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By John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PACIFIC PALISADES, California (Ticker) -- In 2007, Jeff Quinneymade his year in four tournaments on the West Coast. This year,it only took one.
Quinney finished second at the $6.2 million Northern Trust Openand earned $669,600 to secure his playing privileges for nextyear.
"I kind of knew that I was out of winning the tournament thelast couple holes," Quinney said. "I just wanted to make sure Ididn''t do something silly and second place is a big check thisweek, so I know it secures my job and it''s just going to give methat much more confidence the rest of the year."
While the West Coast has been financially lucrative to Quinney,it has also been extremely heartbreaking. F or the second timein as many years, Quinney was at the precipice of victory, onlyto come up short.
Last year, Quinney began his rookie season on the PGA Tour witha tie for fourth at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. He had ahole-in-one in the final round. A week later, he opened with a64 at the Buick Invitational and finished tied for seventh, fivestrokes behind winner Tiger Woods.
With $387,000 in his bank account, Quinney got to play close tohome at the FBR Open and after 54 holes, the Scottsdale residentheld the lead. The last round, though, he made a bogey on thelast two holes and finished third.
"I wouldn''t say I had a tough finish," Quinney said."Obviously, I bogeyed (the) last couple of holes, but I had agreat tournament and gained so much confidence from that. (I)proved to myself that I can be in the lead or near the lead andnot necessarily finish it off and definitely contend through tothe end."
Quinney had earned $795,000 in three events, more than hiscareer earnings of six years toiling on the Nationwide Tour. Hefinished off his impressive West Coast Swing with a tie forninth at the Northern Trust Open.
This year, he struggled in the same events he did so well in ayear prior, but made up for it at the Northern Trust Open.
Quinney hung tough with the world''s No. 2 ranked golfer in theworld, finishing just two strokes behind Phil Mickelson. Moreimportant than the money he received was the confidence heearned.
"Playing with Phil, the best player here, second-best player inthe world and hanging with him all 36 holes on the weekend, Iwas pretty proud of myself," Quinney said. "Obviously not theend result, but second-place finish was kind of a huge boost ofconfidence."
Mickelson was certainly impressed with his fellow Arizona StateUniversity alum.
"The impressive thing about Jeff Quinney, because I''ve beenwatching him since he came out of Arizona State and since he wonthe Amateur is that he''s gotten better every year," Quinneysaid. "He started out (with) maybe the Canadian tour, got betterevery level he''s played at and I think that he''s ready to breakthrough and be a real threat on the PGA Tour."
It is what many expected Quinney to do when he won the U.S.Amateur in 2000, defeating James Driscoll. Quinney was astandout at Arizona State and turned professional after theAmateur.
"Maybe I expected to be a little bit more successful than I wasand it took me a little bit longer maybe," Quinney said. "Butthe thing is I got better every year. I never got to the pointwhere I was bottomed out or thought about giving up the game andI was always getting better and improving and moving forward."
Quinney spent six years on the Nationwide Tour before finishingsixth on the money list in 2006 and earning his PGA Tour card.
"My whole career is just building like a house or buildingbricks," Quinney said. "Basically I''ve gotten better everyyear."
Now that Quinney has finished second and third in a PGA Tourevent, he wants to win an event and believes it will happensoon.
"Obviously I wanted to win, but definitely think I''m going toget there soon," Quinney said. "It''s just a matter of when, notit, and I''m just going to keep moving forward."
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