Greg Chalmers – can he regain PGA Tour status from a standing start? – file photo Bruce Young
The Korn Ferry Tour’s final event of the year, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship is played this week with six Australians and one New Zealander hoping to finish the season strongly and be on their way to the PGA Tour’s first tournament of the new season in Napa in two weeks’ time.
The Victorian National Golf Club in Newburgh in Indiana plays host to the US$1 million event but, while the prizemoney is strong by Korn Ferry Tour standards, the bigger prize is earning a card to compete on the big stage next season.
Brett Drewitt and Lucas Herbert have already earned that right courtesy of Herbert’s good start to the three event Final Series but they can advance their cause even further with a good week and claim higher status in their quest for early season PGA Tour starts.
For Curtis Luck 24th, Aaron Baddeley 31st, Rhein Gibson 48th, Greg Chalmers (no position on the list) and New Zealander Danny Lee 77th, their goal is to finish inside the top 25 of those not already qualified via the regular tour season.
One good finish can get the job done and, even Chalmers, who has missed the cut in his opening two events of the Final Series, can return to the PGA Tour with perhaps even a top ten finish this week dependent on the performances of others.
There is a lot to play for with six of the seven Australasians looking to return to the PGA Tour they have played previously while for Herbert he is on his way to the big time for the first occasion.
