By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Returning sophomore men's golfer Anders Larson is all set to represent Tennessee Tech and the purple and gold on the PGA Tour this summer, qualifying as an amateur for the John Deere Classic.
The PGA Tour event is set to run Thursday through Sunday at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. Coverage of the event will be available on the Golf Channel from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT on Thursday and Friday and split on Saturday and Sunday with the Golf Channel airing the event from noon to 1:30 p.m. and CBS providing coverage from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days.
Larson competed in his first PGA Tour qualifier Monday morning, teeing off in the first group at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Ill. Needing to secure a top-four finish among a field of more than 90 golfers, the Pine Island, Minn. native went to work and delivered arguably the best round of his young career.
Rolling off nine birdies in his 18-hole round, the youngster turned in a 7-under 65 putting himself in line for a long wait as the remaining scores trickled in throughout the day. Following a wait of approximately six hours, Larson finally learned he had placed in the top four of the Qualifier, qualifying for his first career PGA Tour event.
His performance on the back nine was exceptional, as the Golden Eagle fired a mark of 6-under over the final nine holes in the do-or-die round. Larson birdied each of the final five holes to secure his 65, matching his best round in his rookie campaign in Cookeville.
The Tech golfer officially tied for second in the field with two other competitors and trailed only Reid Martin, a long-time caddie on the PGA Tour, who rides a 10-under 62. Larson tied with Yuto Katsuragawa of Japan, who qualified for last month's US Open, and Kaito Onishi, a USC graduate who has played twice previously on the PGA Tour.
"What an amazing performance by Anders to qualify for the John Deere Classic," Tech head coach Polk Brown expressed. "Getting through a Monday qualifier is so, so difficult. I really can't quantify just how tough it is. He works so hard and we are incredibly excited for the opportunity he has. He is just a great young man and good things happen to good people. We look forward to watching him compete against the best players in the world."
In his first season with the Golden Eagles, Larson played a critical role as a leader, letting his play do the talking while constantly maintaining an incredible attitude. The rookie turned in a 74.42 scoring average, tying for second on the team, while competing in all but one of the team's events during the season. His play earned him a spot on both the All-OVC Team and OVC All-Newcomer Team.
At the Big Blue Intercollegiate, Larson erupted for a 6-under 65 in the final round, tying for the fifth-lowest score in school history and setting the program's freshman single-round scoring mark. He fired a season-low 213 at the event. He also earned a top-10 finish at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate. Following the season, Brown named Larson the team's Bobby Nichols Award for Leadership winner.
File photo by OVC Media Relations
