Monday Qualifying on the PGA Tour is a day for dreamers, and that was certainly the case for George Duangmanee, a native of Fairfax, Va., who arrived in Myrtle Beach without the benefit of status on any professional tour.
The 2024 University of Virginia graduate advanced through pre-qualifying to earn his place in the Monday Q at
TPC Myrtle Beach,
joining a field of 70 vying to earn one of four spots in this week’s
OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic.
Playing in just his third Monday Q, Duangmanee didn’t squander his opportunity.
He bogeyed the par-4 first hole, but caught fire on No. 3, the first of four consecutive birdies, to go out in 33. Despite a bogey on the par-3 13th, Duangmanee stayed hot on the back nine, making birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 while making an eagle 3 on the par-5 14th hole to shoot 66, good enough to earn him a spot in his first PGA Tour event.
“Ball striking was probably my biggest strength out here,” he said. “I wasn’t really struggling off the tee, which is possible to do out here. (I hit) fairways and greens, and then I just happened to roll in a few putts.”
Alex Duncan (York, S.C.) won the Monday Q, shooting a blistering 65 that featured four back nine birdies and an eagle. Randall Hudson (New Bern, N.C.) matched Duangmanee’s 66 to punch his ticket into the tournament. Zach Reuland (Rock Hill, S.C.) shot a 67 and then earned the final spot in the Myrtle Beach Classic field by making a par 5 on TPC’s 18th hole to defeat Steven Dilisio (Swampscott, Mass.) in a sudden death playoff.
Going low is a prerequisite for success in a Monday Qualifier, but as opposed to creating pressure, it relieves stress for Duangmanee.
“I just know that if you don’t shoot five or six (under par), you have no chance of qualifying,” he said. “That kind of takes a little bit of the pressure off, knowing that you can just fire at every pin.”
Now, the former Cavalier will tee it up alongside the game’s best, chasing his dream not just on a Monday, but under the bright lights of the PGA Tour.
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@MyrtleBeachGolfTrips
