Timely return to form for Cameron Percy

Cameron Percy – file photo – click to expand

Australian golfer, Cameron Percy, has a share of the lead at the opening event of the Korn Ferry Tour finals, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in Columbus in Ohio, Percy looking to regain full PGA Tour status after finishing 58th in the Korn Ferry Tour (ex Web.Com Tour) standings in 2019.

Percy, who missed the cut in this event twelve months ago, opened with a round of 7 under the highlight coming when holing from the fairway at the demanding 11th hole to move to 6 under par.

The 45 year old shares the lead with one of the game’s hottest young stars, Viktor Hovland, who, despite several good finishes on the PGA Tour since turning professional recently is required to go through the Korn Ferry Tour finals in an attempt to gain PGA Tour status for 2020.

Percy has played only ten events in 2019, all of those on the Korn Ferry Tour events, recording a best of 5th in Panama early in the season.

The leading twenty-five players, not otherwise exempt for 2020 at the completion of the three events, gain PGA Tour status for next season in addition to another 25 who graduated from the season long Korn Ferry Tour in 2019.

Typically, one good finish in the series, perhaps a top five, is enough to get the job done and so Percy has made a great start as he chases a return to the PGA Tour which he has played on an irregular basis since first becoming a member in 2010.

Lismore’s Rhein Gibson, who already has his 2020 PGA Tour card via the season long Korn Ferry Tour, opened with a round of 68 to be tied for 8th place, while Curtis Luck recovered from a double bogey at the 10th to birdie three of his last four holes for a round of 70 to be tied for 31st.

Luck had a disappointing rookie season on the PGA Tour this year but as he did last year he is now chasing that one good finish in the finals to again earn the right to play in the big league next year.

Jamie Arnold was round in 71 and Brett Coletta and Cameron Davis 73.

/by