John Smoltz advances to Champions Q-School final stage

Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz during the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf on Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Duluth. (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com)

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

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Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz during the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf on Sunday, May 16, 2021, in Duluth. (Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com)

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

John Smoltz may have another professional career.

The Hall of Famer and former Braves pitcher advanced to the final stage of the PGA Tour Champions Q-School. Smoltz finished tied for 14th, shooting 71-73-74-71-189 (1-over par) in the first stage at Buckhorn Springs in Valrico, Fla last week. The event was held Tuesday-Friday.

Smoltz earned one of the 18 spots into the final stage, which will be held at the TPC Scottsdale Champions course Dec. 5-8. There, 80 players will compete for one of five PGA Tour Champions cards.

Smoltz, 55, had a best finish of tied for 54th in three previous attempts to qualify for the Champions Tour. He qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in 2018, where he missed the cut. He played in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in 2021.

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