Q & EH?
First off, I've got no idea why it is called qualifying school. If it is was a school, it would be an expensive way to learn at £1750 just for your entry fee. What it is though, is a series of qualifying events to earn playing rights on the European Tour or the European Challenge Tour depending on where you finish. If you manage to make your way through all stages and finish position 1-25 at the final qualifying event then you will have some form of European Tour Card. There's just the 252 holes spread across three stages to deal with first. Simple....
STAGE 1
The first set of qualifiers are spread over four different dates and eight different golf courses. Each course will have around 75-100 players competing for a spot at stage two of qualifying. Of the field at each course, around 20 percent will progress. Every player will play three rounds before the field is cut to those players within 7 shots of the current qualifying mark. If there are 100 players at a venue and there are 20 spots available, the players within 7 shots of that 20th place will play the final round. The others go home with nothing to show for their entrance fee but three rounds of golf. It's tough to deal with, I've been there. The players finishing the fourth round within the allocated spots for second stage will have their slate wiped clean and start again at stage 2.
STAGE 2
I wish I knew more about stage two, but unfortunately I'm pretty inexperienced at this point. Anyway, those who make it through stage one are allocated one of four courses for the second stage of qualifying which is another four round event but with no cut. They are also joined by players who are exempt from first stage due to their current world ranking, their world amateur ranking, ranking from the previous European, Challenge or satellite tours. Again around 20-25% of the field will gain spots into the final stage of qualifying. The quality here is stepped up and so is the pressure to perform.
FINAL STAGE
This year Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain will once again host final stage of Q School. Players who have progressed from stage two are joined by players who were exempt from the first two stages due to their previous ranking. In total, 156 players all vying for one of 25 tour cards. Everyone will play four rounds, which after that point the field is cut to the top 70 and ties. These players then play a further two rounds and at the conclusion if you're in the top 25 you'll earn a European Tour Card. If you finish outside the top 25 you'll gain a category on the Challenge Tour so all is not lost.
From My Point Of View
First stage for me will be at Golf D'Hrdelot in France. There are two course there but I'll be playing Le Pins (the pines) which being true to it's name is lined by tall pine trees. It is such a class place, pretty tight in places but doesn't require driver off every tee so it's very much about position off the tee. The greens are pretty slopey so you have to hit it into the right sections to give yourself chances for birdies and if you can do that then there are definitely birdies out there. It's one of those courses that you just look forward to playing competitively or just a knock with your mates, not that I've ever driven to France for a casual knock and a beer with the lads but you know what I mean. That's half the reason why I selected this course. If you can enjoy the golf course then I think you're more likely to perform. The golf course is set in a forest but it's not too far from the coast which is nice. I like to sit by the sea and think "you are such an idiot Alex, why did you pick that shot". NO! I'm different now, there'll be none of that. Or if there is, I'll probably use a stronger word than idiot.
Now I could sit here and come out with the usual golf spiel. "I'm just going to take it one shot at a time, stay in the present and just enjoy the game".
When In reality it can be a case of "I'm just going to play my best golf, then I'm going to panic and lose the plot if I make a bogey. If I make another bogey I'm going to imagine what it's like to shoot a terrible score and probably launch something at my bag. Then I'll sulk. Cheers".
It's a fine balance between what you should tell yourself versus what you actually do. Saying you'll stick to the process is all well and good but the moment you're faced with some sort of pressure, you're head goes and the next thing you know you're regretting hitting the face of your putter with the palm of your hand and walking round pretending like it didn't really hurt.
I remember when I first turned professional, my first real tournament was in a Europro Tour event at Wychwood Park. I used to think my golf was decent and I'd be confident of shooting under par every time I went out. Wychwood is a tough golf course, especially the back nine. It's long and has a lot of water, the type of golf course that you'd say was stressful to play. I shot 70 in the first round which was 2 under. I came off the golf course kind of flat. In my mind I'd just played ok, nothing special, just ok. I checked the leaderboard at the end of the day and I was in 4th position and two shots off the lead. I remember the feeling. Surprise mixed with 'oh s**t'. I thought it would be a lot tougher but here I was playing what I thought was just ok and it was up there. The next round was greeted with that lovely, stress/anxious/potential head off feeling that there was something to lose and a complete lack of belief that I could do it again. The day before I'd found it easy, but then knowing that was enough to be up there filled me with panic. It wasn't a fear of failure but a fear of doing well. Stupid, makes no sense I know. I went on to three putt the first three holes and lost the plot shooting I think around 79 to miss the cut. To be honest, it's taken a long time to get back to having the level of belief that's required to bring the best out in my own game. Confidence in my own ability and potential has always been there. But playing with confidence has been a huge struggle. After that first event I've had a lot of negative results and it's taken me time to learn how to handle them and actually use those experiences as a positive. At some point, we all get knocks. But dwelling on it doesn't change the result. It only makes you feel absolutely fuming and maybe need to invest in a few new clubs.
Q School, like every other game of golf, is just as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Over the years, I've worked hard on my mindset both on and off the course. Preparing and practicing pre-shot routine, staying in the present and letting go of bad shots is as important as working on not swinging it miles over the top. Don't get me wrong, I can still lose the plot but on the whole I'm in a better place than I have been and no longer a danger to myself and those around me on the golf course.
So my plan for this year's Q School is pretty simple; commit to my routine, commit to the process that I've worked on and when I hit a dodgy one - which I inevitably will - I'll acknowledge it, probably call myself some sort of derogatory name, and move on to the next. At the end of the day, it's just golf but with a bit more on the line. NOW LET'S GET Q IT (yeah, sorry about that).