The Mulligan Tour’s 2026 season got underway Saturday under skies that apparently didn’t get the memo that spring had arrived. Cold temperatures and a biting wind greeted 13 players for Q School 1 — the tour’s annual proving ground where newcomers chase their firsthandicap strokes while a few grizzled veterans remind everyone what competitive golf looks like. By the time the last putt dropped, the course had chewed up most of the field and spit them out — but one player emerged looking like he never broke a sweat.
Corey McCue put on the day’s most composed performance, carding a gross 81 off a 6 handicap for a net 75 that was never seriously threatened. Playing in ugly conditions, McCue’s round was a clinic in damage control — absorbing the wind and keeping his scorecard respectable when others were watching theirs spiral. Stewart Levine chased him down the leaderboard, posting a net 81 after his 10-handicap did some heavy lifting, good enough for second. David Wilson and Charles Withey dead-heated for third at net 90, both leaving the clubhouse probably wondering what could have been on a calmer day.
Kelly Scheff and Nancy Wright were the two women who braved the conditions Saturday, and both walked away with something to show for it. Scheff’s 26 handicap converted her round into a net 92 — a solid number to anchor her season on — while Wright posted her gross round in full, playing straight up with no handicap strokes and earning every point on the card. On a day where the wind had a vote on every approach shot, finishing the round was half the battle, and both did exactly that.
When the dust settled, it was clear the Mulligan Tour’s 2026 season is officially open for business. The handicaps are being stamped, the scores are in the books, and somewhere on the leaderboard, a few new names are circling dates on the calendar. McCue may have drawn first blood, but with Q School in the rearview, the real season is just getting started.