Australians on knife-edge in race for PGA Tour playing rights
Rhein Gibson – file photo – important few events ahead for the Lismore golfer.
Several Australians are walking a fine line as they chase PGA Tour status via the Korn Ferry Tour over the next few weeks.
The completion of this week’s Albertsons Boise Open in Idaho did little to help their cause, Rhein Gibson and Brett Drewitt missing the cut and slipping to 27th and 30th respectively in the year-long standings in which the leading 30 players following the completion of the Tour Championship in early October gain 2024 PGA Tour cards.
Both Gibson and Drewitt had begun the season well, Gibson winning in February and following soon after with two more top tens to be well inside the top ten at that point.
Drewitt also reeled off five top tens in his first seven starts and looked to be comfortably on his way back to the PGA Tour in 2024 but the further the season has gone on the more vulnerable the pair look in terms of returning to the big dance.
The Korn Ferry Tour now has a three week break before the Simmons Bank Open in Tennessee continues the Finals but, with just three events remaining, both Gibson and Drewitt will need to watch their backs.
Dimi Papadatos was the only Australian to make the cut this week when finishing 43rd, but he too has struggled after what had been a good start to the season which had included a runner-up finish in Chile.
Papdatos has now slipped to 63rd in the rankings and while reaching the top 30 is not beyond him he will need to improve sharply in the remaining events if he is to get to the PGA Tour for the first time.
Spare a thought also for Perth’s Curtis Luck who miscalculated his tee time on Thursday and was disqualified for not turning up on time.
Luck has now slipped to 62nd he, too, has a task ahead.
Interestingly, Luck was quite philosophical about his mistake as he indicated when talking to PGA Tour.com
“For some people, this would be a really, really big issue, because everybody out here is trying to play for a PGA TOUR card,” Luck said. “I’m not taking it that badly, to be honest … My theory is Columbus (the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, which he won in 2020) is where I’m looking to do the most damage … it is what it is.”
