Ken Duke is battling 77 golfers in Pine Mountain, Ga., this week for a chance to advance to the final stage of the PGA Tour's qualifying school. On Wednesday, Duke shot 8-under-par 64 to lead the field by two shots.

The top 19 to 21 golfers and ties, depending on the size of the fields, from each of six second-stage tournaments around the country this week will advance to the final round of qualifying school in Florida, where they'll play six rounds to determine who earns the Tour card for 2010. At Pine Mountain, the top 20 will advance.

Duke fell below the No. 125 cutoff in money winnings in 2009, requiring him to regain his card. He was able to sit out the first stage qualifying tournament before competing in 'Q' school's second stage.

Little Rock's Ron Whittaker is also at Pine Mountain and was tied for 45th after one round at 1-under-par.

Glen Day of Little Rock is in Kingwood, Texas, just outside of Houston, at the second stage there, along with Fayetteville's Nick Beach. Day and Beach both shot 2-under in the opening round and are tied for 23rd place at Deerwood Golf Club, where the top 19 players and ties will advance to the final stage. Fayetteville's Allen McFerran is also at Kingwood and shot 5-over on day 1.

Former Razorback golfers Brenden Pappas and Tag Ridings are in the second stage being held in McKinney, Texas, near Dallas. Colt Knost, the former U.S. Amateur and U.S. Publinx champion who won the Nationwide's Fort Smith Classic in 2008, with with Pappas in TPC Craig Ranch at McKinney. Pappas and Knost, an SMU product, were tied for 17th after round one at 1-under par.  Dallas native Ridings was at 1-over and tied for 49th. The top 21 and ties advance from McKinney.

Brent Kelley's golf blog has a full rundown who who is qualifying in the second stage of Q school with hopes of regaining their Tour card. For those who follow pro golf, the who's who of qualifiers shows just how competitive the PGA Tour has become. Even one-time PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel of Memphis is back fighting for his Tour privileges.

PGATour.com also has a full preview of the weeklong event.