PGA Tour cards are just three rounds away at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
Have a day, Trey Mullinax.
The former All-American at Alabama was rolling like the Tide on Thursday at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, the third and final event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
The 29-year-old shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 at Victoria National Golf Club in Indiana to take not only the early lead, but also a crucial step towards his PGA Tour card. Twenty-five players moved on to the Tour through the KFT regular season. Nine more players have already earned their cards for next season through the Finals 25 via the first two Finals events, leaving 16 left to be claimed this week.
Tyson Alexander made birdie on four of his last seven holes to climb into second place, two shots back at 7 under. Andrew Novak, who already earned his PGA Tour card, sits T-3 at 5 under alongside Hayden Buckley and Tommy Gainey, who are each looking to earn their way to the next level.
The shot of the day came from 40-year-old Ricky Barnes, who let out a “get lucky” when his tee shot on the par-3 16th ricocheted off a rock and shot across the green to the rough. Barnes, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion, sits T-48 at even par.
25 more players will earn their way to the PGA Tour this weekend.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The thrilling finish to the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour season takes place this week with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.
This will be the 10th year Victoria National Golf Club has hosted the second tier to the PGA Tour. Following a change in 2019, it is also the final stop on tour with PGA cards on the line by the end of the week.
It is always an exciting four days of golf played by some of the best in the country. Here is what you need to know for this year’s event.
What is at stake?
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is the third and final event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, with the second set of 25 PGA Tour cards being awarded at the conclusion of the tournament.
Nine players have already crossed the 210-point threshold the Korn Ferry Tour is currently using as its fail-safe number for players to finish inside The Finals 25, leaving 16 available PGA Tour cards this week.
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The schedule
The tournament started Thursday morning and will continue through Sunday with first-round tee times scheduled from 6:50 a.m. to 2 p.m. According to weather.com, the forecast calls for temperatures in the low 80s with only Saturday showing possible rain.
Golf Channel will have live coverage of the first two rounds from 10 a.m. to noon ET. The final two days are scheduled to be shown on tape delay: 8-10 p.m. on Saturday) and 7-9 p.m. on Sunday.
Are tickets available?
Last year, the event was restricted to athletes and essential personnel. That isn’t the case for the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
Tickets are still available for purchase through tourchampulf.com/tickets/. Among those listed are daily hospitality suites with amenities. A weekly general admission ticket is $40 and daily admission ticket is $20.
The Field
There are several players to keep an eye on this week.
Defending champion Brandon Wu returns with a chance to make history. No player in the 32 years of the Korn Ferry Tour has successfully defended the Tour Championship. Wu shot a 7-under 65 in the final round last year to win by one shot at 18 under.
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He isn’t the only past champion of the event with Matt Every (2009) and Tom Lewis (2019) also in the event. The field is also headlined by 19 members of The 25, including five of the top 10 in the points standings. There are 72 past Korn Ferry Tour winners with 98 total wins, led by Tommy Gainey and Adam Svensson with three apiece.
There are also 21 past PGA Tour winners including Aaron Baddeley, Sean O’Hair and Camilo Villegas.
While 25 Korn Ferry Tour players already earned their PGA Tour cards through the regular season, a separate points list for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals determines the The Finals 25. The player who earns the most points during the three Finals events (excluding those from the regular season) will earn fully exempt status on the PGA Tour for the 2021-22 season, as well as an invitation to The Players Championship.
Here is the top 10 going into the Tour Championship: Bronson Burgoon, Aaron Rai, J.J. Spaun, Vincent Whaley, Callum Tarren, Lucas Herbert, Matthias Schwab, Scott Gutschewski, Alex Smalley and Sahith Theegala.
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Victoria National Golf Club
The Tom Fazio-design is listed as the 47th best golf course in America, according to Golf Digest. It has also considered one of the toughest stops on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Victoria National was ranked among the top-three six consecutive seasons from 2013-18, and it was the No. 1-ranked toughest course in 2015, 2016, and 2018. A par 72, scores have been higher the past two years after previously hosting a Tour event in late April or early July.
Even playing under different conditions, the course remains brutal for those not playing well. The final stretch on the back nine is considered among the toughest closing holes on Tour.
