DAYTON -- For brothers Bobby and Tom Kalinowski, Dayton Valley isn't the proper stage for a good ole' fashioned family rivalry. Maybe that will come during a Buy.com Tour event this year. Or, if the second and final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School unfolds for the two Arizona residents like the first stage, maybe even a PGA Tour event.
"We're playing the golf course, not each other," said Bobby, who shot a 1-over 73 on Thursday, giving him a three-day total of 211, one shot back of his brother. "I'm definitely rooting for him though. We've played practice rounds (in a tournament) before but this isn't a tournament where we're playing against each other. We just both want to move in this thing."
The top 21 qualifying scores and ties will advance to second stage of Q-school, with the final stage being held Dec. 4-9 at the PGA West Stadium and Nicklaus Courses in La Quinta, Calif. The current cut off is 214 or 2-under. The first two days the cut off was 1-under, a sign the players are growing more confident with the course.
Current leader Brett Bingham, along with five others, shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday, the lowest score of the week. Thirty-three players had rounds under par yesterday and 12 players shot in the 60s.
Washoe Valley's Steve Sear continued his steady play, firing a 2-under 70 to give him a three-day total of 213, which would advance him to the second stage for the second consecutive year.
For Bobby Kalinowski, he isn't sure what number it will take to qualify.
"Just shoot under par and get out of here. I think that should do it."
Players who are sitting at 218 (2-over) conceivably have a chance of advancing, but a round in the 60s will probably be the only way. If the wind stays calm as it did on Thursday, it's certainly possible.
One player who took advantage of the prime conditions was Luis Assemat, who was one of those six players to shoot 66 on Thursday. Assemat, who shot an 80 in the first round, fired 69 in the second round to get himself to 1-under in a what has been the most amazing turn around this week.
Bobby Kalinowski, who was at 6-under going into Thursday's round, could of all but clinched a spot at one of six regional sites which host the second stage of qualifying. Instead, his putter betrayed him all day and will only have to put together a solid round today to ensure himself of advancing.
"I played all right," Bobby said. "I bogeyed No. 2 and No. 11, the two easiest holes on the course. Today I actually hit the ball better than the first two days. I just didn't put that well. I missed 12 putts inside eight feet. I literally lipped out 8, 9 times today."
Tom Kalinowski, meanwhile, shot a 3-under 69 and is four shots back of the lead.
Golf has always seemed to take the brothers to similar venues. Bobby, 30, played his college golf at the University of Colorado, where he was a two-time All American and became the only Colorado player other than Hale Irwin to be named the Big 8 Conference player of the year.
Tom, 33, played at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. Both have been figures on the Buy.com Tour, although Tom has had the best run of the two. He has earned almost $13,000 on tour this year and has top 10 finish, tying for ninth at the Samsung Canadian PGA Championship. Tom's best ever finish was in 2000, when he finished tied for second at the Lakeland Classic. He was also medalist at the 1999 first stage qualifying at Dayton, winning by eight strokes. He is 33.
Bobby has only entered two tournaments this year and has missed the cut at both of them.