Ben Silverman overcomes injuries to shine at Sanderson Farm qualifers

How did Ben Silverman celebrate his successful foray at First Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School, overcoming thumb and toe injuries to close in 67-65 and advance?

He headed to Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship Monday qualifier, and he successfully qualified.

Silverman joined three other 2023 Korn Ferry Tour members – Alejandro Tosti, Quade Cummins and Cole Hammer – in gaining access to the Sanderson Farms Championship via Monday’s qualifier. All four players carded 5-under 67 at Deerfield GC on Monday and survived a 5-for-4 playoff; Rhein Gibson was the odd man out.

Cummins holds full 2023 Korn Ferry Tour membership; the other three are striving to better their status via Q-School this fall. Silverman will compete at Second Stage next month; Tosti and Hammer are exempt to Final Stage in November.

Early-week at First Stage, Silverman cut his thumb while making breakfast for his family. Then he discovered an ingrown toenail midway through competition. It didn’t stop the feisty Canadian, who carded a four-round total of 11 under to advance with six strokes to spare. Then he made seven birdies Monday against two bogeys to earn a spot in the Monday qualifier playoff, where he joined Tosti in making birdie on the first extra hole to secure a start at the Country Club of Jackson.

Cummins advanced with a birdie on the third playoff hole; Gibson conceded the fourth spot to Hammer on the fourth extra hole, after Gibson hit two balls out-of-bounds.

Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.

Ben Silverman(5-under 67; advanced via playoff)

Age: 34
Hometown: Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater: Florida Atlantic
PGA TOUR starts: 58
Cuts made: 29
Best PGA TOUR finish: T7, 2017 Sanderson Farms Championship

Notes: Monday qualified into three PGA TOUR events last season, in addition to advancing through Final Qualifying to compete in the U.S. Open at The Country Club … Held PGA TOUR membership in 2017-18 and 2018-19, after earning first TOUR card via 2017 Korn Ferry Tour … Avid hockey fan who played competitive hockey until he was about 15 … Did not decide to pursue professional golf until age 16; famously carded a score of 118 in his first Canadian Junior Golf Association tournament … Returning to site of career-best PGA TOUR finish, which came in just his second TOUR start as a member.

Alejandro Tosti(5-under 67; advanced via playoff)

Age: 26
Hometown: Rosario, Argentina
Alma mater: University of Florida
PGA TOUR starts: 1
Cuts made: 0

Notes: Finished No. 5 on 2022 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit, recording eight top-25s in 12 starts including a victory at the 90 Abierto del Centro memorial Eduardo Gato Romero ptdo por Telecom in early April. This earned him conditional 2023 Korn Ferry Tour status at minimum; he’ll aim to improve it via Final Stage of Q-School in November … Also competed on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2019 and 2020-21; finished top-20 on Order of Merit on both occasions … Cooking enthusiast.

Quade Cummins (5-under 67; advanced via playoff)

Age: 26
Hometown: Weatherford, Oklahoma
Alma mater: University of Oklahoma
PGA TOUR starts: 3
Cuts made: 1
Best PGA TOUR finish: T58, 2021 Fortinet Championship

Notes: Marks his second consecutive year Monday qualifying into the Sanderson Farms Championship … Finished No. 70 on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, making 13 cuts in 21 starts. Best finish was T4 at the Huntsville Championship in early May … Finished No. 6 on inaugural PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking in 2021 … Played six seasons collegiately at the University of Oklahoma; was a 2019-20 First Team All-American … Was a two-time Oklahoma 4A state golf champion in 2013 and 2015.

Cole Hammer(5-under 67; advanced via playoff)

Age: 23
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Alma mater: University of Texas
PGA TOUR starts: 11
Cuts made: 1
Best PGA TOUR finish: T61, 2019 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open

Notes: Finished No. 5 on 2022 PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking, earning automatic Korn Ferry Tour membership and direct access to Final Stage of Q-School this fall … Has competed in three U.S. Opens and two Walker Cups; qualified for 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay at age 15 … Helped Texas to the 2022 NCAA Division I men’s golf national title, alongside teammates Pierceson Coody and Parker Coody who also finished top-15 on the PGA TOUR University Ranking … Earned 2019 Mark H. McCormack Medal as No. 1 men’s player on World Amateur Golf Ranking.