ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – Former UCF men's golfer Connor Arendell won the first stage of the Korn Ferry qualifying school, taking place from Tuesday, October 1 through Friday, October 4 in Lakeland, Florida.
Arendell, who qualified for the U.S. Open earlier this summer, shot a stage best 268(-20) to finish first overall in the first stage, which included a final-round, 4-under 68.
Players who advance to Final Stage will be assured of at least conditional status on the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour. The top-40 and ties at Final Stage will secure guaranteed starts for the early portion of 2020.
Turning professional after his junior season at UCF in 2011, Arendell has appeared in a pair of PGA Tour events and has played in two events in 2019 on the Web.com Tour.
In two seasons at UCF, Arendell averaged 73.46 strokes per round after competing in 23 tournaments. In his second season, Arendell averaged 72.43, one of the best single-season averages in program history. The Cape Coral native helped UCF win back-to-back Conference USA titles and two NCAA Regional appearances.