Four days, no cut. Dog-eat-dog. Hunting for PGA Tour cards. From this Thursday, the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Q-School takes place.
171 players are seeking a spot in the top division of the North American circuit at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club. The top five finishers (and ties) will earn PGA Tour cards. The next 40 finalists (and ties) will receive exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour. A lot is at stake.
How does it work? All golfers will play two rounds at the Dye’s Valley Course of TPC Sawgrass and two rounds at the Sawgrass Country Club. They will compete in the same groups during the first two rounds before being paired for the third round and again for the final round. Half of the top finishers (after 36 holes) will play the third round at Sawgrass Country Club and the fourth at Dye’s Valley, while the remaining half will play on the opposite courses.
Among the notable names on the entry list is Christo Lamprecht. You may remember the towering South African who led during the first day of the 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool. The 23-year-old giant, who finished this season second in the PGA Tour University, is looking to make his first big leap and break into the North American circuit. The former World Amateur Number One is undoubtedly one of the main attractions this week.
If Lamprecht stands out for his precocity, there are two other golfers who will be familiar from a few years back. Two Koreans with very similar paths: Sang Moon Bae and Seung Yul Noh.
Bae reached as high as number 26 in the world with two PGA Tour victories. However, after his second victory in 2014, everything changed when he had to enlist in his country’s mandatory military service. Two years away from professional golf caused him to lose his ranking and form. He has never been the same since. At 38, he is playing for one of his last chances to return to the elite.
The case of Seung Yul Noh is very similar. A champion on the PGA Tour (Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2014) and on the DP World Tour (Malaysian Bank Open 2010) when he was just 19. When Bae returned to competition in 2017, it was Noh’s turn for South Korean military service. He is now 33 and coming off a season with results that offer hope. It is his best year since returning from military service in 2019. This season, he has played eleven tournaments on the PGA Tour with one top 10 and eight cuts made. He is ranked 331 in the world, his best since his return. In the Korn Ferry Tour this year, he has played 19 tournaments and made the cut in 15. Consistency is not lacking, just a week where all rounds come together.
Among the rest of the competitors, the Argentine Alejandro Tosti is one of the names that stands out in this field. Especially because he started the year almost clinching his first PGA Tour victory. His second place at the Texas Houston Open seemed to secure much of his year’s work, but it wasn’t to be. In fact, a bogey on the 18th hole not only prevented him from going to a playoff and at least securing second place alone but ended up tied with five other players. With those points, he wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s well known, but the difference in one hole can mark not just a tournament, but a season or perhaps even more.
Live results of the Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
