These 20 Korn Ferry Tour players just earned their 2026 PGA Tour cards

The final round of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Championship started with two players needing to win to earn their PGA Tour card.

For Barend Botha and Sandy Scott, only a win would put them in the top twenty and on the PGA Tour. But Sunday at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort was not their day. Scott faded quickly, making three bogeys on his front nine en route to a final round two-over 74 and a T8 finish. Botha lost the lead early when Chandler Blanchet, who had already secured his PGA Tour card for next season, opened with three straight birdies. Botha held on but could not catch Blanchet, who shot 66 to post 14 under on Sunday to beat Botha by two.

Blanchet’s victory saw him finish the season in second place on the Korn Ferry Tour points list, just behind Johnny Keefer. The 29-year-old, who will be a PGA Tour rookie in 2026, became emotional after the final putt fell and turned his attention to what he hoped would be a long future on the top circuit.

“I hope I can lead by example,” Blanchet told Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine about his two children allowing him to pursue his dreams. “Hopefully we can be on the PGA Tour for a long time, and they can see that perseverance and hard work and translate that into their lives.”

Drama was everywhere at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. As the weekend leaderboard unfolded, Pontus Nyholm found himself at the center of it.

The 27-year-old Swede started the week in 18th place in the rankings, but fell on the bubble during the weekend. With Botha making a charge for the trophy at the weekend, the pressure was mounting on Nyholm to try and secure his card. On Sunday the pressure came from Botha, who needed to win to get his card, and Mitchell Meissner, who made a late charge when Nyholm leaked oil along the way and shot a back-nine 40. Meissner birdied 12, 13 and 15 to enter the conversation and needed at least two more to cross the finish line to have a chance of catching Nyholm. But a wayward tee shot on 16 led to a bogey and left Meissner 21st in the standings.

“Really proud of how I fought,” Meissner told Romine after falling one spot from his card. “It was cool to get an opportunity today. I’m grateful to be in this position. My friend last night, he said, when I was a senior and going through trouble, I didn’t think I’d be in this place. So grateful to be here and happy to have an opportunity.”

After evading Meissner, Nyholm simply had to sweat out Botha’s Sunday attack. But once Blanchet held him at bay, Nyholm was able to exhale.

“Yes, I have a new favorite golfer in Chandler Blanchet,” Nyholm said after getting his card.

On the other side of the coin was Zecheng “Marty” Dou. Three weeks ago, Dou was considered a sure bet to return to the PGA Tour. But the 28-year-old recorded a T2 finish at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and followed that with a solo second at the Compliance Solutions Championship to vault into the top 20. Dou entered the Korn Ferry Championship at the age of 19 and posted rounds of 72, 69, 72 and 72 to complete T18 and punch his ticket back to the PGA Tour.

“I didn’t really think about getting my card this year,” Dou told Romine after the round. “I just wanted to go to Q School, maybe in the second or third phase. Two runners-up, and suddenly it turns out I get my card. When I got in at 19, I was nervous all week.

“You want to show it on the best stage. If I get it done this week, I’ll just look forward to next year.”

View the complete list of Korn Ferry Tour graduates below, in order of their finish on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

Korn Ferry Tour Graduates 2025

1. Johnny Keefer

2.Chandler Blanchet

3. Austin Smotherman

4. Neal Shipley

5. Emilio González

6. Hank Lebioda

7. Adriaan Dumont de Chassart

8. SH Kim

9. Christo Lamprecht

10. Davis Chatfield

11. Zach abs

12. Pierceson Coody

13. ST Lee

14.Jeffrey Kang

15.Hensei Hirata

16. Trace Crowe

17. John VanDerLaan

18. Zecheng Dou

19. Sudarshan Yellamaraju

20. Pontus Nyholm