Matthew Riedel (Vanderbilt Athletics Photo)

Riedel, who finished T2 at the 2024 SEC Championship, has shot consistent rounds of 68-69 to get to 3-under to put himself in a great position heading into the weekend.

FIRST ROUND RECAP

Tennessee graduate and 2023 Tennessee State Amateur winner Jake Hall shot a 2-over 72 at the Dye's Valley Course in Ponte Vedra, Fla. 

Hall got off to the best start imaginable, birding the first three holes of the day. He then recorded six straight pars to post a 32 on the front nine. He made a double bogey on hole No. 10 and added bogeys on holes No. 14, 17, and 18 to fall to T71 and 2-over after the opening round.

He will now turn to Sawgrass Country Club to play the second round in hopes of moving up the leaderboard heading into the weekend.

PREVIEW

Tennessee graduate and 2023 Tennessee State Amateur winner Jake Hall is 72 holes away from a PGA Tour card.

Hall will play in the PGA Tour Q-School's Final Stage at Dye's Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida from December 12th to 15th after advancing through the second stage of Q-School, making the cutline on the number.

At the Final Stage, the top five finishers (and ties) secure PGA TOUR cards for 2025, while the next 40 finishers (and ties) receive Korn Ferry Tour status, with guaranteed starts for the first 12 or eight events, depending on their position. 

All remaining Final Stage finishers will earn conditional Korn Ferry Tour status along with exemption through the Latin America Swing of the PGA TOUR Americas.

Hall entered the second stage of qualifying off a stellar First Stage performance, where he shot 11-under to finish in 3rd place, just two shots shy of medalist honors as the only amateur to advance from the North Carolina qualifier. Hall finished 8th in Georgia’s Pre-Qualifying at 6-under to advance to the First Stage.

After all four rounds and 72 holes of the Second Stage qualifying, Hall finished 12-under and T18 with rounds of 70-68-67-71 to make the cut on the number. His third round 5-under 67 consisted of six birdies and one bogey to propel him onto the right side of the cutline heading into the final 18 holes.

"One bad round can put you in a really bad spot, but there isn't a cut through two days of the four-round event, so going through these processes, I always feel like I am going to play well in one of those rounds," Hall said about Q-School.

Hall added, "If I have a down day, I can tell myself that I still have good golf in the tank."

He also recognizes how important confidence and a positive attitude 

"If you start to let the thoughts get in that you can't catch up, then you will have no chance," Hall said.

Hall is currently ranked No. 43 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com U.S. Rankings.

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A former Tennessee Volunteer, Hall boasts an impressive record, winning the 2023 All-American Intercollegiate and Tennessee State Amateur. He capped off his collegiate career with top finishes in major events, including T4 at the 2024 Cabo Collegiate and T7 at the SEC Championship. 

It was not the easiest path to the Final Stage, as he entered the fourth round and the final 18 holes on the cutline, knowing he needed a solid final round in bad weather to advance.

"I wasn't trying to photo any kind of number," Hall said after the final round. "I knew it wasn't going to be given to me. There are some great players out there; some were ahead of me, and others were trying to fight their way back into the cutline."

Hall added, "I was just golfing my ball, taking one shot at a time, and keeping the positive thoughts coming."

Now, Hall will head to Florida, but his prep will stay the same. You know what they say; don't fix what isn't broken.

"I haven't played in Florida too much but the prep will be similar to what I have been doing," Hall said. "I know some guys that have played there before to give me good notes on what to work on. Other than that, its really just focusing on the baseline stuff that I work on."

Hall added, "I am going to be playing a bunch, we have some great players here in Knoxville that we get to compete against day in and day out. Trying to keep up the competitiveness and not taking my foot off the gas."

And he is taking that confidence and positive attitude with him.

"I feel more motivated than I ever have and I am really looking forward to the opportunity," Hall said.