After all the emotion in ending 27=years on the DP World Tour career last month in South Korea and Dane Søren Kjeldsen was smiling broadly in storming his way to a stunning victory at the PGA Tour Champions Final Qualifying event in Phoenix, Arizona.
Kjeldsen, who turns 50 next May, was the best player over eight rounds, firstly at the initial stage of qualifying when he finished top of the board in Mississippi and he carried that good form into final qualifying posting a closing 66 to finish top qualifier by eight shots for an even more impressive 24-under tally in the host Champions course at TPC Scottsdale.
His effort was the lowest total score since Q-School Final Stage returned to 72 holes (from 108 holes) in 2006.
As well, Kjeldsen’s eight-stroke triumph is the largest margin of victory in Final Stage history, bettering a seven-stroke victory by Bob Gilder in 2000.
Kjeldsen, who co-led after the first round, held the lead by two after the second round and by three after the third round before matching the low round of the day on Friday.
TEARS TO CHEERS …..
After all the emotion ending his 27-year #DPWT career & Soren Kjeldsen was all storming to a record-setting 8⃣-shot 2⃣4⃣-under at 2025 @ChampionsTour FQ @tpcscottsdale
Read: https://t.co/8RWt8VRO3n
PGACT/DPWT
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/KBPl3xQ5iA
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) December 7, 2024
“This week has been incredible,” Kjeldsen said. “Yesterday morning when I started out, I was really nervous. I actually had a good warm-up today and was a little bit calmer, but the first few holes were playing tough, so I was a little on edge. I wanted it so badly.”
Kjeldsen, who also medaled at last month’s First Stage Q-School site at Grand Bear Golf Club in Mississippi, had his son Emil caddying for him all week.
“This is a week I’ll never forget,” Kjeldsen said. “It’s probably some of the best golf I’ve ever played. It’s been such a special moment for the two of us.”
Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson, who turned 50 in September, finished runner-up at 16-under, playing with fellow European Kjeldsen in all four rounds.
“Nothing was easy out there for me today,” said Jacobson, who closed with 71 after opening 65-66-66. “It was just a matter of hanging in there and luckily, I played well the last couple holes to secure it. I haven’t competed that much lately, so I definitely had nerves today.”
Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar and Brendan Jones shared third place at 14-under to earn their PGA TOUR Champions cards for 2025. They are each fully exempt into open, full-field events next year. Walker, 57, has made 20 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
Aguilar, who turned 50 last month, was the medalist at last month’s First Stage Q-School at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club in Florida, where he won by eight strokes. Jones, who turns 50 on Mar. 3, 2025, joins the recent Australian contingent to earn Champions Tour status via Q-School with four players from last year’s class (December 2023) and two players from the previous year’s Final Stage (December 2022).
Dicky Pride, Scott Barr and Andre Stolz tied for sixth at 13-under, one stroke out of a playoff that would’ve been for 2025 status on the Champions Tour. Players who finished sixth to 30th at Q-School are eligible to play in open qualifiers in 2025.
Top five finishers at Q-School (Final Stage)
1. Søren Kjeldsen
2. Freddie Jacobson
3. Mark Walker
4. Felipe Aguilar
5. Brendan Jones
