Monday Qualifiers: John Deere Classic

Kurt Slattery has dreamt for years about playing in the John Deere Classic. He realized his goal Monday in a manner that he likely never could have imagined. Slattery eagled the par-5 18th at Pinnacle Country Club to shoot 67 in Monday’s qualifier and get in a seven-man playoff for the final spot in his hometown TOUR event, which he earned by holing out from 44 yards to eagle the first extra hole. WATCH- The @JDCLASSIC “Magic” strikes early at the JDC Qualifier! Kurt Slatery’s story is simply awesome @clairp53 @andrewjlehman pic.twitter.com/ZGE7XCNjHG— Matt Randazzo (@MattRandazzo) July 11, 2017 “It’s a dream come true,â€� Slattery told WQAD. “When I was a kid, I would always picture myself getting in the John Deere Classic and trying to play against the best players in the world.â€� Slattery went to Rockridge High School, which is about 35 minutes from TPC Deere Run. He played college golf at Western Illinois and is now an assistant pro at the site of Monday’s qualifier, Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. Slattery also gives lessons at TPC Deere Run. This was Slattery’s eighth consecutive trip to the tournament’s qualifier. “Standing on the 18th tee when I was 3 under par, I knew I had to make eagle to do it,â€� he told the Quad City Times. “And I did it. And to cap it off by holing out on the playoff was truly a dream come true. I’m in complete shockâ€� Three players shot 66 to share medalist honors in Monday’s qualifier, including former PGA TOUR member Cliff Kresge and new pro Sam Horsfield. Matt Lee, of Cave Creek, Arizona, also fired 66. Kresge, who posted two third-place finishes in seven PGA TOUR seasons, has made just one start since the end of the 2010 season. The 48-year-old made his last start on the Web.com Tour, where he is a three-time winner, in 2014. Horsfield, who turned pro this year after his sophomore season at the University of Florida, has missed the cut in two TOUR starts as a pro. The 20-year-old won the 2016 Phil Mickelson Award as the NCAA freshman of the year. Lee, 23, has missed the cut in three starts on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2017. He completed his career at the University of Pacific in 2016. Former PGA TOUR winner Matt Bettencourt was among the seven players to take part in Monday’s playoff with Slattery, along with Justin Bryant, Steven Ihm, Sean McCarty, Jack Newman and Aron Price. 2016-17 Monday qualifiers Qualifiers: 75 Made cut: 22 (29.3%) Top-25s: 4 (5.3%) Top-10s: 0 Top finishes this season T11. Keith Mitchell, Valspar Championship T17. Oscar Fraustro, OHL Classic at Mayakoba T17. J.T. Poston, Genesis Open T23. Andres Gonzales, Shell Houston Open The Greenbrier Classic qualifiers T64. Dan Obremski, 69-70-71-71 MC. Y.E. Yang, 69-75 MC. Clayton Portz, 78-73 MC. Ryan Zylstra, 80-73

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