Sacramento native and 2004 NCGA Player of the Year Spencer Levin has had quite a knack for getting through Monday qualifiers at the professional level.
At least on the Korn Ferry Tour, for the rest of the 2023 season he won’t have to fret about qualifying anymore.
The now 39-year-old Levin, who still holds the NCGA record for most Player of the Year points in a season (2,770), posted a final round 8-under 63 that included a clinching birdie on the 18th to win the KFT Veritex Bank Championship (April 13-16) at Texas Rangers Golf Club by a stroke over runner-up Brett Drewitt.
For Levin, who turned pro in 2005, the win came in his 343rd start in a Tour-sanctioned event.
“I’ve played in so many of these things now and, I don’t know, it’s kind of weird. You just don’t ever know when it’s going to happen,” said Levin, who birdied the 18th in the Monday qualifier to earn his spot in the field. “There were times before I thought it would happen, it didn’t. It was just my time.”
Coming off his first made cut of the season (T-50) at the Astara Chile Classic, Levin finished at 20-under 264.
Earlier this year, he was a Monday qualifier at the Farmers Insurance Open. Last year, he was a Monday qualifier for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, leading to his first PGA Tour start since 2018.
The last time he had been in serious contention was at the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He’d entered the final round holding a six-shot lead but carded a 75 to finish third.
“I’m just happy. I couldn’t be more grateful, and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the year,” Levin said. “I think every pro golfer will tell you, regardless if they haven’t done it, they have a little bit of belief in them. They always kind of picture the day happening, and I’ve been picturing a day like this for a long time. It’s amazing what can happen in a week.”
