WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former All-America men’s golfer Brian Bateman shot a 17-under 415 at the PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament this past weekend at Bear Lakes Country Club to earn the final qualifying score and receive his PGA Tour playing card.
The top 35 finishers were awarded their cards at the Q-school competition held Nov. 28-Dec. 2. The tournament decided which players would earn their PGA Tour cards, or their spot on the Buy.Com Tour in 2002. Bateman tied for 32nd place, making him the final player to receive his card in the tournament. Bateman, a three-year letterman for the Tigers in 1993-95 was an All-Southeastern Conference selection in his final three seasons in Baton Rouge and a Third Team All-American in 1996.
Bateman is still third in LSU history with 19 top 10 finishes in his career. He is behind only reining PGA champion David Toms, Rob McNamara, and Emlyn Aubrey.
Four other former LSU golfers participated at the event, including Perry Moss and Emlyn Aubrey.
Aubrey shot a 3-over 435 and finishing tied for 149th place. Aubrey lettered four years for the Tigers in1983-86 and was a two-time All-America selection and a three-time All-SEC selection.
Former Tiger Bob Friend, a teammate of Aubrey’s all four years at LSU, shot a 4-under 228 to place 122nd. Another former Tiger, D.A. Points, missed the cut by two strokes. He finished 42nd, including a low round of 65. Points lettered for LSU in 1996. Aubrey, Friend and Points did not make the cut at the event.
Perry Moss, a letterman for LSU from 1989-91, was a two-time All-SEC selection, including being named the SEC Player of the year in 1991. Moss was named an All-American twice while at LSU. He tied for 54th place at 13-under par.
Ty Tryon, a 17-year-old from California became the youngest player in history to receive his PGA Tour card. The high school junior fired a final-round 66 at the tournament. He will have to wait until June 2, though, to officially join the tour, when he turns 18.