Korn Ferry Tour Championship: See how the race for 30 PGA TOUR cards unfolded
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NEWBURGH, INDIANA - OCTOBER 06: A detailed view of a TOUR Card at a studio shoot during the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing and Finance at Victoria National Golf Club on October 6, 2023 in Newburgh, Indiana. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/PGA TOUR)
Top 30 on Points List after this week will earn 2024 TOUR membership
NEWBURGH, Ind. – Welcome to the weekend at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. The tension could be cut with a knife at Victoria National Golf Club in southern Indiana, as the chase for PGA TOUR cards takes center stage. The top 30 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List after this week will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership.
All 30 cards were finalized on Sunday. Recap how the bubble drama unfolded this weekend at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
SUNDAY
2:58 p.m. CT: The players to move inside the top 30 this week:
• Paul Barjon (winner): No. 45 to No. 8
• Mac Meissner (T3): No. 35 to No. 20
• Wilson Furr (T6): No. 32 to No. 24
• Josh Teater (fifth): No. 34 to No. 26
• Roger Sloan (T10): No. 31 to No. 29
The five players to fall outside the top 30 this week: Jorge Fernandez Valdes, Shad Tuten, Chase Seiffert, Carter Jenkins and Jackson Suber.
2:54 p.m. CT: Josh Teater two-putts for par on the par-4 18th and cements the No. 26 spot on the Points List. He will be a 2024 PGA TOUR member.
Rafael Campos earns the No. 30 spot on the Points List and will be a 2024 PGA TOUR member.
Paul Barjon wins the tournament at 14 under, three strokes clear of Fabian Gomez. Barjon moves from No. 45 to No. 8 on the Points List and will be a 2024 PGA TOUR member.
2:48 p.m. CT: Shad Tuten signs for a 4-over 76, with a two-stroke penalty incurred on No. 15. He moves to T28 on the leaderboard and is projected No. 32 on the Points List. Jorge Fernandez Valdes is projected No. 31.
Josh Teater would move to projected No. 30 with a bogey. If Teater makes double bogey, Fernandez Valdes will earn the No. 30 spot.
Rafael Campos is currently projected No. 30.
2:42 p.m. CT: Wilson Furr now would project to No. 30 with a bogey on the par-4 18th. He faces a lengthy birdie putt.
2:38 p.m. CT: Wilson Furr misses the fairway left at the par-4 18th, but he hits perhaps the shot of his life to the back of the green. He currently projects No. 25 on the Points List; he would project No. 31 with a bogey.
It appears that he needs to two-putt for a PGA TOUR card.
2:35 p.m. CT: Josh Teater drains a 15-footer for par on 17. He goes to the par-4 18th needing par to cement a spot in the top 30 and a PGA TOUR return.
2:32 p.m. CT: With two holes to play, Josh Teater takes center stage on the bubble.
The 44-year-old is projected No. 26 on the Points List, but one bogey would project him to No. 32.
2:24 p.m. CT: Shad Tuten two-putts for bogey on No. 18, while Roger Sloan drains a 10-footer for par.
Sloan is now projected No. 29 on the Points List. Tuten is projected No. 30, just 1.14 points ahead of Rafael Campos.
2:22 p.m. CT: Roger Sloan, projected No. 30, has a 10-foot par putt on No. 18. A bogey would move him to projected No. 32.
Shad Tuten faces 40 feet for par. A bogey would project him No. 30; a double bogey would project him No. 32.
2:20 p.m. CT:Shad Tuten and Roger Sloan are on the bubble as they approach the par-4 18th hole.
Tuten is projected 29th; a double bogey would move him outside the projected top 30. Sloan is projected 30th; a bogey would move him outside the projected top 30.
Rafael Campos, projected No. 31, awaits his fate.
Josh Teater is projected No. 28 with two holes to play. He has no wiggle room; a bogey would project him to No. 33.
12:54 p.m. CT: Veteran Canadian Roger Sloan is riding the bubble down the stretch. He is 2-under thru 13 on the final round, 7-under total and T9 on the board. He's projected 28th on the Points List; one bogey would project him 30th. Two bogeys would project him to No. 32.
With a bogey at the par-3 11th, 54-hole co-leader Josh Teater is now projected 31st on the Points List. He's T6 for the tournament at 8-under total; one birdie would project him to No. 26.
12:52 p.m. CT: Wilson Furr is embracing the bubble. He's currently 1-under thru 12 in the final round, T6 for the event at 8-under total. After beginning the week at No. 32 on the Points List, he's now projected No. 24. His position is fickle though; two bogeys would project him to No. 31.
12:45 p.m. CT: After a double bogey at the par-4 17th hole, Chris Gotterup makes birdie at No. 18 to post 2-under 70. He's T25 for the tournament at 2-under total and projected No. 26 on the Points List. He shares an emotional moment with his family, knowing his spot in the top 30 is on the verge of being secure.
12:43 p.m. CT: Rafael Campos misses an 8-foot birdie putt at his final hole, the par-5 ninth. He drops to his knees. He is projected No. 31, just 3.29 points shy of a top-30 position. He will have a tense couple hours of waiting ahead.
12:35 p.m. CT: Here's how the bubble currently projects as the stretch run beckons on the final day of the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season, with projected point totals:
• No. 28 Scott Gutschewski (thru 15), 875.147 points
• No. 29 Ryan McCormick (F), 874.46 points
• No. 30 Shad Tuten (thru 12), 866.584 points
• No. 31 Rafael Campos (thru 17), 863.578 points
• No. 32 Jorge Fernandez Valdes (thru 14), 856.884 points
12:00 p.m. CT: Joe Highsmith is playing the round of his life. He's 4 under thru 11 holes, and he stands T4 for the tournament at 8-under total. He began the week at 27th on the Points List and was projected 30th to begin the day, squarely on the bubble. The Pepperdine alum is now projected 19th. He now holds a two-shot cushion (at minimum) on a top-30 spot.
11:12 a.m. CT: Securing a TOUR card isn't easy. Josh Teater, who shot a third-round 64 to move into a share of the 54-hole lead, has played his first five holes Sunday in 2 over. He's now T4 for the week and projected No. 25 on the Points List. He would project to No. 33 with a bogey.
11:05 a.m. CT: Two of this year's three Mr. 59s are projected to move inside the top 30 this week. David Kocher, who entered the week at No. 51 on the Points List, is solo second for the week and projected to move to No. 19. Mac Meissner is T3 this week, projected to move from No. 35 to No. 22 on the Points List.
10:55 a.m. CT:Shad Tuten makes consecutive bogeys at Nos. 5 and 6, and he is now projected 31st on the Points List. Tuten is 2-over for the day, T18 for the week at 3-under total. He's projected less than 5 points behind Rafael Campos, who is currently projected No. 30.
10:35 a.m. CT: Maryland alum David Kocher makes eagle at the par-5 third hole, moving into solo second for the tournament, two back of leader Paul Barjon.
Kocher is now projected No. 20 on the Points List as he eyes his first PGA TOUR card; he began the week at No. 51.
Barjon is projected No. 8 on the Points List with a victory; he began the week at No. 45 on the Points List.
10:25 a.m. CT: How the bubble currently projects, with their position on this week's leaderboard, and where they began the week on the Points List:
• No. 28 Ryan McCormick (T47; began week No. 22)
• No. 29 Rafael Campos (T47; began week No. 23)
• No. 30 Jorge Fernandez Valdes (T57; began week No. 24)
• No. 31 Mac Meissner (T5; began week No. 35)
• No. 32 Roger Sloan (T13; began week No. 31)
10:20 a.m. CT: With a birdie at the par-4 second, Mac Meissner moves into the projected No. 30 spot on the Points List.
A few minutes later, Meissner moves to projected No. 31, just .21 points behind Jorge Fernandez Valdes, who makes birdie at the par-5 15th to assume the 30th spot for the moment.
10:10 a.m. CT: Nos. 26-31 on the Points List are separated by less than 7 points.
10:05 a.m. CT: Nos. 24-31 on the Points List are separated by less than 9 points. Volatility is at an all-time high. The final few TOUR cards will look to come down to the final putts.
9:50 a.m. CT: Jorge Fernandez Valdes entered the week at No. 24 on the Points List, but he has fallen to projected No. 32 as the final round proceeds. The Argentina native is T58 for the tournament; he would remain projected No. 32 with either two birdies or two bogeys. Consequently, his fate looks to be in the hands of the field; eight players are currently projected to pass him this week, but this could change in a hurry.
8:45 a.m. CT: The final round is in full swing, with light winds and soft conditions meaning there will be ample birdie opportunities at Victoria National. Ryan McCormick, No. 22 on the Points List into the week, is 1 under thru 5 holes Sunday; he's T36 for the tournament at 2-over total and projected No. 25 on the Points List. A strong Sunday should solidify his first TOUR card.
Rafael Campos now holds the projected No. 30 spot. He's T41 for the week at 3-over total; he's even-par Sunday thru 5 holes. He would still project to No. 30 with a bogey; two dropped shots would project him to No. 31.
7:45 a.m. CT: The bubble projections will move fast and furious on Sunday. Korn Ferry Tour rookie Joe Highsmith, T14 for the week, currently holds the projected No. 30 position. One birdie would project him No. 24. One bogey would project him No. 31. The line is fine. Highsmith will begin the final round at 8:37 a.m.
7:30 a.m. CT: It's just 44 degrees Fahrenheit as the final round of the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season begins, but players are looking to heat up on the course.
They're playing in threesomes off both tees (the middle of the pack going first), with tee times running from 7:13 a.m. to 9:25 a.m. Among those in the first group off No. 10: Ryan McCormick, who began the week at No. 22 on the Points List and is now projected No. 26. The New Jersey native has been close to a TOUR card before but never crossed the finish line. He hopes this time will be different. He's T38 for the week; two bogeys would project him to No. 29 on the Points List. He's in a good spot, but not yet secure.
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SATURDAY
4:00 p.m. CT: As things stand into Sunday, four players are projected to move inside the top 30:
• Josh Teater (T1), from No. 34 to No. 7 with a win
• Paul Barjon (T1), from No. 45 to No. 9 with a win
• Wilson Furr (T4), from No. 32 to No. 21
• Mason Andersen (T4), from No. 42 to No. 29
Jorge Fernandez Valdes (No. 24 to No. 32), Chase Seiffert (No. 28 to No. 33), Carter Jenkins (No. 26 to No. 37) and Jackson Suber (No. 30 to No. 39) are projected to fall outside the top 30.
Joe Highsmith holds the projected 30th position, 5.523 points ahead of Roger Sloan.
3:50 p.m. CT: Get ready for a wild Sunday in southern Indiana. To say the least.
The bubble is tightly contested with one round to play in the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season. Rookie Joe Highsmith holds the projected No. 30 spot, 5 points ahead of No. 31 Roger Sloan.
Highsmith stands T14 for the week after a third-round 69; Sloan stands T11 for the week after a sizzling Saturday 66.
3:30 p.m. CT: The third round is complete, with Josh Teater and Paul Barjon sharing the 54-hole lead at 10 under. The veterans played together on Moving Day and took the moniker quite literally, moving from T17 into the co-lead.
Teater began the week at No. 34 on the Points List and would project to No. 7 on the Points List with a victory. Barjon began the week at No. 45 on the Points List and would project to No. 9 with a victory.
3:20 p.m. CT: Mason Andersen finishes bogey-bogey, which leaves him 5-over across the gauntlet of holes 14-18. After holding the 18-hole lead and a share of the 36-hole lead, he's suddenly T4 after signing for a third-round 74. Andersen projects No. 29 on the Points List into the final round, but he has surrendered any cushion.
3:00 p.m. CT: Significant setback at the par-4 18th for Matt McCarty, who hits two balls in the water en route to a quadruple bogey. He began the hole in a tie for the lead at 10 under; the quadruple bogey drops him back into a T7 for the tournament. He's now projected No. 35 on the Points List, one stroke outside a projected top-30 position.
2:45 p.m. CT: Rafael Campos holds the projected No. 30 spot, after carding a third-round 76 and falling to T38 for the tournament. The Puerto Rico native began the week at No. 23 on the Points List, but things have proven quite volatile in southern Indiana. It will make for a tense Sunday for the 35-year-old.
Rafael Campos’ family watches TOUR card pursuit at Korn Ferry Tour Championship
2:25 p.m. CT: Third-round playing partners Josh Teater and Paul Barjon each shot 8-under 64 on Moving Day, vaulting themselves into a share of the current lead at 10-under alongside Matt McCarty (thru 16).
Teater entered the week at No. 34 on the Points List and would project to No. 7 with a victory. Barjon entered the week at No. 45 on the Points List and would project to No. 10 with a victory.
Teater and Barjon shared second place at the time of finishing their round, two strokes behind Mason Andersen, but moved into a share of the lead when Andersen made triple bogey on No. 14.
2:20 p.m. CT: Mac Meissner posts 4-under 68 in the third round, moving to T9 for the week at 6-under total. The SMU alum entered the week at No. 35 on the Points List and is now projected No. 36. He was 6-under thru 13 holes on Saturday to move into a projected top-30 position, but a double bogey at No. 14 slowed the run. He made birdie at the par-5 15th but closed with a bogey at No. 18.
2:05 p.m. CT: Mason Andersen led by two strokes into the par-4 14th hole, but he cards triple bogey, moving into a tie for fourth for the tournament. He also moves from projected No. 8 on the Points List to projected No. 30, squarely on the bubble.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara alum Matt McCarty is on a tear, recording six straight birdies on Nos. 9-14. He now shares the lead at Victoria National and is projected No. 9 on the Points List, after entering the week at No. 37.
12:50 p.m. CT: The vagaries of the bubble. Mac Meissner makes double bogey at the treacherous par-4 14th, moving from projected No. 21 to projected No. 34.
Meanwhile, Paul Barjon is authoring a signature performance when he needs it most. The New Caledonia native is 8-under Saturday thru 16 holes, moving into a tie for second on the leaderboard at 10-under total. He entered the week projected No. 45 on the Points List and is now projected No. 18. There isn't much margin for error; two bogeys would project him to No. 37. He'll be in for a wild ride as the weekend progresses.
12:10 p.m. CT: There are currently four players projected to move inside the top 30 this week:
• Mason Andersen (T1), from No. 42 to No. 8
• Paul Barjon (T1), from No. 45 to No. 9
• Mac Meissner (T4), from No. 35 to No. 22
• Wilson Furr (T6), from No. 32 to No. 23
The four players projected to move outside the top 30: Chase Seiffert, Jorge Fernandez Valdes, Carter Jenkins and Jackson Suber.
12:02 p.m. CT: Shad Tuten makes birdie at the demanding par-4 14th, moving from 32nd to 27th on the current projected Points List. The Georgia native, who began the week at 29th on the Points List, is 3-under thru 14 holes Saturday, 5-under total and T12 for the week.
12:00 p.m. CT: There's no quit in Josh Teater. The local hero has gone eagle-birdie on Nos. 12-13, and he stands 5-under Saturday thru 13. He's 7 under for the tournament, tied for fourth, and he's now projected No. 25 on the Points List.
Projected Nos 30-32 on the Points List are now separated by less than a point. Joe Highsmith is projected No. 30, followed by Chase Seiffert and Shad Tuten.
11:20 a.m. CT: Paul Barjon entered the week at No. 45 on the Points List, needing to make up significant ground to earn a TOUR return, and he's giving it his best shot. Barjon is 5 under thru 14 in Round 3; he's 7 under total and now T3 for the week. He's now projected No. 24 on the Points List but his wiggle room is scarce. With one bogey, he would project No. 37.
10:45 a.m. CT: Nos. 28-33 on the Points List are separated by 5.825 points, as players desperately jockey for position around the top-30 bubble.
Roger Sloan has carded back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, moving to 5 under for the round, 4 under total. He's T12 for the week and is now projected 29th on the Points List. Chase Seiffert is projected No. 30, followed by Wilson Furr, Joe Highsmith and Trace Crowe at Nos. 31-33 respectively.
10:20 a.m. CT: It's a brisk morning in southern Indiana, with temperatures in the high 40s as play got underway, but Roger Sloan is heating up. The veteran Canadian entered the week at No. 31 on the Points List and was projected 34th after the second round, having opened in 72-73 at Victoria National to stand T33 for the week.
Sloan is 3 under through 10 holes in Round 3, the day's low round so far, and he has moved to T19 for the week. He's now projected 33rd on the Points List, but he's just two birdies away moving inside the projected top 30.
7:30 a.m. CT: Jackson Suber, who entered the week at No. 30 on the Points List, stood T60 for the tournament for two rounds, falling to projected No. 35 on the Points List.
Through 36 holes, four players were projected to move inside the top 30 (Mason Andersen, Matt McCarty, Wilson Furr and Trace Crowe) with the four players projected to fall outside being Shad Tuten, Joe Highsmith, Carter Jenkins and Suber.
This is how the top-30 bubble projected through 36 holes at Victoria National:
Kevin Prise is an associate editor for the PGA TOUR. He is on a lifelong quest to break 80 on a course that exceeds 6,000 yards and to see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter.