Staff WriterWhen the stakes are this high,Q-School is no place for nerves. But Sweden’s Oliver Gillberg and America’s Alex Goff looked every bit the picture of calm at INFINITUM, where both men share the lead after round two of the DP World Tour Final Stage.
Gillberg’s bogey-free five-under 66 on the Lakes Course and Goff’s four-under 67 put them neck-and-neck at 11-under for the week — a single stroke ahead of Italian Gregorio de Leo, South African Zander Lombard, Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follett-Smith, and England’s Matthew Baldwin.
It’s a long, unforgiving road to earn a DP World Tour card, and Qualifying School is where dreams either take flight or fizzle. For Gillberg, 29, that dream has been nearly two decades in the making.
“I just tried to focus on the golf shots and the feelings in the swing like yesterday and last week, so I’m happy that the result followed,” said the Swede, who won Second Stage just last week.
“I’ve been thinking about a DP World Tour card for 18 years, so it would be weird if I didn’t right now. I just want to do my best to focus on the thing I can do, and try to enjoy it and play good golf.
Everyone knows the consequences, but I’ll try to put that to one side. It’ll be the same tomorrow. I’ll show up and just play as a good as I can.”
Starting on the back nine, Gillberg eased into his round with two birdies before lighting up the front stretch, rattling off three gains in four holes. Calm. Composed. Clinical — the kind of play that makes Qualifying School look almost manageable.
Meanwhile, Goff — making his European debut — took a more patient route to the top. After a string of pars to the turn, the 25-year-old found his rhythm with four birdies in five holes. A stumble on the 15th was quickly corrected with a closing birdie on 18 to seal a share of the lead.
“I made the decision this summer to come to Q-School, so I’ve been through all three stages,” Goff explained. “It’s been quite the journey, but it’s been awesome and I’ve really enjoyed my time over here.
“I was proud of how I hung in there today without necessarily hitting it my best. I saw something other than a par on the tenth and it changed my headspace a little bit and jump-started my round.
“I would have taken this in a heartbeat before the tournament started. It’s nice to get off to a good start, especially as long as the week is. I’ve just got to keep my head down and keep moving forward. I’ve got to keep my foot on the gas, one shot at a time, and play golf the way I know I can play it.”
Elsewhere, Dutchman Daan Huizing posted the round of the day with a sizzling seven-under 65 on the Hills Course, climbing to nine-under and joining Brazil’s Frederico Biondi Figueiredo in seventh place.
The third of six rounds begins tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. local time, with Gillberg and Goff paired alongside Baldwin at 11:12 a.m. on the Hills Course.
There’s still a marathon of golf left at Qualifying School, but so far, two men — one Swede, one American — are showing exactly what it takes to chase down a dream and play their way into the big leagues.
