If Jim Rutledge could ever transfer the magic he seems to possess in his final rounds into the first two, the Victoria native could just make a run at a Champions Tour victory.
For now, the 56-year-old is looking at earning his full playing privileges on the senior PGA Tour as he begins the final stage of qualifying school today at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. The four-day grind begins with just five full-time spots available between the 79 players pegging it up.
鈥淲e knew what we were getting into a long time ago,鈥� Rutledge said over the phone this weekend, where he and wife Jill 鈥� who caddies for him 鈥� were arriving in the Phoenix area. 鈥淲e knew it would get tougher.鈥�
Rutledge played with conditional playing privileges on the tour last year, meaning he had to Monday qualify for six of the 14 events he played in.
He is coming off an impressive four-shot win at the Champions Tour regional qualifier at The Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, California, where he posted three straight rounds of 69, followed by a 68. Fellow Victoria product Rick Gibson also qualified for the final stage with rounds of 74, 72, 70, 72.
鈥淚 got into a few events this year, but not near as many as I would have liked,鈥� Rutledge said of the 2015 campaign. 鈥淭he last few weeks I鈥檝e been playing good, but not getting much out of my rounds.鈥�
That changed at regional qualifying.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e had four rounds in the 60s like that,鈥� he said.
Rutledge, a popular Canadian on tour, made just $61,952 in 2015 (ranking 95th), well below his marks of $271,381 and $270,434 in 2013 and 2012. In his two biggest seasons he earned $297,666 in 2011 and $290,201 in 2010. He has totaled $1,346,796 in six years on the Champions Tour.
His scoring average on the final day of events in 2015 was far better than the average, sitting 28th on the tour in which you need to place in the Top 30 in money earned to keep your card. Rutledge averaged 70.58 in his Round 3s throughout the year, well below his opening-round average of 76 and 73.07 in second rounds, ranked 76th and 67th, respectively. His overall average was 73.39.
Rutledge鈥檚 biggest payday this year was $26,663.34 at the Encompass Championship in mid-July when he recorded a solid 8-under 64 in Round 3 to place tied for 18th. He also turned in a tidy 66 in Round 3 at the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary in early August, but he had opened with a 75 and 72.
In other Round 3s he posted a 68 at the ACE Group Classic and 69s at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic and Principal Charity Classic.
He did qualify for the Senior PGA Championship, but missed the cut after shooting 79 and 77 in the opening rounds.
鈥淣ot this week, I鈥檓 going to turn it around,鈥� he said optimistically of improving on sluggish starts. 鈥淪ometimes you push too hard coming out of the gate and once that happens it becomes hard to bounce back and you can鈥檛 catch up.鈥�
It has been opposite for him at qualifying school, however.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a crapshoot, this one. A qualifier is a qualifier 鈥� you鈥檇 like to get in front early,鈥� he said.
And he has done that in the past, finishing no worse than sixth place in his last four Champions Tour Q-schools. Unfortunately, the sixth place came last year in Florida and left him with conditional status, missing out on the fifth and final spot.
He has had great success at the Champions Course at TPC Scottsdale.
鈥淭his has been a favourite place for me over the years,鈥� Rutledge said. 鈥淲e have had good success here.鈥�
And Rutledge isn鈥檛 ready to give up on competitive golf, hoping to compete on the Champions Tour for some time yet.
鈥淚 hope so 鈥� touch wood,鈥� he said.
CHIP SHOTS: The sixth to 12th placings at Q-school will earn conditional status, but this is the final year that the Champions Tour will grant those positions. ... Montana鈥檚 Mike Grob, who won the 2006 sa国际传媒 Open, and Brandt Jobe, who claimed the 1993 Payless Open in Victoria, are also in the field.
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