Oliver Betschart shot three-over in Bermuda’s local 54-hole qualifier, earning one of three open berths for the tour event. Betschart missed qualifying for last year’s Bermuda Championship by a single stroke. Betschart, on the other hand, shot a final-round 68 in this year’s qualifying and survived another competitor’s birdie attempt on the final hole to get admittance.
“This has been my goal for the whole year,” Betschart said to The Royal Gazette. “And now it’s finally true, and it’s difficult to accept, but I’m really excited.” Last year, I was up here working with the tournament crew and seeing all of the hard work that goes into it, and I am thrilled to be a part of it again this year.”
Betschart will be the second 15-year-old to compete in Bermuda; Kenny Leseur qualified in 2019, despite being six months older. After Tianlang Guan, who participated in a handful of events as a 14-year-old during the 2013 season, Betschart is the youngest player to play in a PGA Tour sanctioned event in nearly a decade. Guan qualified for the 2013 Masters and the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Only Michelle Wie West, Andy Zhang, and Lorens Chan were younger than Betschart when they debuted on the PGA Tour this century.
The Bermuda Championship began on November 9th. The defending champion is Seamus Power.
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