GolfTalkCentral

Blanks trying to earn card despite medical exemption

By Rex Hoggard
Nov 30, 2012 9:45 PM ET

LA QUINTA, Calif. – They say beware the injured golfer, but at Q-School isn’t everyone hurting, be it physically or otherwise?

Kris Blanks, however, stretches the boundaries of the cliché.

Blanks was sidelined with a left shoulder injury in July, missed the last three months of the season and is 161^st in earnings. Although doctors were not sure exactly what was causing him pain they advised against surgery.

He arrived in the Coachella Valley for the final stage cautiously optimistic but after rounds of 65-70-67 finds himself tied for seventh place and four strokes off the lead. In many ways his physical ailments have helped diminish the mental anguish of the Fall Classic.

“It’s been a very relaxing couple of days,” said Blanks, who will have a medical exemption to fall back on next year if he doesn’t finish inside the top 25 this week and retain his Tour card. “I’ve been putting and watching guys hit balls, so it’s kind of been stress free.”

That’s not exactly what one expects at Q-School, but then the injured golfer probably has bigger concerns than a six-day marathon.