Category: Korn Ferry

Charlie Saxon looks to go wire-to-wire at Korn Ferry Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship

Charlie Saxon put together another strong round on Saturday and is looking to go wire-to-wire at the Lincoln Land Championship.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A nettlesome wedge shot flustered Charlie Saxon enough for him to vent a little frustration on his club during the third round of the Lincoln Land Championship at Panther Creek Country Club on Saturday.

He quickly rebounded on the next hole with his only birdie on the back nine to preserve a one-stroke lead over 2018 tournament champion Anders Albertson and enter Sunday’s final round at 18-under-par.

Austen Truslow and Brett Drewitt remain close behind in third at 16-under while Ben Kohles sits fifth at 14-under.

“It was good after kind of parring it out there for 10 or so holes,” Saxon said of his birdie on the par-5 16th, breaking a streak of 11 straight pars. “It was nice to hit a good iron on the green there. I hit a pretty abysmal eagle putt but it was nice to roll in a 3-footer for birdie. I played a solid two holes coming in and I’m sitting in a good spot.”

Saxon, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also dropped his putter on No. 15 after missing his golden birdie opportunity that started with a promising long drive within 100 yards of the green. But Saxon said his caddie, Ryan Boshoven, helped allay the frustration.

His patience paid off on No. 16 with a birdie after nailing the middle of the green from 195 yards with a 7-iron on the par-5.

Lincoln Land Championship: Leaderboard

“The putter was an accident,” Saxon said of No. 15. “I had 85 yards from there — pretty easy wedge shot. I was just biding my time all day waiting for an opportunity to really get a good look at birdie. That was a bit of a bummer. It was nice to back it up with a birdie.”

Albertson, who has one top-10 finish this year and ranks 75th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings, chipped in from 94 yards for eagle on No. 8 and birdied Nos. 13 and 16.

“I was doing some work on the range last night,” Albertson said of his chip shot. “That was a great number for me.”

Albertson previously went 25-under at Panther Creek in 2018 for his only victory on tour. He also finished fifth in 2017, one stroke away from reaching a four-way playoff won by Adam Schenk.

“It’s nice to come back to a place where you’ve had success,” Albertson said.

For the third straight round, Saxon had no bogeys. The University of Oklahoma graduate last won professionally in June 2018 on the PGA Tour Series in China and is ranked 51st in the point standings with two top-10 finishes. This year’s champion receives 500 points in the Korn Ferry standings and $108,000 with four more tournaments left on the schedule.

“I really didn’t hit it as well as I have the last few days,” Saxon said. “The putter saved me at the end of the day. I made a couple real nice 70-footers (for a two-putt) for par on the front nine. They kept my round together.

“It wasn’t the cleanest round even though my scorecard was lacking bogeys, but I’m happy with it. We’re moving forward. Hopefully I play a little bit better tomorrow.”

Charlie Saxon bogey-free for second day, leads after 36 holes at Korn Ferry Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship

Charlie Saxon went bogey-free for a second day to keep his lead after 36 holes at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Charlie Saxon had another dream start.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native wrangled three straight birdies early in the second round of the Lincoln Land Championship at Panther Creek Country Club and stayed atop the leaderboard at 15-under-par for a two-stroke lead over Australian Brett Drewitt.

Saxon didn’t quite match his career-low 61 from Thursday but once again went bogey-free at 5-under 66 Friday.

“It’s a long tournament on a relatively easy golf course, so you’re just going to have to make birdies,” Saxon said. “I just tried to run away from everybody as far as I could.”

Saxon last pulled out a win in June 2018 on the PGA Tour Series in China.

“It’s been a little longer than I would’ve liked, but hopefully we solve that this weekend,” Saxon said.

Drewitt was among three players to score 9-under Friday but stands alone at second. Vincent Whaley is third with a 12-under total while Harry Hall and 2018 tournament champion Anders Albertson are tied for fourth at 11-under.

Drewitt had six birdies on his first nine holes and credited that string of fortune to his putter.

“I just got some putts to drop, which was really nice,” Drewitt said. “I haven’t had that yet this year.”

Whaley, a Georgia Tech alum, said he wasn’t as sharp Friday and watched another Yellow Jacket, Albertson, surge into contention.

“It’s one of those courses where it’s not overly demanding off the tee but if you hit it just a little out of position it’s tough to hit it close to some of these holes,” Whaley said. “The greens kind of firmed up and the whole course really firmed up, so it was playing a little tougher than yesterday, too.”

Hall, a recent graduate from University of Nevada Las Vegas, finished with three straight birdies to build momentum into the weekend.

“Finished like a Rebel today, that’s the saying of Coach (Dwaine) Knight at UNLV,” Hall said. “I was just so in the zone that it didn’t feel like my last three holes. I just kept doing what I was doing.”

Saxon had looks down the stretch to expand his lead but couldn’t convert with his putter.

“I played solid the rest of the day,” Saxon said. “I didn’t quite putt as well as I did yesterday. Overall, it was a solid round. I was proud of how I stayed patient even though the putts weren’t falling and I was able to scoop up a few on the par-5s.”

The University of Oklahoma graduate thrived against the wind Thursday afternoon. This time he played under calmer conditions.

“A lot less was going on, so kind of funny that the tougher conditions I was five shots better,” Saxon said. “But that’s how golf is sometimes.”

Nick Hardy feeling back at home in Illinois during Lincoln Land Championship

Illinois grad Nick Hardy has been pleased with his success so far this Korn Ferry Tour season, especially after round one in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — University of Illinois graduate Nick Hardy has been pleased with his success so far this season on the Korn Ferry Tour.

That continued after the first round of the Lincoln Land Championship on Thursday at Panther Creek Country Club.

Hardy started at 4-under through the first seven holes and finished at 2-under 71.

“I played well the first few holes,” said Hardy, who began on No. 10. “I think those are more of the easier holes on the course. I was happy to take care of those and play well on those.”

Hardy, 24, is 16th in the KFT point standings with five top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish in The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar in January.

“I’m in good shape on the points list,” the Northbrook native said. “I’ve been playing this summer. I’m happy with how consistent my game has been week in and week out. There’s been a lot of positives to take away from this year.”

Hardy attributed that to a positive mindset, something he needed down the stretch. He had three bogeys on the last nine holes but also two birdies. His tee shot on No. 8 forced a punch-out that led to a long bunker shot to the pin.

He salvaged a bogey and converted a tricky two-putt to save par on No. 9 to close the round.

Hardy said he was pretty happy with his day overall.

“I just made some mistakes today,” Hardy said. “I had four bogeys but I played pretty well. The wind’s going to pick up this afternoon, so I got a good number in for a first round. So, I’m still in it for the weekend.”

Hardy, who last appeared in this tournament two years ago, feels nothing but good vibes, even if some of his college acquaintances and all of the spectators can’t come out to see him play due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I love central Illinois. It’s obviously close to home for me and I love it here,” he said.

“With the COVID going on, you obviously can’t have spectators out here otherwise I’m sure there would be some buddies that would come out here. It’s too bad but it’s just good to be back here.”

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Charlie Saxon goes low with 10-under 61, leads Lincoln Land Championship after first round

Charlie Saxon went low on Thursday with a 10-under 61 to take a two-shot lead at the Lincoln Land Championship.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A breezy afternoon wind swept through Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday.

It was no match for Charlie Saxon from the windswept lands of Oklahoma.
The Tulsa native birdied the first three holes and then reeled off four in a row on the back nine en route to 10-under-par 61 in the first round of the Lincoln Land Championship for a two-stroke lead over Vincent Whaley.

“I got off to a great start,” Saxon said. “I think I birdied my first three and feeling good. I had some great swings to start the day. I felt good with the putter and I just kept hitting good golf shots.”

“It wasn’t my goal to shoot 59. I was just trying to hit good shots. I’m thrilled with a 61,” he added.

Saxon said he once scored a 59 in a practice round but this was his personal best in professional play. The University of Oklahoma graduate has two top-10 finishes this year and is ranked 51st in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings.

But Saxon said it was a largely uneventful day, no small thanks to his driver soaring long distances and cheating over doglegs. He had four straight birdies beginning on No. 10 until he lipped out a birdie attempt on the par-3 15th.

Dirty Meadow: Four pro golfers all live in the same house

“I drove it really well,” said Saxon, who was sporting an OU belt buckle. “That’s the key out here. If you’re driving it well and hitting the fairway and giving yourself a lot of wedge opportunities, yeah it felt great with the driver. I was able to cut a few corners with the wind how it was. Maybe a few holes played a lot shorter than I guess they’re supposed to be.

“It’s golf. Sometimes everything goes in your favor. When one of those days happens, you just got to keep it rolling.”

Saxon overtook Whaley, a Georgia Tech grad, who began the tournament with 2018 tournament champion and fellow Yellow Jacket Anders Albertson.

Whaley didn’t get any course tips, but he did acquire Albertson’s old caddie, Michael Hinds, from the 2018 victory.

“When he won, Michael was on his bag,” Whaley said. “So he knows the course well. I played well here last year, but it was a good grouping, it was fun.”

How much did the caddie contribute to the strong start?

“I’m sure he thinks so,” Whaley said. “I don’t know. He’s great. He helps me the whole time. Nothing in particular, just trusting him.”

Whaley started 3-under after the front nine and later knocked down a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th.

“It was pretty clean,” Whaley said. “I didn’t hit it overly close, it was just one of those rounds where I kept getting reads from my playing partners all day so I knew where a lot of putts were breaking and I was able to get them to drop.

“My eagle putt on 16, that was a nice 30-footer after Anders gave me a perfect read. A lot of good putts, nothing bad.”

Thursday’s wind didn’t start picking up until the middle of the day.

“Having the first tee time off was great, I haven’t had that in a long time,” Whaley said. “I’m usually last off. That was very nice. We didn’t have a ton of wind until the last four or five holes and I think it’s going to continue to be windy all day.”

Ryan Brehm and Ben Kohles finished the round tied at 6 under for third place.

Whaley has appeared on the PGA Tour this year, finishing as high as 29th place at January’s The American Express in La Quinta, California.

Whaley said his swing is now starting to feel better since the quarantine.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs but I feel better with where my game is at right now.”

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Dylan Wu back where it all started at Lincoln Land Championship

It’s been like going down memory lane for Dylan Wu. The Oregon native returns to the Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday for the Korn Ferry Tour’s fifth annual Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS. This is the site of his first big break. …

It’s been like going down memory lane for Dylan Wu.

The Oregon native returns to the Panther Creek Country Club on Thursday for the Korn Ferry Tour’s fifth annual Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS.

This is the site of his first big break.

After participating in Wednesday’s LRS Pro-Am tournament, Wu said he could recall all of the shots and moments from last year when he finished tournament runner up against Xinjun Zhang.

He vividly remembers the birdie on No. 18 and the ensuing three-hole playoff against Zhang, who went on to win the tournament and become the No. 1 golfer on what was then the Web.com Tour’s regular season points standings.

Wu may have lipped out a birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win, but he took the loss in stride and hasn’t looked back since then.

“I learned a lot from that,” Wu said. “I was really happy how I played in the playoff. It’s good to be back here. This is my second year on the Tour but most of the tournaments I’ve played so far this year I haven’t really played on a golf course that I’ve had a lot of success on. It’s definitely nice coming back here.”

Dylan Wu jokes with his caddie and former Northwestern University teammate Harley Abrams as they approach the 18th green for the first playoff with Xinjun Zhang, left, during the fourth round of Web.com Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship presented by LRS Sunday, June 16, 2019. Wu and Zhang tied the first two playoff holes before Zhang won on the third. [Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register]

That week was a true whirlwind. Last year Wu came off the alternate list and didn’t find out he was going to play in the Lincoln Land Championship until the middle of Monday preceding the tournament. He subsequently had to take a red-eye flight from Phoenix to Chicago where a friend provided a lift to central Illinois for a Tuesday morning practice round. He slept half the day Wednesday and simply just tried to make the cut during the first two rounds.

He did just that at 1 under after two rounds and took off from there. He turned in a 6 under 65 in the Saturday round and then 8 under in the last round. Wu parred all three of the playoff holes while Zhang clinched the win with a birdie on the final playoff hole.

“It’s definitely cool to be back here and see the shots and play the holes again,” Wu said.

It was just his second appearance on the Tour. He made his debut earlier that year in May at the Knoxville Open where he missed the cut.

“This gave me pretty much everything when I finished second here,” Wu said. “It gave me pretty close to full status on the Korn Ferry. Just having the second year under me has been great just having a lot more experience and getting a lot more comfortable.“

Wu no longer has to wait for a tournament invite as an alternate and has the luxury of picking and choosing where he wants to compete. Wu currently ranks No. 11 on the season points standings and has cracked the top 10 five times this year on the PGA’s second-tier level, including second place at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January.

“It’s been a good year so far,” Wu said. “We have about five events left to play this season, but it’s been a successful season and I’ve learned a lot from last year after this event. It’s just been a lot of good golf and I kind of have to credit this as the starting point.”

Even though he is in the Top 25, Wu will not be able to graduate onto the PGA Tour until next year like everyone else.

“It’s kind of a bummer nobody is graduating to the PGA Tour, but it’s been a great year,” Wu said. “I’ve had a lot of top 10 finishes and a lot of good results. The next thing on my goal list is to get a win. I was really close here last year. It’s been a good year so far for me. No matter where you are, if you are in the Top 25 money list, you have to be doing something right.”

[jwplayer 7NBaZ2A0-9JtFt04J]

Wu just needs to get his first career win on the Korn Ferry Tour. Wu said he feels confident coming back to a familiar region not just because of this tournament.

Wu graduated from Northwestern University in 2018 with a degree — his contingency plan in case his professional golf career didn’t pan out.

Golf is a major staple in the Wu family in Medford, Oregon. His twin brothers, Jeremy and Josh, played NCAA Division I golf at Valparaiso and Air Force, respectively. Wu’s younger sister, Kaylee, is currently a sophomore on the Lipscomb women’s golf team as well.

Wu anticipates plenty of low rounds this week with soft greens and hospitable weather expected on the par-71 course designed by Hale Irwin.

Anders Albertson, the 2018 tournament champion, is part of the first group at 6:50 a.m. while Wu begins at 12:20 p.m.

Perhaps Panther Creek can provide another watershed moment for Wu.

Contact Bill Welt: bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt

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Curtis Luck prevails at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship

Curtis Luck began Sunday in prime position to win his first tournament since turning professional three years ago, and he held on.

Curtis Luck began Sunday in prime position to win his first tournament since turning professional three years ago. He just needed to hold on.

A pair of birdie putts over the final four holes helped him stave off a crowded field and seize the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at Ohio State’s Scarlet course.

“One of the biggest strengths I have on the golf course is digging deep and showing my grit,” Luck said.

He shot an even-par 71, finishing 11 under par for the Korn Ferry Tour tournament, one stroke ahead of Theo Humphrey, Taylor Montgomery and Cameron Young.

After sitting atop the leaderboard with a one-stroke lead on Young ahead of the final round, the 24-year-old Australian native lost his grip midway through the afternoon. Two bogeys threatened to undo his bid for the trophy, the first coming on No. 8 and the second following on 11.

Luck thought poor tee shots plagued him on the holes before exercising some damage control to prevail in the narrow fashion.

“From walking off the tee, I knew it was going to be a tough challenge to make par,” he said, “so I sort of accepted the fact that if I make a bogey, that’s the worst I’m going to do on the hole.”

He ultimately reclaimed the lead on 16 when he drained a long putt for birdie and pumped his fist as soon as the ball dropped into the hole in celebration, knowing the stakes.

As Luck pulled into sole possession of the lead, Will Zalatoris fell back. While he sat at 11 under par through 16 and in the lead, he bogeyed over his final two holes and ended up 9-under par, among five players who were tied for fifth.

Zalatoris, 24, has played well since the Korn Ferry Tour resumed after a coronavirus pandemic shutdown, finishing in the top-10 six times, including winning the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes last month.

This weekend’s triumph, though, was particularly sweet for Luck, who had been eager for a breakthrough in his professional career.

“It’s really a deep breath of relief,” Luck said. “Golf’s really tough. It’s probably not gone 100 percent to plan, the way I wanted, when I turned pro. But I’ve just stuck with it, and I’m still working hard. To get a win out here, is massive.”

Luck, the world’s former top-ranked amateur, had grand plans when he first turned pro. But last year, he lost his PGA Tour card, and until recently, this year had not brought much success, either.

Prior the tournament in Columbus, he had not finished higher than 16th, his only top-25 appearance, and missed the cut in seven of 11 Korn Ferry Tour events, including the previous three tournaments.

The elusive victory felt affirming.

“It just shows that I’m able to compete, which is nice,” Luck said.

Despite unevenness on the professional tours in the U.S., Luck had fared well at OSU’s course. At last year’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, he tied for seventh. In 2018, he came in a tie for fifth.

A round of 66 on Friday put him atop the leaderboard and in position to win this weekend.

Over each of the previous three rounds, Luck had shot at least 3-under par and estimated he might need a similar performance Sunday, before teeing off in the afternoon with the 23-year-old Young.

“I thought in my mind, that if I shot four under today, it wasn’t leaving it to chance,” Luck said. “I don’t think anyone was going to catch that score. 71, I’m going to take it, but I definitely thought that would be cutting fine, and it was.”

Curtis Luck chasing Korn Ferry Tour breakthrough at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship

Perhaps the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Ohio State’s Scarlet course will be a breakthrough for Curtis Luck.

Even after he won the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship and became the world’s top-ranked amateur a year later, Curtis Luck knew the transition to professional golf would have its bumps.

He was right. He earned his PGA Tour card but lost it last year. This year, the Australian has only one top-25 finish and four made cuts in 11 Korn Ferry Tour events. He missed the cut in his last three tournaments.

Perhaps the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Ohio State’s Scarlet course will be a breakthrough for the 24-year-old. He shot a 3-under-par 68 on Saturday and has a 1-shot lead on Cameron Young entering Sunday’s final round.

“The strategy for me was to limit the bogeys, and I went bogey-free so I’m pretty stoked about that,” Luck said. “I just tried to play really smart.”

Luck has played well in this tournament in the past. He finished tied for fifth two years ago and tied for seventh last year. He tied for 19th in 2017 shortly after turning pro.

“I’ve played all these pins,” he said, “so I know where to miss and where not to hit it, which is crucial the way the greens are. They’re so firm.

“No doubt in my mind it’s a huge advantage being here the fourth year and putting in good results each and every year being back.”

Success elsewhere has been elusive, though.

“I think I knew it was going to be hard,” Luck said of the adjustment to pro golf. “Golf is incredibly hard regardless, so I think in my mind I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and it’s definitely been an up-and-down run since 2016. I’ve had a couple years where I definitely haven’t played the way I want.”

At the end of last year, Luck said, he took time off to make changes in his game, particularly with the plane of his swing.

“The last couple years, I got a little lazy,” he said.

Though he’s encouraged by his play this week, Luck said he is still trying to become comfortable with those adjustments.

Because of changes forced by the pandemic, this year’s top Korn Ferry Tour performers won’t be promoted to the PGA Tour for 2021. Luck views that as a blessing in disguise, a way for him to focus on his long-term future instead of pressing to earn a tour card.

“I’m just trying to progress and get to a position where I’m not searching to make cuts (but) actually trying to win golf tournaments,” he said.

He has that chance now. As he was Saturday, he’ll be paired with Cameron Young, who’s one shot behind. Luck defeated Young during his run to the 2016 U.S. Amateur title.

“He’s got some phenomenal hands around the greens, and he’s very artistic with his shot-making,” Young said. “Today I noticed that he goes about his golf in a really good way.

“He’s very professional about how he manages his game and how he thinks about each shot and how he works his way around the golf course. That really impressed me.”

Young’s round of 68 included four birdies and only one bogey.

“It was a solid day, but nothing really outstanding,” the native New Yorker said.

Erik Barnes is in third place at 9-under, a shot better than Jimmy Stanger and Will Zalatoris, who’s the top player on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

Ryan McCormick is tied for sixth after shooting a 65 for the top round of the day.

Dublin native Kyle Reifers shot a 70 and is tied for 43rd.

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Stephan Jaeger wins Boise Open for fifth Korn Ferry Tour title

Stephan Jaeger won the Boise Open for his fifth Korn Ferry Tour title, putting him two wins shy of tying the KFT record.

Stephan Jaeger is a proven winner.

The 31-year-old won his fifth career Korn Ferry Tour title on Sunday at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco. Jaeger’s final-round 3-under 68 was just enough to earn a two-shot victory at 22 under at Hillcrest Country Club.

Dan McCarthy made Jaeger earn it, getting to 20 under for the tournament thanks to a 7-under 64 on Sunday. Brandon Wu tied McCarthy for second, with Nicholas Lindheim and Justin Lower finishing T-4 at 19 under.

“I feel comfortable being uncomfortable,” Jaeger said via a Korn Ferry Tour release. “The only time I get uncomfortable is when I have the lead…My goal every time I play is to win the golf tournament. It’s been a little bit of a drought, and obviously I was on Tour last year and I want to win one of those, but I’m on the Korn Ferry Tour this year so I’m going to try and win as many as I can by next August.”

Objective complete.

Boise Open: Leaderboard

Jaeger is one of only 13 players in the Korn Ferry Tour’s 31-year history to earn five or more wins. He’s now just two wins away from tying Jason Gore’s all-time record of seven wins.

Next week, the tour travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the second of three events in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship Series, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship held at Ohio State University Scarlet Course.

Lee Hodges takes home KFT’s Portland Open title, earns U.S. Open start

With a steady 71, Hodges won at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, and has qualified for this year’s U.S. Open.

Lee Hodges is thrilled to have won the Korn Ferry Tour’s WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by KraftHeinz. And he’s even more excited about the doors it might open.

With a steady 71 highlighted by a birdie putt on the tournament’s final hole, Hodges won at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon, but just as important, he’s now among the top five Korn Ferry Tour point leaders, meaning he has qualified for this year’s U.S. Open.

“It’s pretty cool because I didn’t feel like I had my best game this week,” Hodges said. “I mean, I played well, but like I didn’t feel like I was just like clicking on all cylinders and to get a win doing that is pretty special. I didn’t think I would be as nervous as I was last night, but I didn’t sleep a lot last night. You know I kind of tossed and turned.”

Hodges, a University of Alabama alum, was tied for the lead after 54 holes with Paul Barjon. Hodges opened the final round with a bogey but settled in after hitting a 30-foot putt on No. 2 for birdie.

“I played really nice golf,” he said. “I played proper golf which was nice to do on a Sunday when you’re leading. I didn’t take too many risks.”

Barjon, meanwhile, had a pair of double-bogeys on the front and made the turn at 39. He did claw back into contention down the stretch and finished in a tie for second with David Lipsky, Carl Yuan and Chad Ramey.

For Hodges, the opportunity to play Winged Foot this year at the U.S. Open — spots opened up when the USGA determined it couldn’t hold qualifiers — is a special one.

“It’s pretty great,” Hodges said. “It’ll be special, for sure. I’ve always admired the U.S. Open, the way you have to play out there — it’s proper golf. And I like to think I play a lot of proper golf, so hopefully go and play well.”

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Paul Barjon dreaming of U.S. Open as he shares lead at KFT’s Portland Open

For Barjon, a victory would likely earn him a place in the U.S. Open.

Paul Barjon carded seven birdies en route to a 66 and he and Lee Hodges are tied atop the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round of the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by KraftHeinz.

For Barjon, a victory would likely earn him a place in the U.S. Open. Because of COVID-19 and the lack of U.S. Open qualifiers, the top five on the regular-season points list at the end of this week will earn a spot into this year’s major at Winged Foot.

Barjon currently ranks seventh, but a victory would likely give him enough points to leapfrog his way into the major. Currently ahead of him, in order, are Davis Riley, Will Zalatoris, Taylor Pendrith, Dylan Wu, Mito Pereira and Jared Wolfe.

“Obviously, it’s in the back of my mind,” Barjon said. “Playing a major, the U.S. Open, the toughest one out of the four, definitely would mean a lot. That would be a great experience in my opinion.”

Korn Ferry Tour’s Portland Open: Scores

Barjon, who hails from France and played collegiately at TCU, has jumped into the race for one of the five spots through a big showing during consecutive tournaments in San Antonio. He finished T-3 in the TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons and then T-2 the next week at TPC San Antonio Championship at the Oaks.

Meanwhile. Hodges followed Friday’s 64 with a solid 68, making a birdie on No. 18, and is tied with Barjon at 11 under. Anders Albertson is one stroke behind.