How it works: 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry

Q-School. The phrase sends shivers down the spine of professional golfers, even those accomplished at the highest level.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has said repeatedly that his up-and-down par to secure guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts at 2018 Q-School's Final Stage remains the most pressure-packed sequence of his career. At this year's BMW Championship, when Keegan Bradley searched for a comparison of the nerves trying to play his way into the TOUR Championship, his mind quickly drifted to Q-School. The multi-stage event serves as a razor's edge between sparking and spiraling a career, as its cut-and-dry qualification metrics determine who earns PGA TOUR-sanctioned membership and who falls short.

2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry begins at pre-qualifying in September, which leads to First Stage in October, then to Second Stage in November and early December, and then to Final Stage in northeast Florida in mid-December. PGA TOUR Q-School seeds players for status on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas, with all Final Stage participants assured of membership on PGA TOUR Americas at minimum. Some players are exempt directly to Final Stage, some begin at pre-qualifying, and others start at either First Stage or Second Stage based on various criteria (outlined below).

At Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry – scheduled for December 12-15 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with the Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Country Club once again serving as host venues – the top five finishers and ties will earn PGA TOUR cards. Final Stage will also determine 2025 season eligibility for the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas, based on order of finish after the top five and ties.

Read below for a quick-hit guide to How it Works at 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry:

How It Works

PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry consists of four different stages, though competitors can bypass Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, or Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry if they meet the criteria of at least one exemption category for First, Second, or Final Stage.

Competition for Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, and Second Stage is conducted at several different sites, with the number of competitors advancing from each site being on a pro rata basis (i.e., approximately the same percentage from each site will advance).

Registration for 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry is now open. Follow this link to access the application.

Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will be contested at Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, as well as Sawgrass Country Club, with each competitor playing two rounds on each course. At the conclusion of the final round, the last set of PGA TOUR cards for the 2025 season will be awarded, with the others coming from the 2023-24 DP World Tour season (top 10 players from Race to Dubai Rankings not already exempt) and 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season (top 30 players on final points list).

• Pre-Qualifying (eight sites, 54-hole stroke play competition) – September 11-27
• First Stage (13 sites, 72-hole stroke play competition) – October 8-25
• Second Stage (five sites, 72-hole stroke play competition) – November 19-December 6
• Final Stage (72-hole stroke play competition) – December 12-15

Performance Benefits

The medalist (and ties) from each First Stage site, provided they do not improve their status at a subsequent stage, will be exempt through the Latin America Swing of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season.

The medalist (and ties) from each Second Stage site, provided they do not improve their status at Final Stage, will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership and be subject to the second reshuffle (i.e. – earn guaranteed starts for the first eight events) of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season.

Also at each Second Stage site, the next 10 finishers and ties after those players who advanced to Final Stage will earn conditional membership through the Latin America Swing of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season.

Performance benefits for Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry are as follows:

• Top five finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn PGA TOUR cards for the 2025 season
• Next 40 finishers and ties at Final Stage will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, with the first 25 finishers and ties being subject to the third reshuffle (i.e. – guaranteed starts for the first 12 events), and any remaining finishers within the category being subject to the second reshuffle (i.e. – guaranteed starts for the first eight events)
• All remaining finishers at Final Stage earn conditional status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, in addition to being exempt through the Latin America Swing of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season

Through a combination of live telecasts and livestreaming, Golf Channel will broadcast eight hours of live weekend coverage at Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Exemption Categories

The field at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will feature players who advanced through the various stages of Q-School – Pre-Qualifying, First Stage, Second Stage – and others who automatically qualify by meeting the criteria of at least one exemption category.

Exemption categories for 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry are as follows:

First Stage

• Members of the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA), DP World Tour and Challenge Tour Ranked Members, PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, PGA TOUR Canada or PGA TOUR Americas during the years 2022, 2023 or 2024.

• Applicants that made the cut in a tournament awarding Official Money conducted by the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Challenge Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), PGA Tour of Australasia, Sunshine Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, PGA TOUR Canada or PGA TOUR Americas during the years 2023 or 2024 as of the First Qualifying Stage entry deadline (September 4, 2024).

• Applicants who played the Second Qualifying Stage of the 2021 or 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament or 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

• Applicants who finished in the top 50, including ties, at a First Qualifying Stage site of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament or 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

• Applicants that played in the 2023 or 2024: THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship.

• Applicants that played in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship.

• Applicants that made the cut in the 2023 PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.

• Applicants ranked 101-200 on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of the entry deadline for First Qualifying Stage (September 4, 2024).

• Applicants ranked six through twenty-five (6-25) on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to be released as of Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

• Applicants who qualified for the 2021 or 2023 Walker Cup.

• Applicants who played in the semifinals of the 2022, 2023 or 2024 U.S. Amateur, or the final of the 2022 or 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Second Stage

• 2024 PGA TOUR Members who are eligible for tournament play as defined in the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants with an official victory in a 2022, 2023 or 2024 Korn Ferry Tour tournament as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants finishing sixty-one through eighty-fifth (61-85) on the final 2024 Official Korn Ferry Tour Points List, as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants who have made fifty (50) or more cuts in PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved tournaments awarding official money as of the Second Qualifying Stage entry deadline (October 2, 2024).

• Applicants who made the cut in the 2024: THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship.

• Players ranked fifty-first through one hundred (51-100) on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of the entry deadline for Second Qualifying Stage (October 2, 2024).

• Applicants ranked sixth through twenty-fifth (6-25) on the current season’s Final Official 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking.

• Applicants ranked three through ten (3-10) on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Segment 1 Official Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked four through ten (4-10) on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Segment 2 Official Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked eleven through twenty-five (11-25) on the PGA TOUR Americas 2024 Official Season-Long Fortinet Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked first through fifth (1-5) on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to be released as of Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) including ties at the 2024 PGA Professional Championship.

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) on the current season’s Official Order of Merit for Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) as of the Second Qualifying Stage deadline (October 2, 2024).

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the 2023-2024 Final Official Order of Merit for the PGA Tour of Australasia.

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the 2023-2024 Final Official Players List for the Sunshine Tour.

• Applicants ranked one through five (1-5) on the 2024 Genesis Point List for the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) as of the Second Qualifying Stage deadline (October 2, 2024).

• Applicant who is a current Korn Ferry Tour member that has been disabled to the extent he is unable to compete in more than twelve (12) events in a season but has played in a minimum of five (5) Korn Ferry Tour events that season; has performed at a level which placed him 61st – 85th position on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List at the time he was disabled; or who has average points per event at the time he was disabled which would have placed him 61st – 85th position on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List for the entire season (determined by multiplying such an average number of Korn Ferry Tour events played by all Korn Ferry Tour members).

Final Stage

• The top 40 available applicants below the 125th position on the Final 2024 FedExCup Fall Playoffs & Eligibility Points List, to a floor of 200th position.

• Applicants ranked on the PGA TOUR Nonmember FedExCup Points list (including Special Temporary Members) whose combined official points and points earned in the Kentucky Championship and Barracuda Championship is equal to or greater than the 150th place finisher on the Final 2024 FedExCup Fall Playoffs and Eligibility Points List.

• Applicants ranked thirty-first through sixtieth (31-60) on the season ending 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Official Points List, as defined in the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked first through fifty (1-50) on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) to be released as of the Final Qualifying Stage entry deadline (November 13, 2024).

• Applicants ranked two through five (2-5) on the current season’s Final Official 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking.

• Applicants ranked first and second (1 & 2) on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Segment 1 Official Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked one through three (1-3) on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Segment 2 Official Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Applicants ranked one through ten (1-10) on the PGA TOUR Americas 2024 Official Season-Long Fortinet Cup Points List, as defined in the PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Regulations.

• Leading player on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Official Order of Merit as of the Final Qualifying Stage deadline (November 13, 2024).

• Leading player on the PGA Tour of Australasia 2023-2024 Final Official Order of Merit.

• Leading player on the 2023-2024 Final Official Players List for the Sunshine Tour.

• Leading player on the 2024 Final Genesis Point List for the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) as of the Final Qualifying Stage deadline (November 13, 2024).

• Applicants among Major and Minor Medical Extension category members (as defined in the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations) whose FedExCup Points earned in their “Available Tournaments”, when combined with the amount of FedExCup Points earned in their “Tournaments Played”, equals or exceeds the amount of FedExCup Points earned by the member who finished last in the 25 finishers beyond 125th place on the FedEx Cup Points List for the preceding season shall be exempt into Final Qualifying Stage in that year provided that the FedExCup Points earned in his “Tournaments Played” was less than the 150th finisher on the FedExCup Points List in the year of the applicant’s injury.

• Applicant who is a current Korn Ferry Tour member that has been disabled to the extent he is unable to compete in more than twelve (12) events in a season but has played in a minimum of five (5) Korn Ferry Tour events that season; has performed at a level which placed him 31st – 60th on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List at the time he was disabled; or who has average points per event at the time he was disabled which would have placed him 31st – 60th on the Official Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List for the entire season (determined by multiplying such an average number of Korn Ferry Tour events played by all Korn Ferry Tour members).