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Korn Ferry Tour Championship
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The Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance is the year-end golf tournament of the Korn Ferry Tour. It has been played at a variety of courses; from 2019 to 2023 it was played at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana.[1] From 2024 to 2028, it will be played at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.[2] Since the 2008 edition, the purse has been $1,000,000, with the winner receiving $180,000.
Key Information
The format of the tournament is stroke play at 18 holes for four days, a total of 72 holes. Originally, the field consisted of the top 60 players on the money list, all attempting to be among the 25 to earn PGA Tour cards. Since 2013, it has been part of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and the field consisted of the top 75 players from the Korn Ferry Tour money list and the non-exempt players ranked 126 to 200 on the PGA Tour's money list at the start of the Finals.[3] From 2013 to 2022, 50 PGA Tour cards were awarded after the event.
The format changed in 2023 where thirty PGA Tour cards are awarded at the end of the season and again in 2025 where the number of graduates was reduced to twenty. The Tour Championship features the top 75 players from the Korn Ferry standings and those in the field are guaranteed at minimum full Korn Ferry Tour status for the next season.
Tournament host courses
[edit]| Years | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2024– | French Lick Resort | French Lick, Indiana |
| 2019–2023 | Victoria National Golf Club | Newburgh, Indiana |
| 2016–2018 | Atlantic Beach Country Club | Atlantic Beach, Florida |
| 2013–2015 | TPC Sawgrass, Dye's Valley Course | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida |
| 2009–2011 | Daniel Island Club (Ralston Creek course) | Charleston, South Carolina |
| 2008, 2012 | TPC Craig Ranch | McKinney, Texas |
| 2007 | Barona Creek Golf Club | Lakeside, California |
| 2006 | Houstonian Golf & Country Club | Richmond, Texas |
| 2001–2005 | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill (Senator course) |
Prattville, Alabama |
| 1999–2000 | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Highland Oaks |
Dothan, Alabama |
| 1998 | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove (Crossings course) |
Mobile, Alabama |
| 1997 | Grand National Golf Club (Lake course) | Opelika, Alabama |
| 1995–1996 | Settindown Creek Golf Club | Roswell, Georgia |
| 1993–1994 | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club | Cornelius, Oregon |
Winners
[edit]| Korn Ferry Tour (Current Finals system) | 2023– | |
| Korn Ferry Tour (Old Finals system) | 2013–2019, 2021–2022 | |
| Korn Ferry Tour (Championship Series) | 2020 | |
| Korn Ferry Tour (Regular season Tour Championship) | 1993–2012 |
Bolded golfers graduated to the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour regular-season money list, in years that the event was not part of the old Korn Ferry Tour Finals system. In years that the event was part of that system, all winners and runners-up earned PGA Tour cards.
Sources:[5][6]
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
References
[edit]- ^ "Victoria National Golf Club's Web.com tour stop is now the group's championship event". Evansville Courier & Press. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ Gross, Elisa (February 28, 2023). "Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance relocating to French Lick Resort in 2024 - United Leasing & Finance". www.unitedevv.com. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ "PGA Tour announces 2013 Web.com Tour schedule". PGA Tour. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ Kozuchowski, Zak (October 5, 2016). "Web.com Tour Championship cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew". GolfWRX. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Nationwide Tour Championship - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
- ^ Nationwide Tour 2009 Guide. PGA Tour. 2008. pp. 3–38. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
External links
[edit]Korn Ferry Tour Championship
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History
Inception and early years
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship was established in 1993 as the season-ending event of the Nike Tour, the developmental circuit for aspiring professional golfers seeking advancement to the PGA Tour.[9] Originally known as the Nike Tour Championship, it featured the top 30 money earners from the regular season competing in a 72-hole stroke-play format, providing a climactic showcase for emerging talent.[9] The inaugural tournament was held at the Ghost Creek Course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Cornelius, Oregon, where rookie David Duval claimed victory with a score of 277, earning $36,000 from a $200,000 purse. In its early years, the championship played a pivotal role in player development by awarding performance-based exemptions to the PGA Tour, with top finishers on the Nike Tour money list securing full playing privileges for the following season.[10] For instance, the top 10 money winners in 1993 gained PGA Tour cards, highlighting the event's function as a gateway for career progression.[9] Duval's win exemplified this pathway; after dominating the Nike Tour with two victories that year, he transitioned to the PGA Tour in 1995, eventually achieving 13 wins, including the 2001 Open Championship, and topping the 1998 money list. The tournament's format and prestige grew steadily through the 1990s, with venues rotating to accommodate regional support while maintaining its status as the tour's marquee finale. The 1994 edition returned to Pumpkin Ridge, where Mike Schuchart won with a matching 277 score from a $225,000 purse, followed by events at Settindown Creek Golf Club in Roswell, Georgia, in 1995 and 1996, where Allen Doyle and Stewart Cink prevailed, respectively.[9] Purse sizes increased incrementally, reaching $300,000 by 1997, reflecting the Nike Tour's expanding financial footprint and its success in nurturing talents like Cink, who later captured the 2009 Open Championship.[9] This period solidified the championship's reputation as a launchpad for future stars, emphasizing skill and consistency over the developmental tour's grind.[10]Name changes and sponsorship evolution
Following Nike's departure as title sponsor of the developmental tour after the 1999 season, Buy.com assumed the role in October 1999, leading to the rebranding of the season-ending event as the Buy.com Tour Championship starting in 2000.[11] The inaugural Buy.com Tour Championship offered a purse of $550,000, with winner Spike McRoy earning $99,000.[12] This sponsorship shift marked an early effort to leverage corporate partnerships for financial support and broader exposure beyond the tour's foundational years. In July 2002, Nationwide Insurance replaced Buy.com as the tour's title sponsor in a five-year deal effective for the 2003 season, renaming the finale the Nationwide Tour Championship.[13] Nationwide extended its agreement through 2012 in 2006, providing long-term stability that facilitated purse expansions and enhanced marketing initiatives to boost player visibility and fan engagement.[14] These corporate ties contributed to gradual growth in event purses and overall tour funding, underscoring how sponsorships evolved to sustain the developmental circuit's operations. The tour underwent another rebranding in June 2012 when Web.com acquired the title sponsorship from Nationwide, renaming the championship the Web.com Tour Championship effective immediately.[15] By then, the event purse had increased to $1 million, with $180,000 to the winner, reflecting the cumulative impact of sponsorship-driven investments in prize money and promotion since the early 2000s.[16] This era's partnerships not only elevated the tournament's profile through expanded media reach but also supported attempts at venue stability, including multi-year hosting agreements to minimize scheduling disruptions. A notable disruption occurred in 2016, when the Web.com Tour Championship, set for Atlantic Beach Country Club, was cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Matthew, marking the first such cancellation since 2005 and finalizing PGA Tour cards based on prior Finals results.[17]Integration into Korn Ferry Tour Finals
In 2013, the Web.com Tour introduced the Finals series as a playoff-style culmination to the season, consisting of four events with a cumulative points list across the series, with the Tour Championship serving as the fourth and final event. This structure provided a second opportunity for players to earn PGA Tour membership, as the top 50 finishers on the cumulative Finals points list secured PGA Tour cards for the following season, in addition to the top 25 from the regular season. The format aimed to heighten competition and identify top talent, drawing from the top 75 regular-season points earners and select prior-season PGA Tour players. The tour rebranded to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019 under a 10-year title sponsorship deal with Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm, which extended to renaming the season-ending event the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. This change aligned the tournament more closely with the tour's overall identity while maintaining its role as the decisive finale in the Finals series, now shortened to three events plus the Championship. Over time, the number of PGA Tour cards awarded through the Finals has been adjusted to reflect evolving tour priorities and field sizes. Initially granting 50 cards via the Finals in the early years, the allocation decreased to 30 starting in 2023, with points no longer resetting between the regular season and Finals for a more cumulative evaluation. By 2025, this was further reduced to 20 cards, emphasizing the top 20 finishers' access to full PGA Tour status and underscoring the Championship's critical stakes for promotion. The 2020 season brought significant modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the traditional Finals series was canceled and the schedule shifted to a one-time combined 2020-21 wraparound format with 28 events. The Korn Ferry Tour Championship proceeded as the season-ending tournament without spectators and with enhanced performance benefits, where top finishers, including the winner, received exemptions into the 2020 U.S. Open and battlefields on the PGA Tour schedule, adapting the integration to prioritize player development amid disruptions.[18]Format and eligibility
Tournament structure
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is conducted as a standard 72-hole stroke play tournament over four days, with each round consisting of 18 holes.[19] The field is divided into morning and afternoon waves for the first two rounds to facilitate efficient play, followed by pairings based on scores for the final two rounds.[6] There is no cut after 36 holes, allowing all participants to complete the full event, a format in place since the tournament's integration into the Korn Ferry Tour Finals structure.[6] The event features a field of 75 players and serves as the season finale, typically held in October. For 2025, the total purse stands at $1,500,000, with the winner receiving $270,000.[20] This purse reflects an increase implemented starting in 2023 from prior levels. This elevated purse underscores the tournament's role in awarding performance benefits, including exemptions into major championships for top finishers. Weather contingencies are a key logistical aspect, as severe conditions can lead to postponements or full cancellations; for instance, the 2016 edition was entirely canceled due to the threat of Hurricane Matthew.[17] Broadcast coverage is provided by Golf Channel, airing the final rounds from 3 to 6 p.m. ET Thursday through Sunday, ensuring wide visibility for the season's climax.[21]Qualification criteria and field composition
The field for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, the culminating event of the four-tournament Korn Ferry Tour Finals series, consists of the top 75 players on the cumulative Korn Ferry Tour Points List following the third Finals event.[22] The initial field for the first Finals event consists of the top 156 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List following the conclusion of the regular season, comprising Korn Ferry Tour members and other eligible players who earned points during the year. This represents a change implemented for the 2025 season, limiting participation to Korn Ferry Tour players and excluding PGA Tour members.[23] The points list remains cumulative across the entire season, with no reset upon entering the Finals—a format change implemented in 2023 to emphasize consistent performance from January through October.[22] Advancement to the Championship is determined by performance in the preceding three Finals events, where fields progressively reduce from 144 players after the first event to 120 after the second, with the top finishers carrying over their cumulative points to establish starting positions and pairings.[22] Exempt players, such as prior Korn Ferry Tour winners who maintain full membership status, are integrated into the field through their points standings if they qualify via the regular season or prior Finals results.[4] Should the field fall short of 75 players due to withdrawals, alternates are selected from the next eligible players on the Korn Ferry Tour eligibility rankings, and Monday qualifiers may be employed as a final measure to complete the starting lineup.[4] Starting with the 2025 season, the top 20 players on the final cumulative points list after the Championship secure PGA Tour membership for the ensuing season, a reduction from 30 cards awarded in previous years (2023-2024), with the overall points leader also receiving exemptions into the following year's U.S. Open and The Players Championship.[24] Finishers ranked 21st to 75th gain fully exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the next year, while those from 76th to 100th receive conditional membership.[22] Due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Finals series, including the Championship, was canceled, resulting in a restructured wraparound 2020-21 season where no new PGA Tour cards were awarded at the immediate conclusion; instead, promotions were deferred to the extended season's end in 2021, with 50 total cards ultimately distributed based on an adjusted points system.Venues
Current and future host courses
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana, hosted the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2024 and 2025 as part of a five-year agreement announced in 2023, hosting the event in 2024 and 2025 before the tournament relocated to Virginia in 2026.[25][26] This par-72 layout stretches to 7,791 yards for tournament play and features dramatic elevation changes, narrow fairways, three man-made lakes, and signature "volcano" bunkers, all set against panoramic 40-mile views of the southern Indiana countryside.[25] The venue's selection emphasized its prestige—having hosted the 2015 Senior PGA Championship and ranking No. 18 on Golf Digest's 2025 list of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses—while supporting Indiana's golf tourism through the resort's historic hotels, spas, and hospitality offerings that attract players and spectators alike.[25][27] In 2025, a field of 75 players competed over 72 holes with no cut, culminating in Chandler Blanchet's victory after a final-round 6-under-par 66 to finish at 14-under overall, establishing the lowest tournament total in the event's brief history at French Lick.[28][3][29] The previous year, Braden Thornberry won at 9-under par in 2024.[30] Following the 2025 event, the tournament relocated to The Federal Club in Glen Allen, Virginia, under a new four-year hosting agreement running from 2026 through at least 2029.[31] This par-72 course measures 7,073 yards from the longest tees, with a course rating of 74.1 and slope of 145, and has previously hosted multiple Virginia State Golf Association championships, including the 2018 Amateur.[31][32] The move, supported by local entities such as the Henrico Economic Development Authority and Richmond Region Tourism, aims to maintain professional golf in the Richmond area while driving economic growth and tourism in Hanover County.[31][33] This shift continues a pattern of Indiana venues for the event in recent years, including prior hosting at Victoria National Golf Club.[25]Historical host courses
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship, originally launched as the Nike Tour Championship in 1993, has utilized a diverse array of host courses across the United States through 2023, often selecting venues that align with the tour's goals of promoting emerging talent and supporting regional economic development. Early iterations of the event emphasized rotation among challenging, established layouts to build prestige, while later years saw longer stints at select sites for stability and logistical efficiency. Over its first three decades, the tournament was held at more than 15 unique venues, spanning states from Oregon to Alabama and Florida to California.[10] In its inaugural years during the 1990s, the championship rotated frequently to showcase varied terrains and foster growth in different regions. The 1993 event took place at the Ghost Creek Course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Cornelius, Oregon, a Tom Fazio-designed layout that tested players with its strategic bunkering and undulating greens, marking a dramatic debut won by David Duval after a late rally.[34] Subsequent rotations included the Settindown Creek Golf Club in Roswell, Georgia, which hosted in 1995 and 1996, offering a par-72 layout with tight fairways amid Southern woodlands, and multiple stops on Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, such as the Lake Course at Grand National Golf Club in Opelika in 1997 and the Highland Oaks Course in Dothan from 1999 to 2000. These Alabama venues, known for their lake-dotted, links-style challenges, highlighted the tour's affinity for public-accessible, high-quality facilities during this period.[35] The mid-period from the 2000s to the 2010s featured extended stays at select courses to enhance event production and fan engagement. For instance, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Senator Course in Prattville, Alabama, hosted from 2001 to 2005, providing a consistent par-72 test at approximately 7,000 yards with water hazards on nearly every hole. In the 2010s, the Dye's Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, accommodated the event from 2013 to 2015, leveraging its Pete Dye design—sister to the famous Stadium Course—for a demanding par-72 setup exceeding 6,800 yards that rewarded precision over power. This stint was interrupted in 2016 when the planned host, Atlantic Beach Country Club in Florida, was canceled due to the impending threat of Hurricane Matthew, marking the only full cancellation in the event's history and forcing points determinations based on prior Finals results.[36][17] From 2019 to 2023, the championship found a stable home at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana, a Tom Fazio masterpiece opened in 1998 that played as a par-72 course measuring around 7,270 yards, characterized by rolling bentgrass fairways, strategic water features, and firm, fast greens that emphasized course management. This period coincided with the tour's rebranding from Web.com Tour to Korn Ferry Tour in 2019, allowing the event to evolve within a fixed venue that supported enhanced charitable initiatives through Golf Gives Back. The choice of Victoria National underscored a broader trend post-2019 toward Midwestern locations for improved logistics, including easier access for Midwest-based players and stronger ties to regional philanthropy and tourism.[37][25] Overall, venue selections evolved from frequent rotations in the 1990s—often at public or resort-style courses in the Southeast and West—to multi-year commitments in the 2000s and 2010s at upscale club facilities, reflecting the tour's maturation and emphasis on predictable operations. This progression not only diversified the championship's geographic footprint but also amplified its role in player development and community impact.Results
List of past winners
The Korn Ferry Tour Championship, originally launched as the Nike Tour Championship in 1993, has crowned a unique winner in each of its editions, with no player securing multiple victories. The event was canceled in 2016 due to the impact of Hurricane Matthew. Over its history, the tournament's purse and winner's share have grown significantly, reflecting the developmental tour's expansion; for example, the 2025 purse totaled $1.5 million, with the winner receiving $270,000.[3]| Year | Winner | Score | To Par | Margin of Victory | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | David Duval | 277 | -7 | 1 stroke | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Cornelius, OR |
| 1994 | Mike Schuchart | 277 | -11 | 1 stroke | Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Cornelius, OR |
| 1995 | Allen Doyle | 283 | -5 | Playoff | Settindown Creek Golf Club, Roswell, GA |
| 1996 | Stewart Cink | 281 | -7 | 4 strokes | Settindown Creek Golf Club, Roswell, GA |
| 1997 | Steve Flesch | 278 | -10 | 4 strokes | Grand National Golf Club, Opelika, AL |
| 1998 | Bob Burns | 283 | -5 | 3 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Mobile), AL |
| 1999 | Bob Heintz | 283 | -5 | Playoff | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Dothan), AL |
| 2000 | Spike McRoy | 272 | -16 | 5 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Dothan), AL |
| 2001 | Pat Bates | 284 | -4 | 3 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Prattville), AL |
| 2002 | Patrick Moore | 206 | -10 | 2 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Prattville), AL |
| 2003 | Chris Couch | 270 | -18 | 3 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Prattville), AL |
| 2004 | Nick Watney | 273 | -15 | 3 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Prattville), AL |
| 2005 | David Branshaw | 276 | -12 | 2 strokes | Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Prattville), AL |
| 2006 | Craig Kanada | 275 | -13 | 1 stroke | Houstonian Golf & Country Club, Richmond, TX |
| 2007 | Richard Johnson | 264 | -20 | 1 stroke | Barona Creek Golf Club, Lakeside, CA |
| 2008 | Matt Bettencourt | 267 | -17 | 1 stroke | TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, TX |
| 2009 | Matt Every | 267 | -21 | 3 strokes | Daniel Island Club, Charleston, SC |
| 2010 | Brendan Steele | 275 | -13 | Playoff | Daniel Island Club, Charleston, SC |
| 2011 | Ken Duke | 278 | -10 | 2 strokes | Daniel Island Club, Charleston, SC |
| 2012 | Justin Bolli | 268 | -16 | 2 strokes | TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, TX |
| 2013 | Chesson Hadley | 270 | -10 | 2 strokes | TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley), Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
| 2014 | Derek Fathauer | 266 | -14 | 1 stroke | TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley), Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
| 2015 | Emiliano Grillo | 266 | -14 | 1 stroke | TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley), Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
| 2016 | Canceled | - | - | - | - |
| 2017 | Jonathan Byrd | 260 | -24 | 4 strokes | Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, FL |
| 2018 | Denny McCarthy | 261 | -23 | 4 strokes | Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, FL |
| 2019 | Tom Lewis | 265 | -23 | 5 strokes | Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, IN |
| 2020 | Brandon Wu | 270 | -18 | 1 stroke | Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, IN |
| 2021 | Joseph Bramlett | 268 | -20 | 4 strokes | Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, IN |
| 2022 | Justin Suh | 267 | -21 | 2 strokes | Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, IN |
| 2023 | Paul Barjon | 274 | -14 | 3 strokes | Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, IN |
| 2024 | Braden Thornberry | 279 | -9 | 1 stroke | French Lick Resort (Pete Dye Course), French Lick, IN |
| 2025 | Chandler Blanchet | 274 | -14 | 2 strokes | French Lick Resort (Pete Dye Course), French Lick, IN |