Tag: Stephan Jaeger

Longest active cut streak extends, Europeans invade leaderboard and more from Thursday at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open

Get caught up on what you missed from the second round in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO — After a cloudy and soggy start to the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open the sun came out Thursday and the winds picked up along the southern California coast. The scores picked up, too.

The South Course at Torrey Pines was even more challenging during the second round of the PGA Tour’s annual stop in San Diego, but on the flip side, the often gettable North Course played a little bit easier.

From a European invasion at the top of the leaderboard to a first-ever ace and the extension of the longest active cut streak on Tour, here’s what you may have missed – including notables who missed the cut – from Thursday’s second round of the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open.

FARMERS: Friday third round tee times | Photos

PGA Tour rookies achieve their dreams, but can they keep their dream jobs?

Unlike some pro sports, there are no guaranteed contracts in professional golf.

NAPA, Calif. – Callum Tarren wondered when he might be getting his PGA Tour card.

The 30-year-old England native seemingly had worked a lifetime to gain admission to the big leagues. He finished tied for fourth at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship three weeks ago, a result that locked up one of the 25 PGA Tour cards given out in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals with one event still remaining. But he skipped the ceremony a week later to fly home and spend time with his first child, Sofia, born two weeks earlier.

Tarren’s friend, David Skinns, a 39-year-old journeyman pro from England who spent time during golf’s pandemic shutdown as both a bartender and DoorDash driver to make ends meet before earning his card too, made sure Tarren received the grand symbol of Tour membership at the Fortinet Championship, the first of 48 tournaments that make up the 2021-22 PGA Tour season. Skinns marked his golf ball on the putting green with Tarren’s card during a practice round at Silverado Resort & Spa’s North Course.

Tarren and Skinns aren’t the only ones who have waited a long time to achieve their dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Justin Lower, 38, attended Q-School six times, missed earning his card by a single shot in 2018, and needed to pitch to a foot from 30 yards to save par at the final hole at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Indiana to secure the last card. Lower still wasn’t sure if he’d done enough until his fellow pros and caddies showered him with beer and champagne. When he finally grabbed hold of his coveted PGA Tour card, Lower said, “It’s heavier than I thought it would be.”

There are 27 rookies in this season’s class on the PGA Tour, the most since 2011 when 35 earned cards, and 26 of them are in the field this week (all but Matthias Schwab). Max McGreevy and Jared Wolfe are making their Tour debuts.

Some, like Aaron Rai, a 26-year-old Englishman who once holed a record 207 straight 10-foot putts at age 15, needed just three starts in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals to graduate while others such as Scott Gutschewski, 44, is returning to the big leagues full time for the first time since 2011. He made just two PGA Tour starts in the past 10 years. How did he celebrate his success? He went to Denny’s.

“It ain’t Applebees, but still pretty fancy,” he tweeted.

Hayden Buckley was the last man to get into the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lecom Suncoast Classic in February and then birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to jumpstart earning his Tour playing privileges. Membership has its privileges. It also means having to play against the likes of World No. 1 Jon Rahm and PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson, who headline the field this week in Napa.

But there are no guaranteed contracts in professional golf. Stephan Jaeger is back for his third tour of duty. He was the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, winning his sixth career title on the circuit, tied for second most all time, but he’s yet to record a top-10 finish in 62 starts on the PGA Tour. Still, he remains undeterred.

“I’ve done a lot over the last year and that’s given me a lot of confidence that like, ‘Hey, I can do this out here,’ ” he said.

Lower shares Jaeger’s never-give-up attitude. The 11-year-pro shed tears of joy when he finally secured the job he’d always dreamed of. This week marks the arrival at his destination, PGA Tour member, but the real work had just begun.

“It means everything,” he said, “and I don’t think this is it. I don’t think my journey is over at all. I think it’s just getting started.”

At Korn Ferry Tour regular-season finale, 25 PGA Tour cards earned for next season

The regular season-ending Korn Ferry Tour event proved to be a big day for 25 golfers who earned a promotion for next season.

The Korn Ferry Tour regular-season finale in Omaha carried extra weight for many in the field. Yes, the goal was to win the tournament, but an even bigger accomplishment was achieved by 25 golfers who earned their PGA Tour cards for the 2021-22 season.

Stephan Jaeger, the 2020-21 points leader, took the outright lead at the Pinnacle Bank Championship on Saturday with a 90-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at The Club at Indian Creek. But his pursuit of a third victory of the season fell short when he shot  even-par 71in the final round and tied for fourth. Jaeger still held onto his points lead, and will be fully exempt when he moves on to the big leagues next season.

David Skinns won the Pinnacle Bank Championship, an event he also won in 2018 for his most recent win on the circuit. Skinns closed in 67 for a 14-under 270 total, one shot better than Jared Wolfe and Zecheng (Marty) Dou. The victory vaulted Skinns from 46th place in the points race all the way to 22nd, securing his 2021-22 PGA Tour card.

The list of 25 who earned their Tour cards

1. Stephan Jaeger, 2804
2. Mito Pereira, 2556
3. Chad Ramey, 2480
4. Taylor Moore, 2271
5. Taylor Pendrith, 2154
6. Greyson Sigg, 2125
7. Davis Riley, 2006
8. Jared Wolfe, 1880
9. Will Zalatoris, 1876
10. Lee Hodges, 1851
11. Adam Svensson, 1821
12. David Lipsky, 1782
13. Brandon Wu, 1735
14. Max McGreevy, 1732
15. Paul Barjon, 1729
16. Andrew Novak, 1692
17. Dylan Wu, 1675
18. Seth Reeves, 1651
19. Cameron Young, 1642
20. Nick Hardy, 1597
21. Curtis Thompson, 1549
22. David Skinns, 1547
23. Ben Kohles, 1497
24. Brett Drewitt, 1487
25. Austin Smotherman, 1439

Next up for those who missed out on the Top 25? Those finishing Nos. 26-75 as well as non-member qualifiers and medical extensions can still earn their card through the Korn Ferry Tour Playoffs. There will be 25 more Tour cards up for grabs but the three-event playoffs will also feature PGA Tour golfers who finished Nos. 126 to 200 in the FedEx Cup points race.

The three KFT playoff events are:

  • Albertsons Boise Open, Boise, Idaho, Aug. 19-22
  • Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 26-29
  • Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Newburgh, Indiana, Sept. 2-5

Greyson Sigg earns first win at Visit Knoxville Open on Korn Ferry Tour

Greyson Sigg, who opened with a 61 on Thursday, fired a final-round 66 to earn his first professional win.

Stephan Jaeger will have to wait at least another week to try to earn that PGA Tour promotion as Greyson Sigg had other plans.

On Sunday, at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open, Jaeger opened the final round with a three-shot lead over Sigg and then birdied his first hole. A win would’ve been Jaeger’s third on the circuit, and that would’ve earned him his Tour card. The last player to earn his PGA Tour card via the three-win promotion was Wesley Bryan in 2016. In all, 11 players have done so.

If Jaeger is to be the 12th, it will come at a later date.

Sigg, who opened the week with a 61, fired a final-round 66 and snagged the victory at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee, the first professional win for the 26-year-old University of Georgia product. His previous best finish was a solo second in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship last August.

Visit Knoxville Open: Leaderboard

Sigg is one of 12 players featured in the CBS show called “One Shot Away,” which is produced by PGA Tour Entertainment. It tracks players chasing after a PGA Tour card during the 2021 portion of the combined Korn Ferry Tour season. KFT players who finish in the top 25 at the end of the season also earn a promotion to the PGA Tour.

Greyson Sigg
Greyson Sigg plays his shot from the 10th tee during the Final Round of the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills Country Club on May 16, 2021 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Jaeger was also looking to tie Jason Gore’s record for most wins—with seven—on the circuit but managed an even-par round of 70 as he closed with a bogey on the 17th hole and a par on the par-5 finishing hole.

Seth Reeves shot a 61, matching Sigg’s first-round fireworks. Reeves had 10 birdies and a bogey in his final round round to finish solo third at 17 under. Max Greyserman and Harrison Endycott finished tied for fourth a 16 under.

The Korn Ferry Tour next travels to Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City for the AdventHealth Championship.

Visit Knoxville Open leader Stephan Jaeger 18 holes away from PGA Tour promotion

Jaeger is 18 holes from a third win this season and automatic promotion to the PGA Tour.

For Stephan Jaeger, promotion to the PGA Tour is just 18 holes away. 

Looking for his third win of the season, which would earn him automatic promotion to the big leagues, Jaeger kept his foot on the gas and extended his lead at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open on Saturday. 

The 31-year-old fired a 5-under 65 at the Donald Ross-designed Holston Hills Country Club. The German has made just one bogey all week and sits at 19 under, three shots clear of Greyson Sigg, who earlier in the week tied the course record with a 61.  

In the combined season, Jaeger has wins at August’s Albertsons Boise Open and last month’s Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin. With a win this week, Jaeger would join a list of 12 players who have earned three-win PGA Tour promotion and would tie Jason Gore’s record for most Korn Ferry Tour wins at seven. 

Visit Knoxville Open: Leaderboard

“I’m still nervous. I hope that never goes away because it’s fun, but I’m comfortable with my game and I’m hitting my driver good and I’m putting well, and that’s a good combo on a golf course like this,” said Jaeger. “I’m really excited to play with Greyson (Sigg) tomorrow, we’re good buddies so we’re going to have a good time.” 

Looking for his second career win – his first came in 2006 – Kyle Reifers is T-3 at 14 under alongside Harrison Endycott. If Reifers, 37, is able to overcome the five-shot deficit, he’ll set the record for longest span between wins at 14 years, 10 months and 21 days. The current record? Eric Axley at 12 years, 11 months and 14 days. 

Stephan Jaeger rides birdie streaks to top of the leaderboard at Visit Knoxville Open

Stephan Jaeger got hot down the stretch and finds himself in the lead at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open.

Stephan Jaeger improved on his Thursday 6-under 64 with a Friday 8-under 62 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open.

Jaeger, a six-time winner on tour, is looking for his second victory of the season after claiming last month’s Emerald Coast Classic in a playoff against David Lipsky.

Hot on Jaeger’s heels at Holston Hills Country Club, a Donald Ross design, is Kyle Reifers, who shot a 6-under 64 to take the early clubhouse lead, but now sits in second place at 13 under. Reifers, 37, last won on tour in 2006 — when it was the Nationwide Tour — at the Chattanooga Classic, where he defeated Brandt Snedeker in a playoff.

After tying the course record on Thursday with a 9-under 61, Greyson Sigg is third at 11 under after a second-round 68. Harrison Endycott shot a second straight 65 to climb into solo fourth. Carl Yuan and Trey Mullinax are T-5 at 9 under.

Jaeger started steady and got hot late to find himself flirting with 59 after a blistering back nine. The German made the turn at 3 under before birdieing six of his final nine holes. If not for his lone bogey of the day on the par-4 7th, Jaeger could have also tied the course record.

Scott Stevens, a Monday qualifier for the event, rose into the top-10 with a second-round 65.

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Visit Knoxville Open returns with plenty of past champs and new venue

The Visit Knoxville Open is a staple on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule, but it will have a new look this year.

The Visit Knoxville Open is a staple on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule. It was one of the original four tournaments from 1990 that remains on the developmental tour schedule, and it’s back this year after being one of 10 tournaments postponed because of COVID-19 pandemic – only this time, it also features a new venue.

After 21 years at Fox Den Country Club, the Visit Knoxville Open moves to Holston Hills Country Club, a Donald Ross-design that opened in 1927. Holston Hills is ranked No. 2 on Golfweek’s Best 2021 list of top private courses in Tennessee. It also ranks No. 98 on Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses list for all layouts built before 1960 in the United States.

A strong field this week includes six of the top 10 players in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings, including No. 1 Stephan Jaeger. Additionally, Jaeger is a past champion of the Visit Knoxville Open, having won by three shots in 2018.

Related: Five things to know about Visit Knoxville Open

Other notable past champions include three-time PGA Tour winners Jeff Maggert (1990) and J.J. Henry (2000) as well as Chris Kirk, who was born in Knoxville and who has charted an inspirational rise back from a personal struggle with alcoholism. Kirk was runner-up at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January and won the King & Bear Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour last summer.

The field includes 59 past Korn Ferry Tour winners with 88 total wins, led by Jaeger and Martin Piller, who each have six.

Jaeger, a four-time winner during his college career at Chattanooga, has much at stake at Holston Hills. A third win in this Korn Ferry Tour super season, after prevailing at the Albertsons Boise Open in August and the Emerald Coast Classic in April, would give Jaeger immediate promotion to the PGA Tour. Jared Wolfe, No. 12 in the points standings, is in the same boat.

The Tennessee ties don’t end with Jaeger. Among the 156 players in the field, 10 played college golf in the state. One of those men is Monday qualifier Bogle Larue, a Knoxville local who is currently a senior at Belmont University.

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Stephan Jaeger makes an ace, leads Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship

Stephan Jaeger aced the second hole and closed his round with birdies on Nos. 4, 6 and 7 to post a 6-under 66 in the Dominican Republic.

On Thursday, the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship became the first PGA Tour event to be staged twice in the same season in 70 years.

It was just 179 days ago that Hudson Swafford hoisted the trophy in the Dominican Republic as tournament champion.

The Corales was supposed to be played in March of 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the event just two weeks before it was to be played. Instead, it was pushed back to September.

On the first day of the Tour’s return, Stephan Jaeger parlayed a hole-in-one on his 11th hole to take the first-round lead. Jaeger aced the par-3 second hole and then closed out his round with birdies on Nos. 4, 6 and 7 to post a 6-under 66. He will start Friday’s round with a one-shot lead over Joel Dahmen and Andrew Yun.

Corales: Leaderboard | Photos | TV info

“Obviously 1’s don’t really add up too quickly, so that was a good start of the back nine,” he said.

Jaeger admits it’s been a while since he made an ace.

“I haven’t had a hole-in-one probably since college, it’s been a long time, especially in a tournament. I think my last tournament hole-in-one was, I think, junior year in college. So I’m not going to age myself, but it’s been a while, for sure.”

Dahmen has missed the cut in six of his last seven events. The one cut he made in that stretch ended in a T-60 finish at Pebble Beach.

“Been a long time,” he said after his first round 67 that included no bogeys. “Been getting my butt kicked out here since the start of the year, so it feels good to play well. Still have a long ways to go.”

Dahmen also attributed his lackluster play to some equipment issues.

“My clubs were maybe bent incorrectly so we got that fixed,” he said. “I played four weeks basically with maybe clubs that weren’t fit properly. That sucks, obviously. And just the last couple weeks had them kind of fixed and the ball’s been flying correctly again.”

Nate Lashley, Adam Schenk, Justin Suh, Sam Ryder, Rafael Campos and Mark Anderson all shot 68s and are tied for fourth.

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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.