The PGA Tour announced on Monday that the top five finishers of the official PGA Tour University rankings after the conclusion of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s National Championship will receive membership to the Korn Ferry Tour.
The Korn Ferry Tour is a developmental tour below the PGA Tour. Competitors are professional golfers who have not to reach full PGA status yet or have not won enough FedEx Cup points in the previous season to maintain full PGA Tour status. The feeder tours goal is to develop players and make sure they are ready to compete and win on golf’s biggest stage. After the Korn Ferry tour season, the top 25 players are warded full status to the PGA Tour.
This announcement could not have come at a better time with college golf being one of the many sports whose seasons were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many seniors would have had aspirations of turning pro after the National Championship this year but with seasons and tournaments being cancelled it was looking like the worst timing to make the jump from amateur to pro. Along with the extra year of eligibility awarded to spring athletes and this announcement from the PGA tour means the dream isn’t over yet and they have been rewarded a lifeline.
The opportunity of status on the Korn ferry tour will not only help keep the top golfers in school longer but it will also provide breathing space for the top golfers who would have initially had to rely on sponsors invites as their way to playing onto the PGA tour. The Korn Ferry tour is a route that breeds success and enables golfers to gain a wealth of experience that prepares them for the bigger stage.
The full statement from the PGA Tour - https://www.pgatour.com/company/2020/06/01/pga-tour-university-debuts-college-seniors-mackenzie-tour-latinoamerica-china.html
