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Cole Miller preparing for 2020 PGA Tour Canada season
April 9, 2019
Cole Miller preparing for 2020 PGA Tour Canada season
PLANTATION, FL — Cole Miller is drawing inspiration from Corey Conners.
On Sunday, April 7, Conners became just the fifth professional golfer to win a PGA TOUR event after going through a Monday qualifier en route to winning the Valero Texas Open.
Miller, former a star golfer at Northwestern Lehigh High School (2014) and Penn State (2018), wants to follow in Conner’s footsteps.
Currently, Miller is preparing for his second full season on the MacKenzie Tour PGA Tour Canada.
Miller has full status for all 12 tournaments during the 2019 season due to finishing in the top-25 last year (he was 25th on the tour’s money earnings list).
He moved to Jacksonville, Florida this past fall to train at the renowned TPC Sawgrass facility for PGA Tour and Web.com Tour Monday qualifying events.
Having advanced to the Final Stage of the 2019 Web.com Tour qualifying school last fall, Miller has conditional status for the Web.com Tour, which is the is the developmental circuit for the PGA Tour.
“It’s amazing (TPC Sawgrass), the back of the range has a full facility,” Miller said. “I have Web.com status, so I have a full membership there. I have people to play with. There are 10-to-15 tour guys down here playing. I’m taking the right steps to reach my goals.”
Miller, who had a knee scoped this winter, has limited status on the Web.com Tour.
“I have Web.com status, conditional status,” Miller said. “It’s not strong enough to get me into any events on my own. I have to do Monday qualifiers. i don’t have to do any pre-qualifiers. I can do pro tour qualifiers. I have played in four qualifiers this winter. The four Monday qualifiers were Web.com and PGA Tour I have a couple more coming up. Alabama next week, April 15; Texas in San Antonio the next week. My game feels really good right now. It’s just a matter of time before I put all of my assets into a low round in a Monday qualifier.”
Miller, a 23 year-old Lynn Township native, said watching Conners — a fellow Monday qualifier and full member of the Web.com Tour — inspired him.
“Absolutely, I’m in a similar situation to where he was,” Miller said. “To see someone make it through a Monday like that, and end up winning, changes your life in a matter of a week.”
Coming off a strong showing in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnicock Hills (missed the cut by four strokes), Miller will try to make the 2019 event at Pebble Beach.
“I’ll be back up (in Lynn Township) shortly before the Canadian season starts up,” Miller said. ” I’m going to do the U,S. Open local qualifying up there (in the northeast), then at the sectional site at Rockville, Maryland. That’s a course that fits my game very well.”
Miller has plenty of incentive to perform well on the MacKenzie Tour PGA Tour Canada.
“I have full status.” Miller said. “The first one starts May 23. I plan to play all 12 events. The winner (money list leader) gets full status on the Web.com Tour, the top-5 gets the into the first shuffle on the 2020 Web.com Tour. My goal this year is to be top-5 on the money list. I think i can set my goals much higher this year, knowing what to expect.”
Miller noted that he has attracted three sponsors: Srixon for clubs, balls, and golf bag; Adidas for apparel; and Next Shift Health for financial support.
Should Miller advance in the 2020 Web.com Tour qualifying process this fall, he needs a top-40 finish in the Web.com Tour Final Stage of qualifying to earn status on the 2020 Web.com Tour.
Following an outstanding amateur career, Miller turned professional at the U.S. Open in June of 2018. Previously, Miller had earned four tournament exemptions for the 2018 PGA Tour Canada.
Miller began his competitive career when he was 9 years-old in a Lehigh Valley Junior Golf Tour tournament.
The region’s dominant amateur golfer from 2012-2017, Miller earned a record five Lehigh Valley Player of the Year awards in six seasons: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
In late July of 2017, he became the first amateur to win the Lehigh Valley Open.
Miller, the 2016 Pennsylvania Amateur Championship winner, was runner-up in the 2017 event.
Miller won six tournament titles as a four-year starter for the Penn State golf program. He was the 2017 Big Ten Golf Championships runner-up. Miller set a program scoring average record of 72.11 strokes per round.
Miller qualified for the 2015 and 2017 U.S. Amateur, and competed last summer in the 122nd British Amateur at Royal St. George’s and Prince’s. He was extended an invitation by virtue of winning the 2017 NCAA Washington Regional event.
From 2012 to 2016, Miler won a regional-best 14 individual amateur tournament titles. Miller won a record four consecutive Lehigh Valley Medal Play titles from 2013 to 2016.
While at Northwestern Lehigh High School, Miller won the 2011 and 2013 District 11 titles, captured three consecutive Colonial League championships, had two runner-up finishes in the 2012 and 2013 PIAA State Golf Championships, and was an outstanding 117-under-par for 486 holes (4.33 strokes under-par) his junior and senior seasons.
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