How it works: Earning a PGA TOUR card from the Korn Ferry Tour
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OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 14: The 2022 graduating class of the Korn Ferry Tour do a ceremonial hat toss after the final round of the Korn Ferry Tours Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna at The Club at Indian Creek on August 14, 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by James Gilbert/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
For those who aspire to play professional golf, the PGA TOUR is often considered the pinnacle.
The Korn Ferry Tour is the primary way to get there.
Each season, the Korn Ferry Tour offers PGA TOUR membership for the following season to players who finish highest on the season-long standings, otherwise known as the Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
This number has steadily grown since the Korn Ferry Tour’s inception in 1990 (five cards), to the current 30 cards allotted via the season-long standings. These cards are finalized after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in mid-October.
Players who earn PGA TOUR membership via the Korn Ferry Tour category will earn spots in a ‘Korn Ferry Tour graduates’ category on the PGA TOUR Priority Ranking. This category is slotted directly below PGA TOUR exempt members from the prior season (Top 125 category). Reshuffles will occur in certain intervals throughout the season to ensure high-achieving players are positioned accordingly.
The Korn Ferry Tour's season-long points winner, though, will earn fully exempt PGA TOUR status for the next season, immune from the reshuffle category. This player will also receive a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open.
Players to finish No. 1 in recent years include Justin Suh (2022), Stephan Jaeger (2020-21), Scottie Scheffler (2019) and Sungjae Im (2018).
FAQs
How many TOUR cards have been offered each year?
The Korn Ferry Tour was introduced in 1990, with five TOUR cards awarded. This number has steadily increased through the years – 10 in 1992, 15 in 1997, 20 in 2003, 25 in 2007, then to the current 30 cards as of 2023.
What about the Korn Ferry Tour Finals?
The Korn Ferry Tour Finals was introduced in 2013 as a four-event series (later shortened to three events) to provide a second chance for players to gain or improve TOUR status, following the Regular Season. The Finals Points List comprised Nos. 26-75 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List, Nos. 126-200 on the FedExCup standings, non-members and medical extensions.
Effective in 2023, the Finals has been reimagined – once again a four-event series, but only comprising the top players on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour Points List. The first Finals event will feature 156 players, with the field size reducing to 144, 120 and 75 players respectively as the series progresses to its conclusion. The FedExCup standings are no longer criteria for Korn Ferry Tour Finals eligibility.
Click here for more on the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.