Tetak Takes Q-School Lead As Park, Ballester Chase

Jose Luis Ballester gives fans high fives during the second round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. on June 13, 2025 USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectTadeas Tetak leads the DP World Tour Q-School Final Stage at 14 under par after two rounds at INFINITUM. The Slovakian golfer shot a 62 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Eunshin Park and Jose Luis Ballester. This race for the 2027 tour card features 156 players battling through six days of play in Tarragona, Spain. The top 15 players and ties will earn full playing privileges for the upcoming season. He made nine birdies across his first two rounds without dropping a single stroke to par. “It’s been two great days of golf and I have zero complaints,” Tetak said. The 26-year-old knows this course well, having qualified for the tour here in 2024. He aims to turn that history into a fresh start this week.Competition Heats Up on the Hills CourseAt 13 under par, Spain’s Jose Luis Ballester and South Korea’s Eunshin Park trail by a single stroke. Park carded a 65 on the trickier Hills Course to reach this spot. He last played this qualifying stage at INFINITUM nine years ago. “I was here nine years ago [at INFINITUM] and I’m very happy to come back here again and the weather is so good. I had a good two rounds,” he said. Park hopes to secure a card after hearing stories from Korean players currently on the DP World Tour.Ballester also sits at 13 under par after a strong recovery. He started his first round with two bogeys but has since made 16 birdies. He made six consecutive birdies recently. The field faces a tough test on Sunday when players return to the Hills Course. That course measures 7,056 yards and plays as a par 72. The Lakes Course is shorter at 7,001 yards with a par 71.Tetak has faced the Hills before with mixed results. He was three over par for two rounds there in 2024. “I started off well this morning, missed a couple of short ones but on the back nine I made a couple of mid-range ones. I hit my wedges close and made birdies on the ones you should out here,” he said. He noted that avoiding bogeys on the Hills is a major confidence boost for any player.The Stakes for the Final Two RoundsA cut will occur after four rounds, leaving only the leading 60 players and ties to finish. The final two rounds will take place exclusively on The Lakes course. This format tests consistency across two very different layouts. Players must navigate the long, tricky Hills and the shorter, scoring-friendly Lakes to survive. Those who miss the cut can still earn Category 15 membership on the HotelPlanner Tour.Former LIV Golf players like Thomas Pieters and Jose Luis Ballester are also in the mix. Nine-time tour winner Pablo Larrazábal joins the fight for a spot. The tournament marks the 50th anniversary of Q-School. A total of 182 golfers advanced from Second Stage to reach this Final Stage field. The 746 players who started in August have now been whittled down to the elite group. “It’s a marathon not a sprint this week and it’s nice to be in the position I’m in but there’s plenty of golf left,” he said. He knows anything can happen on this golf course. He began his Hills campaign two years earlier, posting scores of three or four over before finishing at 18 under. The final round concludes on Wednesday, November 11. Players will need to maintain their focus to avoid the pitfalls of the Hills course. “There are a lot of Korean players out on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour and when they come back to Korea, they tell us about the tours and I mean this tour is great so I hope I can get a card here,” Park said.