Today we take a look at one Kent Jones on the PGA Tour.




I looked him up after seeing that he got off to a good start this week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His bio says he's 5 foot 8 and 150 and turned pro in 1992. I had never heard of him.

quote:

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Main Entry: per·sis·tent
Pronunciation: -t&nt
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin persistent-, persistens, present participle of persistere
1 : existing for a long or longer than usual time or continuously: as a : retained beyond the usual period <a persistent leaf> b : continuing without change in function or structure <persistent gills> c : effective in the open for an appreciable time usually through slow volatilizing <mustard gas is persistent> d : degraded only slowly by the environment <persistent pesticides> e : remaining infective for a relatively long time in a vector after an initial period of incubation <persistent viruses>
2 a : continuing or inclined to persist in a course b : continuing to exist in spite of interference or treatment <a persistent cough>
- per·sis·tent·ly adverb

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[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 4/5/2013 9:30a).]

If you dare, look at the road he's traveled since '92:

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/1992.html

He got his masters in Business in '92 and then tried to qualify for one PGA Tour event I guess.

His bio picks it up there:

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Traveled with his wife and dog for three years in recreational vehicle while playing the Canadian Tour (1993-94) and the Hooters Tour (1995). Finally sold the truck after putting more than 200,000 miles on it.

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[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 2/12/2005 9:16a).]

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/29/2007 10:56a).]

In '93 he made the money in two Nike Tour events for a grand total of $846 (choking a last round 81 in one for 48th place).

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/1993.html

In '94 he was cut in two Nike Tour events.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/1994.html

In '95 after a season on the Hooters Tour he decided to try for the bigtime - Q School. 5 rounds of pure misery except for the lucky few who make it through. He was cut after round 4.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/1995.html


But this sets the stage for the next step: a fulltime gig on the Nike Tour.

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/29/2007 10:55a).]

Ah, more misery on the Nike Tour in '96. The dude gets cut in his first six (6) events!

He goes on to play in 25 events, making the cut in 10 events and posting 1 top ten for a grand total of $14,830 in earnings.

Is that the end of the line? Does our hero cash in his chips and get a real job? No, my friends he goes to Q-School again.

And makes the cut and gets 60th place which is good for pretty much nothing I guess when you're already on the Nike Tour.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/1996.html

1997. Was he thinking this was the make or break year? He's 5 or 6 years out of college and has so far been pretty much a miserable failure at his golf dream. What's his wife thinking?

He plays in 27 events and makes the cut in 17. He finishes out the year making the cut 5 straight times along with a career best 2nd place. He cashes in for over $45,000 in earnings. That December he goes to Q-School again and ties for 9th! Great rejoicing in the Kent Jones household. 1998 will be his rookie year on the PGA Tour.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/1997.html


[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/29/2007 10:54a).]

1998 - The Bigtime.

29 events - cut 12 times for $133,339 in earnings. Not enough to keep his card so back to Q-school where he shoots a final round 64 to place 35th and keep his card. I guess once you have your card that's high enough to place to keep it on some kind of conditional basis - I dunno.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/1998.html

1999

26 events played and seven (7) made cuts! Our hero earns a mere $64,000 and places 90th in Q-school so it's back to the Nike Tour for him.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/1999.html





[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/9/2007 12:12p).]

He would win on the Ugly Man tour.

2000

The dot com boom is here. Buy.com is now the Tour where the PGA Tour rejects go and one Kent Jones is in the muck.

All he does is have the season of his career. 25 events played with not one but 2 victories for a total amount earned of $220,081.

There will be no Q-school for Kent this year as he's earned a PGA Tour card based on his performance during the season.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/results/2000.html

2001

Unfortunately for Kent he gets cut in 11 of his first 12 events on the Big Boy Tour. His lone cash was for 78th place. Does he give up? No. He struggles through and ends up with 7 money finishes in 28 events for $87,000 in winnings.

Back to Q-School. He ties for 32nd. Good enough to retain his card.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/2001.html

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 6/25/2008 1:18p).]

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 3/11/2014 10:11a).]

2002

Tiger Mania is here. Kent Jones is somewhere in the back plugging along.

In his 2nd event of the year he finishes a career best 8th for a cash of $112,000. Has our friend turned the corner? Is he here to stay?

He goes on to play in 33 events, making the cut in 19 of them for a total paycheck of $489,879. He has that lone top ten and 6 top 25s. You would think that would be good enough for a place in the top 125 on the money list and an automatic renewal of his PGA Tour card. Not true.

Back to Q-School for Mr. Jones. He makes the cut and finishes tied for 57th - good enough to retain his card.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/2002.html


[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/9/2007 12:13p).]

2003

23 events played 13 made cuts. $539,000!!!

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2003: Entered the season with conditional status after finishing 131st on 2002 money list...Seven top-25s allowed him to finish inside the the top 125 on the money list for the first time in his career. Finished the season with four consecutive made cuts, moving from 143rd to 122nd during that stretch.

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That, my friends, is clutch.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/2003.html

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/9/2007 12:14p).]

2004

Starts off with a bang getting his 2nd and 3rd career top tens in his first 3 events. Plays in 32 events making the cut in 17 of them for a total of $674,909. Again it comes down to the last event for him to make the top 125.

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Finished inside the top 125 for the second straight season, thanks in part to a T17 at the final full-field event of the season, the Chrysler Championship. Came into the event No. 124 on the money list and improved to No. 119.

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http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/2004.html


[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/9/2007 12:14p).]

Just goes to show you that life in pro golf is probably the hardest in all of pro sports. Only the top 125 on the money list each year keep their card.

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at the final full-field event of the season, the Chrysler Championship. Came into the event No. 124 on the money list and improved to No. 119

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Talk about stress. LAST EVENT you are 124 of 125. If you finish 126 you lose your card. On top of that you have a caddy and probably your caddy's family counting on your for their livelihood as well!

So that leaves us here, in 2005. Kent has had his typical below average start on the season but sits tied for 6th after 2 rounds at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/01/07/33/career/2005.html


BTW Tiger Woods took the week off so his streak of 135 consecutive cuts made (started in 1998) is safe.







[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 2/12/2005 9:14a).]

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/9/2007 12:15p).]

everyone can come out now...it looks like he's done... [/under rock]

He shot a 3 over on the weekend to go from 6th to 30th.

Still a great tourney for our persistent Mr. Kent Jones.

Fascinating. The Sports station in CS always sponsors sone worthless no-name golfer who does spots for them throughout the year. They also update his always lackluster progress in the current event. Billy and Louie should be on this guy. How can you say no to these puppy dog eyes?

In case anybody forgot:

I was entertained...Keep us posted. I'm too lazy to look every week.

Our man Kent Jones looks safe to make the cut this week as he's tied for 36th at 6 under par. Projected cut is -4 with only a few golfers still out on the course.

He took some well deserved time off last weekend and caught some Lobos basketball (if I know Kent Jones).

BTW - New Mexico improved to 20-6 after ending #13 Utah's 18 game winning streak Monday night in Albuquerque.




[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/29/2007 11:02a).]

kent jones' golf instructor resides in lubbock, texas. jesse blackwelder knows golf and is a great teacher. i took lessons from him for about a year and my game improved dramatically. kent will have a break out year soon, and pj and i will be able to say "told you so!"

Buy low, sell high.

(ANYONE can be a fan of one of the rich, good looking, world famous major winners - it takes something special to reach down and find the Kent Jones of the world)

What's his average salary over the years? I may have to go and play some golf here in a couple of years . . .

Either you have fun writing or you have a man-crush on this guy. Either way, it was entertaining.

Make it STOOOOOOP.

For humanity and the love of god. Please.

[This message has been edited by 9T7Ag (edited 2/25/2005 5:15p).]

Kent cashed for $21,300 last week with a tie for 26th.

$78,041 total on the year good for 126th on the money list.

He has made the cut in 4 straight events!

Our favorite no-name golfer is taking it on the chin at Doral today. Tied for 114th with only 6 holes left to play at 1 over par. The cut line is at around 3 under.

Looks like he'll make Senior night Saturday in Albuquerque afterall.

We all have days where we have trouble keeping it up and getting it in? Keep your chin up Kent and go get 'em next week!

Birdied the last two holes to give himself a chance. All he has to do is birdie the next two and hope that the cut line doesn't move up and he'll be in for the weekend!



[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 1/29/2007 11:00a).]

ugly

He didn't make it last week. -1 total means he missed the cut by 2 shots.

Kent takes a well deserved week off and is watching his Lobos take on San Diego St in the Mountain West tourney tonight.








[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 9/28/2005 3:39p).]

[This message has been edited by PJYoung (edited 9/28/2005 3:39p).]