Canada’s Ziggy Nathu Among Players To Watch At The U.S. East 2 Q-School
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- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2022-03-07
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida — In the second of its seven 2022 Qualifying Tournaments, PGA TOUR Canada moves approximately four hours north from Weston, Florida, to the Mission Inn Resort and Club here. Mission Inn’s El Campeon Course is a well-known site for both PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Qualifying Tournaments. It has previously hosted five PGA TOUR Canada qualifiers, with Luis Gagne (2021), Isaiah Salinda (2020), John Coultas (2019), Dawson Armstrong (2018) and Jake Knapp (2017) emerging as medalists. The 72-hole, Tuesday-to-Friday qualifier that will help establish this season’s Tour membership begins March 8 and will be held simultaneously with the event in Dothan, Alabama.
Here are five players to watch this week at the no-cut Qualifying Tournament in what has been coined “The Florida Alps.”
AUSTIN HITT
Longwood, Florida, United States
Growing up less than an hour from this site, Hitt has consistently played well at Mission Inn. The University of North Carolina graduate finished just behind Davis Shore at last year’s November PGA TOUR Latinoamérica qualifier. Six months earlier, in March, playing as an amateur, he missed earning a full Forme Tour exemption by finishing alone in seventh. He was, however, able to shoot a best-of-the-tournament, 7-under 65 on the final day of competition to earn a conditionally exempt status last summer.
GRAYSEN HUFF
Eagle, Idaho, United States
The Auburn alum turned pro in 2021, and in his first PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event he Monday-qualified into The Club at Weston Hills Open. Huff made the most of his opportunity, opening 66-67 to sit in a tie for fifth, two shots off Brandon Matthews’ 36-hole lead. He then recorded two additional sub-par rounds—70-68—to tie for fifth with a 17-under 271, marking what would be his season-best finish. Huff returned to the U.S. in late summer to play in four Forme Tour events, making the cut in three, before heading back onto the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica scene for the start of 2021-22 season. In the second event, the Scotia Wealth Management Chile Open presented by Volvo, Huff tied for 20th.
ZAAHIDALI “ZIGGY” NATHU
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Nathu turned professional in 2019 after completing his collegiate golf career at the University of British Columbia. In only his third professional start, he won an event on the Vancouver Golf Tour. Despite a shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19, Nathu competed in the Canada Life Series, making three out of four cuts and finishing 12th at the final event at TPC Toronto. In 2021, he made six of eight cuts, with two top-10 finishes to close the season, landing 31st on the for Canadian-residents-only PGA TOUR Canada Points List. In late-November 2021, he recorded a tie for 15th at the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Qualifying Tournament in Argentina to earn conditional status for the 2021-2022 season, where he has since been competing.
DAVIS SHORE
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Shore won the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica qualifier at Mission Inn last November, but due to a strong nor’easter, officials reduced the tournament to 54 holes and declared Shore the winner. With a strong third-round 64, he won the title by two strokes and earned exemption into every 2021-22 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournament. Since then, the 23-year-old has played in three events in Latin America, with his best finish, a tie for 29th at the Scotia Wealth Management Chile Open presented by Volvo in mid-December.
MOTIN YEUNG
Hong Kong
Yeung is a Korn Ferry Tour veteran, playing in both 2019 and again in 2020-21. In his rookie Korn Ferry Tour season, Yeung played in 16 tournaments, recording six cuts. He earned entry into his first via a Monday qualifier and made his first Korn Ferry Tour start at the LECOM Suncoast Classic. The Duke University grad then went on to shoot four rounds in the 60s to tie for seventh, recording a season-best showing. At the end of 2019, he also played two events on PGA TOUR Series-China, winning his second career tournament on that circuit, in Zhuzhou.