The Panama Championship: What to watch for, scoring records and more

The Korn Ferry Tour 2024 schedule continues with The Panama Championship, hosted by Panamá Golf Club and being played for the 20th time. The Panama Championship represents the third event in the 26-event 2024 Korn Ferry Tour schedule.

Here are four things to know about the event:

1. Look for high scores

Panamá Golf Club is traditionally one of the most difficult courses on the Korn Ferry Tour, having finished with one of the five highest scoring averages relative to par in 16 of its 19 previous seasons on Tour. The course ranked as the No. 1 toughest course on Tour five times (2004, 2008, 2009, 2019, 2023), including last season (+1.766 to par), when it was more than a half stroke tougher than the second toughest course on Tour – the Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course (+1.20).

2. Past winners abound

Two past winners of The Panama Championship are in the field: Ryan Armour (2016) and Michael Gligic (2019). The field also includes 19 PGA TOUR winners with 37 total victories, led by Jonathan Byrd and Mark Wilson with five apiece, and 47 Korn Ferry Tour winners with 66 total victories, led by Zecheng Dou and Tommy Gainey with three apiece.

3. Last time around

At the 2023 Panama Championship, Pierceson Coody earned his second career Korn Ferry Tour win, overcoming a five-stroke deficit with a final-round, 4-under 66 and winning a three-way sudden-death playoff over Sam Saunders and Mac Meissner. Coody’s winning score of 3-under 277, tied the fourth-highest score relative to par by a winner in Korn Ferry Tour history. Coody’s victory, coupled with another win later in the season at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, propelled him to a No. 6 finish on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and his first PGA TOUR card.

4. Youth rising

At last week’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, the second event of the season, Aldrich Potgieter became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history at 19 years, 4 months and 11 days of age, usurping Jason Day (19 years, 7 months and 26 days at 2007 Legend Financial Group Classic). Potgieter entered the final round sitting at 3-under par and five strokes off the 54-hole lead. His final-round 7-under 65 tied the low round of the tournament.

Potgieter is in the field this week and currently sits at T1 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, tied with Jeremy Paul, the winner of the season-opening Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay.

Tournament facts:

• Course: Panamá Golf Club (par 70, 7,534 yards)
• Course designer: Jay Riviere and Charles Schaeffer
• Defending champion: Pierceson Coody
• Purse: $1,000,000 ($180,000/winner)
• Scoring records, facts:
  • Low 18-hole score: 61, Ryan Armour (2011, Round 2)
  • Low 72-hole score: 265, Fran Quinn (2010)
  • Largest margin of victory: 5, Jimmy Walker (2004)
  • Playoffs: Three (3), last in 2023 (Coody defeated Meissner, Saunders)