Final Stage Day 1 Recap

On Thursday, PGA Tour Q-school kicked off at Sawgrass Country Club and Dye’s Valley in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. After each round we will do a quick recap: rounds of the day, solid rounds, and some surprises. 

The top-5 and ties on Sunday will receive PGA Tour cards. The next 40 will receive full Korn Ferry Tour Status, and everyone below that will receive both Americas Tour status and conditional KFT status. 

‍Round(s) of the day: 

‍Corey Shaun - Not only is the round of the day, it is one of the best rounds in Q-school history. Any 61 is great but this one is on another level. It was the best round of the day by five, beat the average by over 10, and was bogey free. Leading up to Q-school, Shaun played nine straight tournament weeks in three countries, across six different time zones. It’s truly one of the most amazing rounds I can remember. 

Cooper Musselman-  The former Kentucky Wildcat who lost his KFT status at the end of 2023 had the round of the day at Sawgrass Country Club, the more difficult of the two courses being played this week. Musselman, who got through both first and second stage of Q-school, is three-under and T3. 

‍Solid Starts: 

‍Zack Fischer- The longtime grinder is looking to become the first person in PGA Tour history to win Q-school three times. He opened on Sawgrass CC and shot one-under. The father of two said this is possibly his last run at Q-school. 

‍Takumi Kanaya- The 26-year-old has seven Japan Tour wins and opened Q-school with a two-under 70 on Sawgrass Country Club. The former number one-ranked amateur in the world – which he held for 55 straight weeks – has played 25 career PGA Tour events, but never on the KFT.

‍Sangmoon Bae- The two-time PGA Tour winner never regained his old form after his military service in South Korea. Prior to that, Bae was 26th in the world and played the Presidents Cup in 2015. He has played just 14 PGA Tour events in the last two years. 

‍Surprises (Good & Bad):

‘Hayden Buckley- The former Mizzou Tiger struggled late in 2024 making just one of his last nine cuts and finished 156th in points. However, he opened with a two-under 70 on Dye’s Valley and is T7. 

‍Marty Dou -  The 2024 season has been a struggle for Dou and unfortunately, it continued in the first round of Q-school. A quintuple bogey nine on the par-4 8th hole at Dye’s Valley was a big reason for the eight-over 78. 

‍Sam Bennett - The 2022 U.S. Amateur Champion narrowly missed getting his PGA Tour card during the KFT season, finishing just one spot out of the top-30. Bennett was listed among the favorites to get one of the five PGA Tour cards. Although he still has plenty of time to get one of the cards, he will have to dig out of a hole after opening with a four-over 74. 

‍Nate Stember- Stember had a solid yet unspectacular career at the University of Oregon, but his first trip to Q-school has been amazing. He won First Stage in Texas, earning full Americas Tour status, and then advanced through Second Stage in California. Thursday, he opened with a two-under 68 at Dye’s Valley. 

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