BEAUMONT, Calif. – Alexis Anghert fired a 7-under 65 at Oak Valley Golf Club Tuesday to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of PGA Tour Canada’s California Q-School. Anghert, a native of Deauville, France who now resides in Quebec City, carded seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by two over four players through one round.
Thirty players finished under par for the first round of the 72-hole, no-cut tournament that will see 18 players earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2014, with the rest of the top-40 plus ties earning non-exempt status.
Anghert, a 26-year old Université Laval graduate, is looking to join fellow Quebecer and former Laval teammate Max Gilbert, who last year won the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial, on PGA Tour Canada this season.
“I played well today,” said Anghert. “Max and I travelled together all year long last year. We’ve been in Arizona to play the Gateway Tour. Hopefully I’ll get through this week, but if not I’ll get through the Monday Qualifiers in Canada.”
Anghert moved to Quebec to attend Laval and still makes his home there, and is one of a handful of players from Laval looking to join Gilbert in making a splash at the pro level. The Rouge et Or won the Canadian University/College Championship in 2010 and 2012, with Anghert and Gilbert’s former teammates Sonny Michaud and Clement Herviou also playing this week in California.
“It was a great experience to play there,” said Anghert of playing at Laval. “Our team would play in Florida in the winter and play some NCAA tournaments. We have some other boys from Quebec here this week, so it’s nice.”
One shot behind Anghert in second place was Daniel Miernicki, a teammate of two-time PGA Tour Canada winner Eugene Wong at the University of Oregon, with a 6-under par 66.
“I played well. I just kind of kept it in front me and made my share of putts too,” said Miernicki. “You just try to make a lot of easy pars and it should be good.”
Two shots behind Anghert at 5-under 67 were Argentina’s Alan Wagner, who played PGA Tour Canada in 2013, along with Cardiff, California’s Peter Campbell, Austin, Texas’s Trent Redfern and Brownsburg, Indiana’s Seth Fair. Hamilton, Ont.’s Justin Kim was low Canadian with a 3-under 68.