The ultimate stage of PGA Tour Q-Faculty begins Thursday at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Nation Membership in Ponte Vedra Seashore, Florida.
The sphere for the 72-hole qualifying occasion is 170 gamers deep, made up of the highest 40 entrants from Nos. 126-200 in final season’s FedExCup standings, Nos. 31-60 in Korn Ferry Tour factors, second-stage qualifiers and extra.
The highest 5 finishers and ties come Sunday night will earn PGA Tour playing cards for subsequent season whereas the remainder of the gamers ending among the many high 40 and ties will earn some assured KFT begins subsequent yr. Simply by teeing it up this week, gamers obtain conditional KFT standing and are exempt by means of the Latin swing of PGA Tour Americas.
Gamers who completed Nos. 126-250 within the FedExCup or high 75 in KFT final season have already clinched full KFT standing for subsequent season, as have PGA Tour College’s high 5 gamers from this previous graduating class, whereas second-stage medalists locked up eight assured KFT begins. So, these gamers – a gaggle that features Pierceson Coody, Alejandro Tosti, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Sam Bennett, Doc Redman and Christo Lamprecht – have free rolls at PGA Tour playing cards this week.
Seeking to watch Q-Faculty on TV? Golf Channel will stream and broadcast the third and closing rounds (all occasions ET):
- SATURDAY – 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel digital), 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel)
- SUNDAY – Midday-2 p.m. (Golf Channel digital), 2-4 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Listed below are a number of the high storylines coming into closing stage:
Again once more
4 of the 5 gamers who earned PGA Tour playing cards finally yr’s closing stage return this week. Solely Harrison Endycott, who completed No. 201 in FedExCup factors, just isn’t right here; the reigning final-stage medalist hasn’t competed since withdrawing from the ISCO Championship in July with sickness. Hayden Springer fell two spots wanting protecting full standing on the PGA Tour, ending up No. 127, whereas Hint Crowe (148), Blaine Hale Jr. (202) and Raul Pereda (218) be part of Springer at closing stage once more. Hale and Pereda had to return to second stage final week, and each superior from their respective qualifiers.
A protracted highway
Eleven gamers within the final-stage area began their Q-Faculty journeys at pre-qualifying – Drew Doyle, Luke Gifford, Jake Corridor, John Houchin, John Houk, Cameron Huss, Dawson Jones, Owen Stamper, Andi Xu, Lance Yates and Runchanapong Youprayong. Jones performed at Rhode Island and labored in public accounting for a pair years after graduating in 2019. He turned professional in 2022 and earlier this yr joined Gifford in having his Q-Faculty entry price paid for through his Minor League Golf Tour efficiency. Corridor is a latest grad of Tennessee and could have PGA Tour veteran Scott Stallings on the bag; Stallings additionally looped for Corridor at this yr’s U.S. Beginner. Houchin is a former junior-college All-American at Jap Florida who completed his school profession at Stetson and was by no means ranked higher than No. 1,010 within the World Beginner Golf Rating. Houchin, although, shot 8-under 64 within the closing spherical of his first-stage website to advance by a shot. At second stage, he had one other shut name, advancing by one after a 66-76 weekend.
Redemption time
Sam Bennett, the 2022 U.S. Beginner champion and Masters low beginner that subsequent yr, entered this yr’s KFT Championship at No. 30 in factors. Nevertheless, he closed in 78 at French Lick and was bumped to No. 31, lacking out on a PGA Tour card. Two different gamers at closing stage this week, Alistair Docherty and Zach Bauchou, additionally had close-calls on the KFT’s season finale. Docherty sat in solo second as Doc Redman and Brian Campbell performed the ultimate gap. If certainly one of them made par or worse, Docherty would’ve earned his PGA Tour card. As a substitute, each gamers birdied to affix Docherty in a three-way tie for second, solely offering Docherty sufficient factors to climb to No. 32. Bauchou led by 4 photographs coming into the weekend at French Lick, however he struggled over the ultimate 36 holes, together with carding 76 on Sunday, to finish up No. 43 in factors. A yr in the past at closing stage, Bauchou withdrew throughout his first spherical to return residence for the delivery of his first baby, son James.
FRANKLIN, TN – SEPTEMBER 12: Shad Tuten watches his drive on No. 17 through the first spherical of the Simmons Financial institution Open, September 12, 2024, at Vanderbilt Legends Membership in Franklin, Tennessee. (Photograph by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Comeback tales
Brett White, a 31-year-old out of Jap Michigan, earned his KFT card at closing stage in 2021, marking an inspiring comeback from viral encephalitis in 2017. The mind an infection practically killed White, who needed to re-learn a number of motor expertise and different fundamental duties, to not point out enjoying golf. In his rookie yr on the KFT, although, White notched simply two top-25s in 20 begins and misplaced his card. He performed this previous season on PGA Tour Americas, the place he made simply 5 of 9 cuts. … Shad Tuten was in line to earn his PGA Tour card finally yr’s KFT Championship earlier than a two-shot penalty for failing to correctly change his ball within the fifteenth fairway throughout his closing spherical. As a substitute, Tuten ended up No. 32 in factors and shortly after introduced that he was stepping away from aggressive golf due to a coronary heart situation. He returned to motion this previous Could with a T-6 end on the PGA Tour Americas earlier than rattling off six top-25s in 13 KFT begins. Tuten completed No. 78 in KFT factors, although he’ll have some kind of medical extension afforded to him subsequent season. … Sandy Scott was an All-American at Texas Tech and Walker Cupper in 2019 earlier than he suffered a severe wrist harm in Fall 2020. He had two surgical procedures and missed about 17 months, together with the 2021 Walker Cup. “I used to be in some actually low occasions and didn’t know if I’d ever play golf once more,” Scott mentioned then. He returned to motion in March 2022, however he didn’t end higher than T-37 in 5 school begins. He turned professional later that yr and final yr performed largely in Latin America and Europe. He had 4 top-10s through the Latin swing of PGA Tour Americas this previous season earlier than a runner-up end on the season finale in Canada bumped him inside the highest 10 in factors, incomes him his KFT card.
Betting favorites
Japan’s Takumi Kanaya is the second highest-ranked participant within the area at No. 136, behind solely No. 114 Kensei Hirata. However Kanaya is the favourite to win, in accordance with BetMGM, at +1400 odds. He’s adopted by PGA Tour Americas factors winner Johnny Keefer and PGA Tour veteran Joseph Bramlett at +2000. Keefer posted a win and 4 different runner-up finishes this summer time after turning professional out of Baylor. He additionally was T-13 in his PGA Tour debut this fall on the Procore Championship. Bramlett made a run at protecting his card on the RSM Basic, however he pale on Sunday and completed No. 146 within the FedExCup.
Bombs away
There are a number of gamers on this week’s area who completely destroy the golf ball off the tee. Charlie Reiter, a San Diego product who certified for this yr’s U.S. Open, and Arizona alum Chase Sienkiewicz are arguably the 2 quickest guys within the area, whereas Kevin Dougherty and Alejandro Tosti completed within the high 10 on the PGA Tour in driving distance this previous season. Kyle Westmoreland and Matthew Riedel have been high 10 on the KFT’s driving-distance leaderboard.
