The Office

I texted Korn Ferry Tour rookie, Zach James, asking to set up a time to talk. "I will call you after I leave the office," he replied. For most Korn Ferry Tour members, "the office" means the range, the course, or short game area where they hone their game. For James, it means an accounting firm he works at each week, even in the midst of the KFT season. 

One of the most unlikely members of the 2025 rookie class, the 29-year-old James finished T7 in just his second-ever Korn Ferry Tour start last month in the Bahamas. After the top-10, he headed home and "hardly touched a club" because he was helping prepare tax documents at Johnston and Associates in Plano, Texas. He then headed to South America for the next portion of the Korn Ferry Tour season. 

The accounting job helped keep his dream alive for years and had helped get him to the Korn Ferry Tour. He wasn't about to stop working now. 

Looking through PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour bios often includes a look into the players' junior careers. Many PGA Tour players had a phenomenal junior and amateur career. Most of us have seen the video of Tiger on the Mike Douglas show at age two, hitting balls perfectly into a net. Justin Thomas made his first PGA Tour cut at 16. Lexi Thompson played in her first U.S. Open at age 11. 

In his first high school tournament, Zach James shot 106. He didn't beat a single member of his team. At that moment, no one thought he would become a professional golfer one day; hell, his high school coach didn't even think James would be on the high school team for very long. 

That round made James determined to improve. When I asked how he got better, James, who still has never had a swing coach, said, "I hit a lot of balls." The same kid who shot triple digits in his first high school event, won the Texas 2A State Championship by eight shots his Senior season. 

The rapid improvement and state championship title made some small colleges take notice.  A few Division II programs made offers, and James decided on Southeastern Oklahoma State, located just across the Texas-Oklahoma border. James said the small town helped him feel comfortable and offered him the most significant scholarship. 

It was evident from the start that James had made the right choice. He averaged 74 in his first season and was named the Great American Conference (GAC) Freshman of the Year. He was only getting started. 

In his Sophomore season, James led the Bison to their first-ever appearance in the Division II NCAA Championship. His seven top-10s in the 12 events earned him second-team All-GAC selection honors. 

The first two events of James' Junior season indicated that his improvements would continue. In five rounds, his worst score was a 73, and he had his first top-10 of the season. All was going well until he came in contact with a punching bag. 

James was with his teammates at the local casino in Durant when they came across one of those arcade punching bags measuring the strength of a punch. After a few of his teammates took swings, James wound up…and missed the bag. His fist connected with the metal arm holding the bag. 

At first (and understandably), everyone, including James, laughed at the missed punch. However, what started out as a sore wrist turned a bit more serious. "After a while, I thought, this might be something," James told me. A trip to the hospital confirmed a broken wrist. His Junior season was over. 

James applied for and was granted a medical redshirt. 

After rehabbing the wrist, James came back even better. His last two seasons are the reason he was named to the GAC All-Decade team in 2020. Over his last two seasons, James won seven events, finished runner-up five times, and had just one finish outside of the top-11. In his Senior season, James lost to a total of 25 players. 

After his Senior year, James, with all the momentum of his great play over the last two college seasons, turned pro and headed to his first event: the Oklahoma Open. He wouldn't even make it through his first event, as his wrist became painful. James reaggravated the old injury and had to rest for four months. 

It wasn't the start to a pro career he wanted. 

After getting healthy and finding some sponsors, including Johnston and Associates, where he worked during tax season, James played mostly on the All-Pro Tour (APT). The APT is a four-day mini-tour played through the south and central part of the country. Driving to most events, James saved some money and found some success, though he didn't get his first win until last year. 

Since turning pro in 2019, there has been one common theme: not advancing through the first stage of Q-school each year.

Prior to the 2024 Q-school, James thought this might be his last attempt. But a career in accounting would have to wait – at least, a full-time accounting career.

James breezed through the first stage in Indiana and then opened with two amazing rounds at The Landings in Savannah, Ga., for Second Stage. After back-to-back 63s, he led by six strokes and held on for the final two rounds to finish seventh and earn a trip to Final Stage. 

At the final stage, James opened with a four-over 74 on the difficult Dye's Valley course at TPC Sawgrass in windy and cold conditions. However, he played the final three days in three-under, moving all the way up to T26. 

The finish guaranteed him the first eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. In early January, six years after turning pro, Zach James teed it up in his first-ever KFT event in the Bahamas. After a missed cut at the first event, he went to the second event in the Bahamas, shot a second-round 65, and followed it up with two 67s. Good enough for a T7 and some very valuable points. 

And what did he do to celebrate? He flew home and went to the office.

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Zach is a Carry athlete, his full resume, sponsorship opportunities, or a chance to caddie for him in a practice round, check out this link.