Golf: Tataurangi makes five on Tour

WEST PALM BEACH - Phil Tataurangi booked his United States PGA Tour card for next year despite lurching through the final hole with a triple bogey on the last day of qualifying school in Florida yesterday.

The New Zealander shot a final-round, one-under 71 for a six-round total of 18-under 414 at the Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.

It left him tied with eight others for 23rd, just one shot above the cutoff score of 415 after starting the day tied for 15th. The top 35 and ties gained full exempt status on the PGA Tour next year.

Tataurangi, whose previous three rounds were 68 or better, had started the day tied for 15th.

His up-and-down final round included an eagle of the par-five third hole then a seven on the par-four 18th.

He was in historic company on his total of 414, with 17-year-old Ty Tryon from Orlando shooting a final-round 66 to become the youngest player to earn his PGA Tour card.

Tataurangi's effort means a record five New Zealanders will have their Tour cards next year.

He will be joined by Grant Waite, Frank Nobilo and Craig Perks, who retained their cards this year, and Michael Long, who qualified via the second-tier Buy.com Tour.

The news was not good yesterday for the other New Zealander in the qualifying school, Steven Alker of Hamilton.

Starting the day tied for 50th, Alker was even on the front nine and hit birdies on the 12th, 15th and 18th to shoot a three-under 69.

It left him tied for 42nd on a 15-under total of 417, two shots adrift of the top 35.

Tryon, a junior in high school, made one of the most gruelling tests in golf look like child's play. He never came close to a bogey and wound up with the score he thought he needed to reach the big leagues.

With several players still on the course, Tryon was tied for 24th at 18-under-par 414 after six rounds.

"I'm going to go to bed tonight and realise I'm on the PGA Tour," Tryon said.

He will have to wait a little while longer.

The PGA Tour policy board passed a rule in September that players must be 18 to become members.

Tryon will be allowed to play seven tournaments under a sponsor's exemption and can play up to 12 events until June 2, when he turns 18.

Those were minor details. All that mattered on a breezy day in south Florida was that a kid who last year was in junior golf played well enough to earn his place alongside Tiger Woods and David Duval on the toughest tour in the game.

Tryon rarely showed emotion throughout the final round, considered one of the most pressure-packed in golf because of what is at stake.

His family followed him throughout the round - two younger brothers and a sister, none of whom play golf, and his parents, who turned him loose when he showed he was determined to skip college and join the pros.

"I was very pensive watching destiny play itself out," said his father, Bill Tryon.

"He's got a lot of heart. All he needed was someone to tell him he couldn't do it."

Meanwhile, double Australian Open champion Aaron Baddeley was among the highest-profile casualties yesterday and seems headed to the European Tour.

Baddeley not only failed to win his card to the main tour but also missed out on earning fully exempt status on the secondary tour.

It was widely expected that if Baddeley earned his card for the Buy. Com Tour, he would spend a year on it in an effort to finish in the top 15 on the money list, earning a spot on the PGA Tour in 2003.

Baddeley needed to finish no worse than 81st yesterday to gain full status on the secondary tour, but a final-round 78 left him languishing equal 130th at two-under 430.

"I'll probably go to Europe," he said. "I'm looking forward to a break, not playing this game for a while.

"Then I'll try to go out next year and play well. The good thing about Europe is I can take time off."

Baddeley, who was born in the US, has always indicated a desire to play the US Tour as soon as possible, rather than take the scenic route there via Europe.

He will still have some exempt status on the secondary American Tour, and if he plays well early in the year he will have little trouble getting into subsequent tournaments.

- AGENCIES