Cole Miller, the 23-year-old Northwestern Lehigh and Penn State graduate, finished 25th on the money list in his first season on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour, collecting the last exemption spot from the developmental golf series. By placing 25th (by $130), Miller earned an exemption into the second stage of Web.com Qualifying School, the next phase of his professional career.

Doing so allowed Miller to skip the first stage of Qualifying School, saving him plenty of time, money, travel and stress. The first-stage entry fee alone is $5,000, and Miller would have had to leave this week for Arizona to compete in an event young professional golfers try to avoid.