– Chan Kim (-6) is the first leader of the grand final of the PGA Tour School, a tournament held over four days on two different courses at Sawgrass, awarding five cards for the American circuit. It shouldn’t be too surprising to see Kim at the top. He is a specialist in the schools. He’s passed them all. The first was the PGA Tour Canada, check. Then came the Japan Tour, check. Years later, he tried the DP World Tour and got the Challenge Tour card, check. The last was the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, of course, check.
“I don’t know why, but it’s a reality that I’m good at qualifying schools. I think it’s because I approach them with the idea of winning, not with the number of spots in mind. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have that same mentality in tournaments,” he said with a laugh after finishing the first round at the Dye’s Valley course. Kim is playing the school because he finished 130th in the FedEx Cup. Last year, he barely saved his card. He lives on the edge in the United States after a golden era on the Japan Tour with eight victories. He is 35 years old and was born in South Korea, although he holds American nationality.
Kim’s other motivation is Jeena, his newborn daughter. She had complications at birth, was premature, and spent several weeks in the ICU. She is now home, much to the parents’ relief. “Now what I have to do is simply earn money to buy nappies,” he states.
– In the schools, everyone is their own person. Chan Kim, the leader, has been on the PGA Tour for two years. Greyson Sigg (-5), in second place, has already spent four years with a card, though struggling greatly each time to give himself a new opportunity. He has nine top 10s on the PGA Tour. He has never won or finished second. Michael Feagles (-4), third on the leaderboard and the best on the Champions Course at TPC Sawgrass tied with A.J. Ewart (-4), has played one tournament in two years and is now trying again at the school. He has passed the first two stages and is at the top. Ewart, on the other hand, played this year on the PGA Tour Americas and finished 15th in the ranking. He started in the second stage of the School. Also tied in that third place is Luke Gutschewski (-4), a young golfer who spent his childhood in a caravan travelling from tournament to tournament following his father Scott, a three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour.
– A thousand and one stories to keep you awake at the school. Here, everyone is the same. It doesn’t matter where each one comes from or their pedigree. Not even a player like Adam Hadwin (-1), a member of the international team of the Presidents Cup and a winner on the PGA Tour. Or Camilo Villegas (-1), with five victories on the main circuit. Or Ryo Ishikawa (PAR), as popular in Japan as a rock star.
In the schools, everyone is the same, and the only thing that makes them different is the number of birdies they achieve.
