Jobe back from the brink; Biershenk's dream still alive

Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Brandt Jobe's career nearly ended after he severed two of his fingers in 2006.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. -- Four years ago, Brandt Jobe was sweeping out his garage when the broom broke and a thin piece of metal sliced through his left hand.

There in front of him lay his future.

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Jobe looked down and saw the tips of his left index and middle fingers on the ground, along with a gash in his hand near the thumb. He put the finger tips in a baggie with ice and drove to the hospital before ending up in the office of a Dallas micro surgeon who was able to re-attach the tips.

"There was a 50-50 chance I would never play golf again," Jobe said. "The problem now has been that I have no feeling in my finger tips and I had to change my swing because of it."

It also changed his career. Prior to the injury, Jobe finished outside the top 125 on the money list just once between 2000 and 2005, reaching as high as No. 27 in 2005 with a career-best six top-10 finishes.

In 2007, Jobe didn't make his first start until March and played in just four events -- missing the cut in three of them -- before having to shut it down. A year later, he played in 19 events but made the cut in just seven of them.

The last two years Jobe says physically he's been fine, but he called the two years before that "miserable." With q-school, however, comes hope for Jobe, who is tied for ninth after a second straight 69 that has him at 11 under with one round to play.

"I had my chances on the Nationwide Tour and didn't get it done and now I have my chance here," said Jobe, who played in 23 events and earned just over $194,000 to finish 30th on the money list.

That's enough to get him full status on the Nationwide Tour for next season, but that's it. If he can stay in the top 25 here, Jobe will be back on the PGA TOUR.

"I'm not back to where I was but I'm getting there and working hard and the game is improving," Jobe said. "I had to reset everything. I was 75th in the world when I got hurt and I got readjusted each year instead of going back to how I was playing. That's been very frustrating ... a very frustrating few years.

"It would mean a lot to get back out there and see what I can do again."

TOMMY'S TIME?: Guys like Tommy Biershenk are what q-school is all about. The 37-year-old has been a professional since 1998, but he's played in just three PGA TOUR events while withdrawing from another over those dozen years.

Now, the former Clemson standout is one good round from getting his TOUR card for the first time after two previous trips to final stage.

Despite never making it past the Nationwide Tour, Biershenk, who shot his third 71 of the week on Sunday and is just three strokes out of a spot in the top 25, does bring with him a track record of success.

Biershenk has 12 career wins spread out over multiple tours, including the Hooters Tour and the eGolf Tour, where he finished second on the money list this year with just over $104,000. And at one point this year, Biershenk was 81-under par over a four tournament stretch.

Those are impressive numbers on any tour.