Three survive sudden-death playoff to qualify for JDC

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By Andrew Petersen | Monday, July 14, 2008 |

Joel Kribel shakes hands with caddies Monday after finishing his round at Pinnacle Country Club in an attempt to qualify for the John Deere Classic. (Larry Fisher/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

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MILAN, Ill., — From the untucked, oversized polo shirt to the half-tied shoelaces, J.T. Kohut didn’t look like a guy filled with worry.

His swing was just as relaxed on the first and only playoff hole during Monday’s John Deere Classic Qualifier at Pinnacle Country Club.

And the 28-year-old from Simi Valley, Calif., was only slightly put off when he three-putted the 599-yard par 5.

After a booming drive and 225-yard 5-iron that carried downwind to the center of the green, Kohut still made par and survived the playoff after a single hole. Also emerging from the four-player sudden death were Chad Proehl of Urbandale, Iowa, and Brian Carroll of Crystal Lake, Ill.

Proehl birdied the playoff hole, and Carroll matched Kohut’s par. The odd man out was Chris Naegel of Chesterfield, Mo., who scratched out a double-bogey.

South African Deane Pappas was the lone tour pro to qualify, firing a 65. The four round out the field for the JDC, which begins Thursday at TPC Deere Run.

The other three qualifiers had their spotlight moments, but none resonated with the small gallery quite like Kohut.

“I’m a little jocked up right now,” Kohut said after the playoff. “I don’t really hit a 5-iron 225 (yards).”

A week after winning the JDC pre-qualifier at Pinnacle with a 66, Kohut was even par through nine holes Monday. But on the backside, he got going to finish at 5-under 67 in the final group to come off the course.

Six years after leaving UCLA, Kohut is finally getting his chance.

Backed by Indiana businessman turned caddie Scott Allen, this year Kohut qualified from the Puerto Rico Open and the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico. He missed the cut at both.

“You find real quick where you stand on tour,” Kohut said. “But you also find out about the pros. They don’t do anything special. They just have an unbelievable game 100 yards and in. Their putting is great.”

Such was the case Monday for Nationwide Tour regular Pappas.

After chipping in for eagle on No. 7, Pappas found the right touch with his broomstick putter. It was the same stroke that propelled him to a 58 two weeks ago at his home course in Orlando, Fla.

Pappas has only played in three Nationwide events this year and hasn’t been in the JDC field since 2004, but he’s undeterred.

“I figure I’m not going to win anything sitting on the couch,” the 40-year-old said. “Hopefully, I can get out there and keep shooting 65s.”

The most notable of the 56 players not to qualify was 2001 JDC champ David Gossett.

At age 22, Gossett won the JDC and $504,000. He played the even every year through 2006 and is trying to turn around his fortunes after missing the cut in his five previous Nationwide events this season.

He was 2 under Monday.

“I had a lot of opportunities to score,” he said. “I just didn’t get my iron shots close enough.”

Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com.