As one of only two men to make it through all three stages of the Qualifying School process, Daniel Woltman will be the latest American to ply his trade on The European Tour in 2015, after a nerve-wracking finish to the gruelling six round marathon at PGA Catalunya Resort.
Walking up his 108th hole, a gentle dog-leg par four from left to right measuring a daunting 478 yards, the scoreboard at the ninth told the Wisconsin native one thing – a closing birdie was required if he were to have any chance of making the top 25 and ties that would earn their card.
It is in situations like that – the kind of win or bust scenarios that Woltman might well find himself in during his rookie campaign on the top tier – that are often the making of any sportsman, but the 28 year old proved his mettle, knocking it onto the green to set up the closing three he needed.
Now, all that remained to be seen was whether it would indeed be good enough.
Cue nigh on two hours of trepidation as he agonised over each and every permutation of the various scores as they were posted, hoping his seven under par total had indeed done the job.
Then, with just a few groups left on the demanding Stadium Course and the qualifying mark no longer in a constant state of flux, it was official.
He might have only just made the four round cut on the number, but consecutive three under par scores of 69 to finish proved just the ticket as he earned the penultimate place on offer in The 2015 Race to Dubai.
So after two years out following wrist surgery, it would all work out well in the end for Woltman, who said: “It took a lot of work to get here, coming through all three stages to get this card, but I’m really excited right now, even though the work has just begun, that’s for sure.
“I thought seven under would be good enough at the start of the day, but then it moved up to eight, and when I was walking up my last hole I saw it on the board. So I said, ‘let’s just roll this putt in, make birdie and hope seven is good enough,’ and I did.
“I’m just thankful that I’m going to have the opportunity to play alongside some of the best players in the world and see some of the coolest countries and cities around, so it’s going to be fun.
“I just want to get out there and play every week, but it will just be nice to have a card and get at least 20 starts, which is exciting. It’s not just about getting into qualifiers and trying to get into events that way anymore.”
The form of Woltman in Girona marked the continuation of the play he demonstrated a few years prior whilst still a member of the unpaid ranks, during a period in which he won the coveted North East Amateur in 2009 en route to a top ten position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Since turning professional he has been blighted by injury, but now back to full health and fighting fit having spent much of 2014 plying his trade on the OneAsia circuit, the Georgia resident is now ready to try and cash in on his amateur promise.
“When I played in the First Stage it was actually my first time in Europe, so I don’t know any guys over here yet, but I’m still really looking forward to it,” said Woltman, who picked the game up from both his Father and Uncle at the age of two having grown up on a golf course, before attending the University of Wisconsin some years later.
“It feels like a fresh start for me now, as I had gone to play in Asia this year after I just decided to go look for opportunities to play around the globe. I enjoyed my time over there but heard so many good things about The European Tour that I decided to come and give this thing a go, and I’m really excited that I did.
“People at home have been telling me that I’m good enough, I just needed a good break and to get out there playing competitively again, and this is the start of my opportunities for the future hopefully."
This season is therefore sure to be an exciting time in the burgeoning professional career of Woltman, as he looks forward to teeing it up on the range alongside a particular Spaniard who he has always admired since seeing him up close a decade ago.
“I think Sergio is my idol,” he said. “I watched him hit balls at the 2004 US PGA Championship (at Whistling Straits, won by Vijay Singh) and it was one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. What he can do with a golf ball is incredible, so hopefully this year I can stand next to him on the range and try and emulate what he’s doing.”
