How to Go to Q School

Q School is the commonly used name for the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, an annual qualifying tournament series golfers must compete in in order to earn entrance into the the PGA Tour. Going to Q School requires you to enter into and succeed in Pre-Qualifying-, First-, Second- and Final-Stage qualifying tournaments.

Instructions

    • 1

      Enter one of the five Pre-Qualifying tournaments that occur each year in the United States. The tournaments vary in location, but are generally limited to courses in warm-weather locations. Each of the five tournaments is set over four rounds, with the top 35 to 40 participants advancing to the First Stage.

    • 2

      Finish in the top 25 players in the First Stage tournaments. There are 13 tournaments, typically held in October. All of the tournaments are in warm-weather courses, and they all spread out over four rounds of golf. The participants in the tournament are a mixture of those players who were successful in the Pre-Qualifying tournaments and players who were exempted from Pre-Qualifying tournaments because of previous PGA earnings and participation.

    • 3

      Finish in the top 20 players in the Second Stage tournaments. There are six tournaments, typically held in November. As with the other tournaments so far, these tournaments are held in warm-weather locations, and take place over four rounds of golf. Some players can be pass directly into this stage as well, depending on their earnings in the previous PGA season.

    • 4

      Finish in the top 25 players in the Final Stage tournament. The Final Stage tournament is typically held in late November or early December and, unlike the previous tournament stages, it is held over six rounds.