ALUMNI UPDATE – CHARLIE BELJAN, EIGHT OTHERS SURVIVE Q-SCHOOL FINAL STAGE
Posted in Alumni News, Tour News
By Ryan Woodcock
The six-day hell that is the final stage of PGA TOUR Q-School has ended, and after the dust settled, nine of the 29 players that earned 2012 PGA TOUR cards were Gateway Pro Tour players, including our own Charlie Beljan, who was a 2011 member playing his fourth season on the Gateway Pro Tour.
The magic number for final stage came in at 8-under 424, and the highest finisher among GPT players was Bobby Gates, who finished T3 at 15-under par. He shot a blistering 6-under 66, the low round for the sixth and final round, for his huge jump to third place.
Technically, two GPT players (Roberto Castro and Mark Anderson) already had secured 2012 TOUR cards for finishing in the Top-25 on the Nationwide Tour this season, but they went through Q-School anyway, and finished T13 and T24, respectively, to help improve their eligibility standing for 2012.
Other former GPT players who earned TOUR cards include Tommy Biershenk (T5 at 14-under), Brian Harman (T8 at 13-under), William McGirt (T13 at 11-under), Daniel Summerhays and Edward Loar (T18 at 10-under).
That brings us to Beljan. He finished a respectable T13 at 11-under par, so it would seem that it was a routine final stage final round. But ask Beljan how the last round went and he will tell you that nothing is routine at Q-School final stage.
“The first four rounds I really went out there with the intention of just playing golf,” Beljan said from California the day after earning his first PGA TOUR Card. “But things got a little tense in the last two rounds, and by the time I got to the 15th hole on the last day, I literally almost freaked out.”
He was told at the 14th hole that he was probably one shot above the cut-off mark, but when he got to 15 he found out he actually had about three shots to play with and still make the cut. So that should have calmed his nerves, right?
“Actually, you would think that, but it didn’t help one bit,” he said. “Seriously, I can’t even put into words what I was thinking, what was going thru my head, or how I was feeling. I’ve never been that nervous in my life… I really had to concentrate just to walk and talk, let alone hit a golf ball.”
He said that his playing partner, Tommy Biershenk, helped to calm him down.
“I started to back off my shots and I think Tommy could tell I was nervous,” he said. “He just told me to relax and calm down.”
Despite his near nervous breakdown, Beljan managed to birdie the par-5 15th, and he finished out with pars on the final three holes. But he didn’t feel safe until he got the ball in the cup on 18.
“The 18th is a strong finishing hole, and you have to carry some water, so I didn’t feel safe,” he said. “I carried the water and went a little long, and finished with a nice up-and-down for par. At that point I felt like I was okay.”
Little did he realize that putt did have some importance, it actually moved him up another 10 or so spots in ranking order, something that is extremely important when trying to get into tournaments in 2012.
“I’m actually glad that I didn’t know that, I didn’t want any more pressure,” he said.
The conditions made it tough on the players, as each day alternated between a nice calm day to a day with winds near 30 mph and gusts up to 40-45 mph. He shot four rounds in the 70s, and took advantage of the nicer days with a 66 in the third round and a 68 in the fifth round.
While the pressure is off and Beljan can feel breathe a deep sigh of relief, there is still a lot of work to do. He and the others who advanced spent eight hours with PGA TOUR officials the day after, going through orientation and signing paperwork.
“Honestly, I didn’t care, I was just glad that I didn’t have to play golf today, and I think everyone else was as well,” he said laughing. “We were all so mentally and physically drained, that not one of us asked a single question during that eight hour session.”
It’s a dream come true for Beljan, who was born and raised in Mesa and played at Red Mountain High School before moving on to play collegiately at the University of New Mexico. Beljan, who has been a member on Gateway Pro Tour since 2007, had a solid year on the GPT, winning two events and recording a number of Top-10s, finishing
third overall on the money list.
“I played well, but I think there were a couple of other chances to win and I wasn’t able to get the ball in the hole,” he said.
This was his fifth attempt at Q-School, and the first time advancing to the final stage. He had made second stage in all of his first four attempts.
“I’ve played pretty well at Q-School, but just haven’t gotten over the hump,” he said.
Beljan did make a couple of risky moves in his fifth try. For starters, his caddy (Nick Craig) never looped for him before until the first round of first stage. Craig is the first assistant pro at Alta Mesa Golf Club, the same course that Beljan uses to practice.
“We’ve practiced out there at Alta Mesa and played some rounds, but he’s never been my caddy,” Beljan said. “But Nick is energetic and has a great positive attitude, and I thought he would be good to help me not just with my golf game, but the mental aspect as well. Nick was huge for me.”
The other move was with his putter. After talking to friend and former GPT player Aaron Watkins, who finished on the number at 2008 Q-School to earn his PGA TOUR card, Beljan decided to make a switch.
“I asked Aaron what was the key for him in getting through Q-School, and he said it was his putting, he didn’t miss a single putt inside six feet,” Beljan said. “So before the start of final stage I made a putter change and went cross-handed and only missed one putt inside six feet.”
A couple of gutsy moves, but they appeared to pay off for Beljan.
“I don’t know if I would say it was gutsy, it was just a couple of hunches I had, but yea, I guess you could say they both definitely paid off,” he said.
So what now for Beljan?
“Well, there is a lot of paperwork to look over and sign, and I would love to take some time off, but the season starts soon, so I need to work on my game,” he said.
Beljan is targeting that second tournament of the season, the Sony Open in Hawai’i (Jan. 13-16) as his debut on the PGA TOUR, and hopes to get off to a strong start.
“I’m pretty confident that I will get into the Sony field, and if I play well, I can continue playing tournaments on the West Coast Swing,” he said. “The Waste Management Phoenix Open is right in my backyard at the end of January, and I’d love to be in the field.”
What a great story, and great way to show the true pressure of Q-School. Beljan finished in the middle of the pack among the golfers who advanced, yet he was the most nervous he had ever been in his life. We all hear the stories about how nerve-wracking Q-School is, but like Beljan said, it’s hard to put into words.
“There is a reason the PGA TOUR players say they never want to go back to Q-School, and I completely agree,” Beljan said. “The intensity and pressure I felt this week can’t compare to anything I’ve dealt with, and until you’ve been in it, you can’t understand it. But I have a better appreciation now for all those who have made it through Q-School, and I think this experience will make me a better golfer. But I agree, I never want to go back.”
The PGA TOUR season is finally in the books, and yet, it’s only a few weeks before the 2012 golf season tees it up in January. We can’t emphasize enough how proud we are of all our current and former players who have given it their all this season. A special congrats to those who just survived and advanced through all stages of Q-School, especially to Charlie Beljan, who showed that the dream of making the PGA TOUR is possible. This year he was grinding it out on the Gateway Pro Tour, and in just a month he will most likely be teeing it up in Hawai’i with the best players in the world at the Sony Open.
Thanks to all of you for your support of the Gateway Pro Tour and for checking in with us. We look forward to another great season on the GPT, as well as following all of our alumni on the PGA TOUR and the Nationwide Tour.
Happy holidays everyone and we’ll see you in 2012!
