SAN JACINTO – There was a win to be had on Friday afternoon at Soboba Springs Golf Course in the ASHER Tour’s Soboba Springs Shootout but also learning to be done in preparation for next week’s PGA Tour Canada qualifier. In that event, the winner will earn full 2023 playing privileges with that circuit and an opportunity to chase the Fortinet Cup.
In consecutive starts, Eric Hagen has held the overnight lead just to come up short of victory. At Bear Creek Golf Club on March 28, he struggled to an opening nine of 41 (+5) and fell by a pair of shots to Joshua Matz. For much of last Friday’s round he was the sole leader…using precise iron play to set up short birdies at four and seven and a long bomb from 30 feet to make another birdie at eight.
Hagen made the turn with a three under par round of 33 and held a one or two shot lead for fourteen holes on Friday. He fell back into a tie for the lead after a double bogey seven at the par five 15th hole and missed a playoff by a shot as his attempt to reach the par five 18th in two missed in the greenside penalty area.
“Twelve months ago I was working in an office,” Hagen said. “So to have the overnight lead in back to back starts with so little time back in competitive golf, even coming up short, gives me a lot of confidence heading into next week. I was definitely a lot calmer with the lead this time around then I was at Bear Creek which is a product of reps in that situation and that’s what I take into the next time I have a lead.”
Holes four, five and six are where players expect to make their score on the front nine and Noah Woolsey was no different. The former University of Washington Husky birdied all three holes in that stretch and went out in two under par 34. He’d add another bogey free back nine of 34 to the card with birdies at 11 and 18 to post 68 and wait as Devon Horne, Matt Wilson and Hagen attempted to match him at -8.
After an even par front nine Horne made three birdies in five holes on his back nine to pull within a shot but missed an opportunity for birdie and a playoff at 18. Wilson, the 2019 California State Open Champion, nailed a fairway metal over the back of the green in two at 18 but trailing by two needed an eagle which he wouldn’t get along with Hagen’s misfortune at 18, mentioned above. With those last three threats gone, Woolsey earned his first professional victory and a winner’s check of $5,000.
“I turned pro about nine months ago and had expectations of winning pretty quickly at this level,” Woolsey said. “When things didn’t pan out that way, I had to reset my expectations at the beginning of the year. I was more relaxed this week than I have been and am excited about this win along with next week’s qualifier.”
PGA Tour Canada qualifying begins on Tuesday at Soboba Springs Golf Course and finishes on Friday. Live scoring is available at www.pgatour.com/canada/leaderboard.
Derryl Trujillo can be reached at socaltrekkie@gmail.com.