Even after a jarring 76 opening round, Rob Oppenheim, the pride of Andover and Indian Ridge Country Club, nearly earned his place on the 2012 PGA Tour at Tour School qualifying in La Quinta, California. Rob finished T-38 after the six-round marathon, shooting 76-71-68-74-69-68 for 426, three shots out of the 25th and final slot for a berth on the Big Show. But Oppenheim was far from discouraged. He still has the Nationwide Tour — no small stuff — to set his sights on for the new season.
It was a long week, especially after I started with 76, but I knew there was lots of golf to play, where I could catch up, and I pretty well caught up all the way.
“Am I discouraged? Definitely not. It was a good learning experience, dealing with the pressure. I expect it will make me a better player for 2012, hopefully get me on the PGA Tour for 2013 without going to Q-School.”
That would be by finishing in the top 25 money wnners next season, ideally in the top 10. Best scenario of all? Oppenheim could win three times on the Nationwide and earn what they call a battlefield promotion (automatic and immediate entry onto the biggest Tour of them all).
Rob was five over after four holes in the 108-hole test. He played the last 104 holes in 11 under par. He seemed to be in gear when he shot 71 and 68 in rounds 2 and 3, but a 74 in round 4 under windy conditions, as in round 1, doomed him.
“Coming to 18 in that fourth round I was even for the day, but I made double bogey from the middle of the fairway 140 yards from the green,” Oppenheim related. “A very bad mistake that shouldn’t have happened.”
Rob knows better days are ahead, starting long before he tees it up in the opening Nationwide event in 2012. He’s getting married New Year’s Eve in Florida. Need we say more. It will indeed be a great 2012 for Rob Oppenheim. It’s simply up to him to determine how great.