-under-par 210.

At another Second Stage tournament in McKinney, Texas, Tom Whitney of Fort Collins shot himself back into the running for a Final Stage position with a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 on Thursday. Following rounds of 74-76 on Tuesday and Wednesday, the former Air Force Academy golfer stands in 31st place at 1-under 215. The top 20 finishers and ties on Friday will advance to the Final Stage, and Whitney is now four strokes out of the 20th spot.

The Final Stage of Web qualifying is scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz. There, all the finishers will be guaranteed some Web.com Tour status in 2018, but the top 45 and ties there will earn exempt status of varying degrees, while the rest will have conditional status.

Last week, Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch punched his ticket to the Final Stage by winning a Second Stage tournament in Murrieta, Calif.

Here are the scores for all the Coloradans competing this week:

McKinney, Texas (Top 20 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
31. Tom Whitney, Fort Collins 74-76-65–215

Plantation, Fla. (Top 20 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
19. Jim Knous, Littleton 67-70-70–207
32. A.J. Morris, Aspen 74-67-69–210
64. Former CU golfer Justin Bardgett 71-74-73–218