Frazar fires 59 on way to leading qualifers for 2009 PGA Tour

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Harrison Frazar finished a memorable week that included a 59 by reaching his ultimate goal Monday, closing with a 5-under 67 at the PGA Tour qualifying tournament to lead 28 players who earned their cards for next season.

Frazar, who has played 300 times on the PGA Tour without winning, seized control of Q-school with a 59 in the fourth round Sunday. Even with a double bogey on the final hole of the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West, Frazar won by eight shots.

Frazar finished at 32-under 400.

Derek Fathauer, who made the cut at the U.S. Open this year as an amateur, and James Nitties each closed with a 70 to tie for second.

Typical of Q-school, the drama took place around the cutoff for the top 25 and ties to earn full status on the PGA Tour next year.

Notah Begay, a four-time PGA Tour winner and college teammate at Stanford with Tiger Woods, was one of only two qualifiers who faced the tougher TPC Stadium course in the final round. Two shots below the cut line with four holes to play, Begay ran off three straight birdies for a 67 to make it by one shot.

"Tiger and I always talk about, 'You gotta do what you gotta do.' I was thinking about him the last day," Begay said. "I've got to get this done. Those last three [birdies] out of four holes were great."

Among the newcomers to the tour will be James Oh, who went 68-69 on the weekend and made it with two shots to spare. Oh spoke for the majority of the field at Q-school.

"I've dreamed of winning on the PGA Tour," he said. "But first, you have to get there."