The holiday season is just around the corner, and many professional golfers are expecting something more than just a present. The final stage of the PGA Tour Q School takes place this week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., with two weeks of Survival and Advance style golf to earn spots on next season’s PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.
The penultimate stage was scheduled to be held last week at five venues across the United States, featuring five different 72-hole stroke play competitions. Two sites were shortened to 54 holes due to weather. A total of 88 players from these five venues made it to the final stage, making this golf game a sprint in terms of game quality and a marathon in terms of mental intensity.
“I would say[there was a bit of a mental change]but not in a bad way for me,” Kieron van Wyk explained. He qualified for the second stage due to his final position in the PGA Tour University Rankings, but ultimately failed to qualify for the final stage. “I feel like I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If I have a good week and finish in the top five on the final stage, I’ll be on the PGA Tour next year. I’m pretty much just going out there. The whole system is nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
PGA Tour status, awarded to the top five finishers (no ties) in the final stage, isn’t the only carrot dangled in front of these players. Athletes who medal at the five qualifying venues in the second stage will earn membership on the Korn Ferry Tour (assuming their status does not improve in the final stage) and will be eligible for a second reorder for the 2026 season.
After the top five finishers on the final stage (i.e. those who have earned PGA Tour status for the 2026 season), the next 40 tied players will earn Korn Ferry Tour status and be exempt from regular reordering at the beginning of the year. The top 25 players in this group will be eligible for a third reorder, followed by a second reorder. The remainder of the 176 player slots will receive conditional membership on the Korn Ferry Tour and membership on the PGA Tour Americas and will be subject to reordering.
So keep this in mind, as those competing for PGA Tour membership will inevitably (and rightfully) be in the spotlight. Unlike last year, when the top five and ties earned full-time cards, this year only the top five earned full-time cards, continuing the tense trend on the PGA Tour. (Playoffs will be held for each hole if necessary.)
“I’m definitely keeping an eye on (the changes to the PGA Tour’s lineup) because that’s where I want to be,” Van Wyk continued. “They’re just making it harder and harder, but after that, I think it’s a good thing. We’ve also been stripped of 10 cards from the Korn Ferry Tour, and we’re very aware of what’s going on. Those are the stepping stones, the tours, and where I believe myself to be.”
