Otto Black of Brighton gearing up for shot at PGA Tour
Otto Black of Brighton didn’t come away with his second Michigan Tournament of Champions victory, but he hopes the experience pays off in the biggest event of his golf season in October.
Black charged back from five strokes down heading into the final round before losing a two-hole playoff to another previous champion, Barrett Kelpin of Kalamazoo, Wednesday at Boyne Mountain Resort. Black won the event in 2021 with a record-breaking score of 17 under par.
Next up for Black, a former Pinckney High School all-stater, are tournaments the next two weeks on the GPro Tour. It’s the third different mini tour on which he’s played, but he’s hoping to land a spot on the PGA Tour this fall.
Black, 29, will compete in the PGA Tour’s qualifying school for the sixth time in mid-October. He is exempt from the pre-qualifying stage held in September, moving to the first stage. That stage is held at 13 sites and consists of 72-hole stroke play.
From there, players advance to the second stage at one of five sites for another 72 holes between Nov. 14 and Dec. 1. The final 72-hole stage will take place Dec. 14-17, with the top five finishers (and ties) earning PGA Tour cards for 2024.
“I’ve been short of the final stage every time by one or two strokes,” Black said. “I’ve been right there. I can definitely use this round and this tournament as experience. I’ll try to tap into that to finish strong like I did (Wednesday). It will be a good experience for the future.”
Black was tied for first place with Kelpin after one round with a 67. He shot 69 in the second of three rounds, dropping five shots back.
Playing in the final round with Kelpin, Black erased that deficit by the turn. The two good friends and former roommates in Florida traded blows on the back nine, with Black needing to birdie the final three holes to force a playoff.
Both players birdied the first playoff hole. On the second hole, Kelpin hit a shot from the fairway to within three feet of the hole. Black hit a wedge from the edge of the rough around a pond to within 12 feet. Black missed a birdie putt, while Kelpin made his three-footer for the victory.
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“I was five shots back at the start of the day, so I knew I had to put some pressure on him early,” Black said. “I had some putts drop on the first nine and shot 5-under.
“Those last couple holes, I knew if we were all squared up, I’d have to make some birdies to force a playoff.”
The pressure of trying to win a big tournament was eased by playing the final round with Kelpin.
“I as definitely happy to see Barrett win,” Black said. “Me and him travel together to many tournaments across the world. We’ve shared hotels and car trips together. He lived with me during COVID when golf was on pause. We lived together for six months, practiced and hung out together.”
Black has played eight events this season on the GForce Tour, finishing in the top 10 three times and the top 25 five times. He ranks 37th on the tour’s money list and 39th in its points standings.
His best finish was a tie for fifth in the Huntsville Open April 19-21.
In the past, Black has played on the Latin America and Canadian tours.
“It’s just kind of how the schedule laid out this year,” he said. “It’s been a little more convenient.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Otto Black of Brighton gearing up for shot at PGA Tour
