With apologies to Bobby Jones, there’s golf that’s for fun, and there’s golf that puts your career on the line, but they’re just not the same.
Sunday showed the difference between the two.
For the kind-hearted former, fans enjoyed the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida. The tournament, a co-production between the PGA and LPGA Tour, pitted 16 two-person teams against each other in a mixed-format competition that had the suspense of a birthday party on a putt-putt course. In the third and final round of this feel-good event at Tiburon Golf Club, Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak pulled away from the pack with a 9-under 63 on a modified four-ball (each hitting their own drive and then playing the other’s ball for a good score on each hole) for a tournament total of 28 under and a three-stroke victory over three teams including a trio of the LPGA Tour’s biggest names (Nellie) Korda, Charlie Hull and Jennifer Kupcho).
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It was something fluffy to stuff in your wallet.
For some heart-pounding action without putting your wallet on the line, you had to head to another part of the Sunshine State’s Ponte Vedra Beach, to be more precise, the site of the annual dogfight known as the Q-School Finals. At Q-School, math is always unforgiving. However, this year’s off-season format change meant that only the top five players survived, making it tougher than ever. Previously, the top five and ties earned cards.
TPC Sawgrass’ Valley Course is a setting for both heartache and heroism, and as is customary, Sunday’s final round delivered both. In a particularly painful moment, Camilo Villegas, a popular tour veteran, missed a short birdie putt on the 18th that he knew he probably needed. As expected, this mistake put him at 10 under, missing out on the playoffs by one stroke. (Villegas, however, remained there to participate in the celebrations that were about to take place.)
For Spencer Levin, 41, who has been competing in the professional game for 20 years in various capacities, the pain continued like a slow drip throughout the day. With a 63 on Saturday, Levin was in position to regain the PGA Tour card he lost in 2017. However, he struggled on Sunday with just 1 over and sank to 13th place.
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Then there was the case of Ben Coles, who made headlines for all the wrong reasons and ended up tied for first place. His unfortunate turn occurred on the par-4 eighth hole, where Coles blocked his drive into the trees and was subsequently penalized for moving the ball while fiddling with debris around his lie, resulting in a double bogey. Coles hit a waterball on the next hole and suffered another double bogey, dashing any hopes of a good result.
But you know what they say. Every golf shot makes someone happy. And by the end of the day, five players were particularly happy. Let’s see who got through it and how.
AJ Ewart
Ewart, a 26-year-old Canadian and the son of an education professional, grew up in cold climates but went on to play in mild climates at Barry University in Florida. Ewart won seven games in college and turned pro in 2023. Last year, Ewart missed a playoff at the Victoria Open and finished in the top 10 on the PGA Tour Americas four times, but came close to missing out on a Korn Ferry Tour card. But he got something even better by beating Q-School with a total of 14 under.
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adam svensson
Same country of origin as Ewart. The university is also the same alma mater. But Svensson, 31, is older and more experienced, having competed in several Tour campaigns and winning the 2022 RSM Classic. Svensson, who finished 167th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2025, had a big week to regain full status in 2026. He finished with a T2 finish.
Alejandro Tosti
As the name suggests, Tosti is very uplifting. Throughout his young career, the passionate Argentine has been embroiled in conflicts with fellow players and tournament officials. He was suspended from the 2023 Albertsons Boise Open for what was reported to be a profanity-laced rant directed at playing partner Kyle Westmoreland. But more often than not, Tosti’s play speaks for itself, holding up under pressure. This is the second year in a row that he has earned full tour status through Q School.
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marcelo roso
When he missed the par putt on the 18th hole and was assured of a place in T2, Rozo pointed at the sky and broke down in tears. It was the most outwardly emotional finish of the day, but no wonder. After sustaining a severe wrist injury in 2022, Rozo thought he might never play competitive golf again. He was absent for the entirety of 2023 and earned his real estate license as a backup career. Rozo, a 36-year-old Colombian, was looking forward to Sunday’s victory.
One of the most emotional moments of the day followed immediately after, as Rozo celebrated with his family alongside his compatriot Villegas and Villegas’ family. Villegas was there to share in Lozo’s moment after he narrowly fell short of winning.
Dylan Wu
Wu, the only American to card this week, birdied the first hole of a two-man playoff against Ben Silverman and did it in strong fashion. Since turning professional in 2019, the 29-year-old Wu has bounced back and forth between the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, gaining experience that came in handy Sunday. After two bogeys on the back nine threatened his chances, Wu fought back with an eagle on the 16th and two gutty pars on the final two holes before making a sudden-death comeback.
The post These 5 Players Earned 2026 PGA Tour Cards appeared first on Golf.
