Korn Ferry Tour

The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level. Those who are on the top 25 of the money list at year's end are given PGA Tour memberships for the next season. Since the 2013 season, the Korn Ferry Tour has been the primary pathway for those seeking to earn their PGA Tour card. Q-School, which had previously been the primary route for qualification to the PGA Tour, has been converted as an entryway to the Korn Ferry Tour.

Korn Ferry Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
2020–21 Korn Ferry Tour
FormerlyBen Hogan Tour (1990–1992)
Nike Tour (1993–1999)
Buy.com Tour (2000–2002)
Nationwide Tour (2003–2012)
Web.com Tour (2012–2019)
SportGolf
Founded1989
FounderPGA Tour
Inaugural season1990
Most titlesJason Gore (7)
Related
competitions		PGA Tour
PGA Tour Canada
PGA Tour Latinoamérica
PGA Tour China
Official websitekornferrytour.com

History

Announced in early 1989 by PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman,[1] the "satellite tour" was formalized by the PGA Tour in 1990, originally named the Ben Hogan Tour, sponsored by the Ben Hogan Golf Company.[2][3][4] The first season of 1990 had 30 events, and the typical event purse was $100,000.[5] Late in 1992,[6] Nike acquired the title sponsorship and it became the Nike Tour for seven seasons (1993–1999). Buy.com was the next title sponsor with the tour being titled the Buy.com Tour for three seasons (2000–2002).

Nationwide Insurance became the tour's next title sponsors for the start of the 2003 season, with the tour being renamed the Nationwide Tour. After ​9 1⁄2 seasons as the Nationwide Tour, Web.com was announced as the new title sponsor in late June 2012. The 10-year sponsorship deal was effective immediately, and the tour's name was changed to the Web.com Tour mid-season.[7] In June 2019, the PGA Tour announced a 10-year deal with Los Angeles consulting firm Korn Ferry to replace Web.com as the tour's sponsor.[8]

The vast majority of tournaments have always been hosted within the mainland United States. In 1993 the tour reached beyond those boundaries for the first time, with the Monterrey Open in Mexico. It was an annual fixture on the tour schedule until 2001. The following season, the tour added PGA Tour of Australasia co-sanctioned events in Australia and New Zealand, and the Canadian PGA Championship in Canada. A tournament in Panama was added in 2004, and the tour returned to Mexico in 2008. The tour has also visited Colombia (since 2010), Chile (2012–2015), Brazil (2013–2016), the Dominican Republic (2016–2017) and the Bahamas (since 2017).

Rules and results

All Korn Ferry Tour tournaments operate similarly to typical PGA Tour tournaments in that they are all 72-hole stroke play events with a cut made after 36 holes. The cut on the Korn Ferry Tour is for the top 65 players and ties, unlike 70 for the PGA Tour. The fields are usually 144 or 156 players, depending on time of year (and available daylight hours). As with the PGA Tour, the winner of the tournament will get a prize of 18% of the total purse.

Since this tour is a developmental tour, players are usually vying to play well enough to gain status on the PGA Tour.

Until 2012, there were a number of ways of getting onto the Korn Ferry Tour: Top 50 golfers at qualifying school after the top 25 and ties, those who finished between 26th and 60th on the previous year's money list, 126–150th on the previous season's PGA Tour money list, and those who were formerly fully exempt on the PGA Tour in the recent past. Those without status can also earn enough to exceed 100th on the previous season's money list and earned unlimited exemptions for the remainder of the season. Around 14 open qualifying spots are given during the Monday of tournament week, and those who finished in the top 25 of a Korn Ferry event are automatically exempt into the next tournament. If a Monday morning qualifier wins an event, they will earn full-exempt status for the remainder of the season. Past PGA Tour winners aged 48 and 49 can play on the Korn Ferry Tour on an increased basis to prepare themselves for PGA Tour Champions, while former PGA Tour winners with limited status use the Korn Ferry Tour as a way to get back to the main tour.

In 2007 Paul Claxton became the first man to reach US$1 million in Korn Ferry Tour career earnings.[9]

The Korn Ferry Tour offers Official World Golf Ranking points. The winner earns a minimum of 14 OWGR points (provided at least 54 holes are played) and 20 for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. Starting in 2013, the other events of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals award 16 OWGR points to the winner. Tournaments shortened to 36 holes are given reduced values of ten points for regular season events and the win is considered unofficial.

Three-win promotion
Main article: List of golfers to achieve a three-win promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour

Since 1997, a player who wins three tournaments in one year on the Korn Ferry Tour receives an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour for the remainder of the year and for the following year.[10] This "performance promotion" (sometimes informally referred to as a "battlefield promotion") has occurred eleven times:[11]

Changes for 2013 season and beyond

On March 20, 2012, the PGA Tour announced radical changes to the main tour's season and qualifying process effective in 2013. Major changes to what was then known as the Nationwide Tour were also announced at that time.[12][13] Full details of these changes were announced on July 10 of that year.[14]

The first major change was that beginning in fall 2013, the PGA Tour season started in October of the previous calendar year.[13] This change had several consequences for the Korn Ferry Tour, either directly or indirectly.

Starting with the 2013 season, the Korn Ferry Tour has a structure similar to that of the main PGA Tour, with a regular season followed by a season-ending series of tournaments. In the case of the Korn Ferry Tour, the ending series consists of four tournaments, to be held during the main tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, called the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. At least 150 players will be eligible to compete in the Finals—the top 75 on the Korn Ferry Tour regular-season money list, plus the players finishing between 126 and 200 on the FedEx Cup points list.[15] Non-members of the PGA Tour are also eligible if they would have earned enough FedEx Cup points to finish 126 to 200. In addition, PGA Tour players who have been granted medical extensions for the following season are eligible. Because some of the PGA Tour players will be exempt by other means, such as tournament wins in the previous two years, the Finals fields will not consist of all eligible players.[16] A total of 50 PGA Tour cards for the following season will be awarded at the end of the Finals—25 to the top regular-season money winners on the Korn Ferry Tour, with the remaining 25 determined by total money earned during the Finals.[15]

Those who finish in the Top 75 on the regular season money list but fail to earn PGA Tour cards retain full Korn Ferry Tour status, along with those 26–50 on the Finals money list and those who finished 126–150 on the PGA Tour FedEx Cup standings. Conditional status is given to those who finish in the top 100 on the money list or 151–200 in the FedEx Cup.

Also, starting in 2013, the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament was replaced by the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament which grants playing rights only for the Korn Ferry Tour.[14][15] The medalist is fully exempt on the Korn Ferry Tour for the entire season. Those finishing in the top ten plus ties are exempt through the third reshuffle, or thirteen events. Players finishing 11th-45th are exempt through the second reshuffle after nine events and all remaining golfers have conditional status. One can also earn direct access to the Korn Ferry Tour through a top-five finish on the Order of Merit on PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica, or PGA Tour China. The money leader from each of those tours is fully exempt and those 2nd-5th are conditionally exempt.

Finally, the Korn Ferry Tour now provides up to two entrants in the following year's Players Championship. One invitation is extended to the player who tops the money list for the entire season, including the Finals. The golfer who earns the most during the Finals also receives an invitation; if the same player leads both money lists, only one invitation is given.[15]

Career money leaders

The table shows top-10 career money leaders on the Korn Ferry Tour as of the 2018 season. Players in bold were 2019 Korn Ferry Tour members.

RankPlayerCountryEarnings ($)
1Darron Stiles United States2,121,641
2Kyle Thompson United States1,890,864
3Paul Claxton United States1,802,290
4Jason Gore United States1,745,845
5Jeff Gove United States1,702,910
6Hunter Haas United States1,611,258
7Gavin Coles Australia1,428,115
8Michael Putnam United States1,412,400
9Mathew Goggin Australia1,400,401
10Peter Tomasulo United States1,399,188

There is a full list on the PGA Tour's website here.

Money list and Player of the Year winners
YearRegular season
points leader		PointsFinals winnerPointsOverall
points		PointsPlayer of the Year
Korn Ferry Tour
2019 Zhang Xinjun1,962 Scottie Scheffler1,268 Scottie Scheffler2,935 Scottie Scheffler
YearRegular season
money winner		Earnings ($)Finals winnerEarnings ($)Overall
money winner		Earnings ($)Player of the Year
Web.com Tour
2018 Im Sung-jae534,326 Denny McCarthy255,793 Im Sung-jae553,800 Im Sung-jae
2017 Brice Garnett368,761 Chesson Hadley298,125 Chesson Hadley562,475 Chesson Hadley
2016 Wesley Bryan449,392 Grayson Murray248,000 Wesley Bryan449,392 Wesley Bryan
2015 Patton Kizzire518,240 Chez Reavie323,066 Patton Kizzire567,865 Patton Kizzire
2014 Carlos Ortiz515,403 Derek Fathauer250,133 Adam Hadwin529,792 Carlos Ortiz
2013 Michael Putnam450,184 John Peterson230,000 Chesson Hadley535,432 Michael Putnam
YearMoney winnerEarnings ($)Player of the Year
Web.com Tour
2012 Casey Wittenberg433,453 Casey Wittenberg
Nationwide Tour
2011 J. J. Killeen414,273 J. J. Killeen
2010 Jamie Lovemark452,951 Jamie Lovemark
2009 Michael Sim644,142 Michael Sim
2008 Matt Bettencourt447,863 Brendon de Jonge
2007 Richard Johnson445,421 Nick Flanagan
2006 Ken Duke382,443 Ken Duke
2005 Troy Matteson495,009 Jason Gore
2004 Jimmy Walker371,346 Jimmy Walker
2003 Zach Johnson494,882 Zach Johnson
Buy.com Tour
2002 Patrick Moore381,965 Patrick Moore
2001 Chad Campbell394,552 Chad Campbell
2000 Spike McRoy300,638 Spike McRoy
Nike Tour
1999 Carl Paulson223,051 Carl Paulson
1998 Bob Burns178,664 Bob Burns
1997 Chris Smith225,201 Chris Smith
1996 Stewart Cink251,699 Stewart Cink
1995 Jerry Kelly188,878 Jerry Kelly
1994 Chris Perry167,148 Chris Perry
1993 Sean Murphy166,293 Sean Murphy
Ben Hogan Tour
1992 John Flannery164,115 John Flannery
1991 Tom Lehman141,934 Tom Lehman
1990 Jeff Maggert108,644 Jeff Maggert
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See also

Notes and references
  1. "Beman announces plan for Ben Hogan Tour". Ocala Star-Banner. Florida. Associated Press. January 5, 1989. p. 7C.
  2. Green, Bob (February 4, 1990). "Hogan Tour a test for young pros". Times-News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. Associated Press. p. 5C.
  3. Rushin, Steve (May 7, 1990). "Hogan's Golfing Heroes". Sports Illustrated. p. 61.
  4. Rovell, Darren (August 12, 2003). "Legendary brand will soon have new owner - again". ESPN. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
  5. Prisuta, Mike (May 1, 1990). "Ben Hogan Tour no minor league operation". Beaver County Times. Pennsylvania. p. B1.
  6. "Nike to sponsor Ben Hogan Tour". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. August 28, 1992. p. 2B.
  7. "Web.com signs deal to be new umbrella sponsor". PGA Tour. June 27, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  8. Hennessey, Stephen (June 19, 2019). "Korn Ferry replaces Web.com as the umbrella sponsor of the PGA Tour's developmental tour". Golf Digest. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  9. Reimer, Chris (May 27, 2007). "PG County Open victory makes Claxton first million-dollar man". PGA Tour. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  10. "2008 Nationwide Tour Eligibility Requirements". PGA Tour. January 17, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  11. "Three-win Nationwide Tour promotions to the PGA Tour". PGA Tour. May 19, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  12. "PGA Tour announces changes". ESPN. March 21, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  13. Harig, Bob (March 21, 2012). "Decoding tour's schedule changes". ESPN. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  14. Elling, Steve (July 10, 2012). "PGA Tour finalizes controversial makeover as Qualifying School gone after six-decade run". CBS Sports. Eye on Golf. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  15. Dell, John (July 10, 2012). "Web.com impact expanded with qualifying changes". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  16. "Top 25 assured of PGA Tour card". ESPN. Associated Press. July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
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