Fort Collins’ AJ Ott earns conditional status on PGA Tour Americas through Q-school, along with former DU golfer John Sand and ex-Colorado Christian University player Sangha Park; Gunnar Broin, who played a season at CSU, gains full Americas card for 2026
By Gary Baines – 3/26/2026
The scoring standards were high if you hoped to earn 2026 status on PGA Tour Americas via Q-school this week.
At the third and fourth Q-school tournaments, which concluded on Friday — after the first two took place last week — double digits under par were required over the 72 holes just to secure conditional status on the circuit this year.
One player with a lifelong connection to Colorado (AJ Ott of Fort Collins) earned a conditional PGA Tour Americas card on Friday. One golfer who played a season at Colorado State University — and was a teammate of Ott’s there — landed a full card: Gunnar Broin. One player who competed at the University of Denver for five years (2017-22) — John Sand of Hoquiam, Wash. — garnered conditional status. And one golfer who teed it up for Colorado Christian University last season as the Cougars were NCAA Div. II national runners-up — Sangha Park — will have conditional status this year.
AJ Ott finished 16th out of 153 players in Indio, Calif. (file photo)
Ott, the 2018 CGA men’s overall Player of the Year, tied for 16th place out of a field that originally numbered 153 in Indio, Calif. He shot four straight under-par rounds — 69-69-70-68 for a 12-under-par total, which left him six strokes behind medalist Berk Harvey of San Jose, Calif. Ott made an eagle and 18 birdies over the four rounds.
Broin landed one of the eight available fully-exempt spots for the 2026 Americas season by tying for sixth place in Indio, then being on the right side of a four-man playoff for three spots. Broin, who finished up his college career at Kansas after transferring from CSU, went 67-68-68-70 to check in at 15 under for the week, making 25 birdies in the process.
The top eight from each Q-school site — ties were played off — earned full cards. Finishers in the ninth through 25th spots, plus ties, receive conditional Americas status in 2026.
Park tied for eighth place at 15 under par in Sugar Land, Texas, but lost in a six-for-one playoff to fall into the conditional category. There, he joined Sand, who shared 21st place. Park made two eagles and 21 birdies en route to scores of 74-68-65-66.
Sand earned one of the final conditional spots in Texas after going into the opposite direction with his rounds — 64-70-70-71 — to check in at 13 under. He carded two eagles and 21 birdies overall.
The season for PGA Tour Americas, a feeder circuit for the Korn Ferry Tour, begins April 16-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In all, the schedule features 15 events.
But before then, the final Q-school tournament will be held next week (March 31-April 3) in San Jacinto, Calif.
The top 10 players on the PGA Tour Americas points list at season’s end will earn 2027 Korn Ferry Tour cards.
PGA TOUR AMERICAS Q-SCHOOL
Indio, Calif. (Top 8 — Ties Play Off — Earn 2026 Card)
Earned Full Status
6. (prevailed in playoff) Former CSU golfer Gunnar Broin 67-68-68-70–273
Earned Conditional Status
16. AJ Ott, Fort Collins 69-69-70-68—276
Failed to Qualify
48. Former Fort Collins resident Matthew Liringis 70-69-69-75–283
55. Connor Jones,. Westminster 71-69-72-72–284
55. Cole Beyer, Grand Junction 70-73-70-71—284
For all the scores from Indio, CLICK HERE.
Sugar Land, Texas (Top 8 — Ties Play Off — Earn 2026 Card)
Earned Conditional Status
8. (Lost playoff) Former Colo. Christian golfer Sangha Park 74-68-65-66—273
21. Former DU golfer John Sand 64-70-70-71–275
Failed to Qualify
39. Former Colo. Christian golfer Xavier Bighaus 68-70-72-68–278
127. Former Coloradan Westin Pals 69-78-78-72–297
147. Branden Barron, Aurora 78-80-78-81—317
For all the scores from Sugar Land, CLICK HERE.
Colorado Golf Journal 