PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – As the chilly weather and bristling wind swept through northeast Florida Thursday morning, 171 men entered the crucible of top-level professional golf known officially as PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Out of this group of players, only the top five and ties will etch their name into a PGA TOUR card come Sunday, with young guns, journeymen, international grinders and pre-qualifying Cinderellas making up the field that teed it up on both TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club in Round 1.

One of those men is Doc Redman, a professional of six years who is looking to return to the PGA TOUR for the first time since 2022. Over the last year, Redman experienced some of the most harrowing near misses a player at this level can endure. One year ago, right back here at Q-School, Redman played his way into position on Sunday, posting a 66 among the early finishers to position himself on the top-five bubble. Despite Redman’s 66 marking the lowest score among any of the top 20 finishers on that Sunday, he would go on to slip just outside of the threshold, missing the mark by two strokes and returning to the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2024 season.

Redman stumbled out of the gates to begin his season on the Korn Ferry Tour but galvanized his game towards to end of the year. Over his last five events, Redman finished no worse than T30 and positioned himself in striking distance of receiving a TOUR card heading into the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

As the points fell, it became clear that Redman needed a victory in the final event of the season to join the top 30 in graduation back to the TOUR. Despite heroic efforts, Redman would feel golf’s keen sting once again, finishing T2 in the event with a 72 on the final day. A double bogey on the 15th hole was the deciding factor as Braden Thornberry edged ahead for the victory by a single stroke.

Redman, a Jacksonville local, now faces the same hurdle he took on last year. This time, he enters with a new perspective, more seasoned and ready than he could have ever imagined.

“I think it’s always good to be in good positions like that,” Redman told PGATOUR.COM on Thursday following his opening-round 68 on the Dye’s Valley Course. “You just gotta learn from it. It’s tough to close it out the first time, so I’ve gotten a lot of really good experience recently being near the lead and just trying to finish it off.”

Redman’s story is just a single example of the grand landscape of impact at play this week at Q-School. After Thursday’s play, here’s how the field began their week:

Projected TOUR cards

The top five and ties after 72 holes will earn full status for the 2024 PGA TOUR season. Through 18 holes, here’s who would earn a TOUR card.

1. Corey Shaun (9-under) – The UCLA alum earned 2025 DP World Tour membership via Q-School last month and has kept the momentum rolling at PGA TOUR Q-School. He finished second at Second Stage last week in California, seven strokes inside the number, and set a course record Thursday with a bogey-free 61 at Dye’s Valley.

2. Richy Werenski (4-under) – The longtime PGA TOUR pro will have limited status for 2025 as a past champion, but he’s looking to improve his spot on the Priority Ranking. The Georgia Tech alum made nine PGA TOUR starts in 2024, in addition to 19 Korn Ferry Tour starts.

T3. Cooper Musselman (3-under) – After a strong start to Final Stage, the Kentucky native is looking to join his former high school teammate Justin Thomas on the PGA TOUR. Musselman, 30, has made 28 career Korn Ferry Tour starts but never held TOUR status.

T3. Ryan McCormick (3-under) – The New Jersey native finished No. 161 on the FedExCup Fall standings as a TOUR rookie in 2024, and he’s looking to avoid a return to the Korn Ferry Tour, on which he has made 101 career starts.

T3. Lanto Griffin (3-under) – The VCU alum holds limited TOUR status as a past champion but looks to improve his spot on the Priority Ranking for 2025. He has made 148 career TOUR starts in addition to 56 Korn Ferry Tour starts (with two victories).

T3. Callum Tarren (3-under) – The Englishman finished No. 180 on the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings in his third TOUR season and looks to avoid a return to the Korn Ferry Tour, on which he has made 65 career starts.

Korn Ferry Tour bubble

The next 40 finishers and ties will earn exempt status through multiple reshuffles of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, with the first 25 finishers and ties being subject to the third reshuffle (12 guaranteed starts) and any remaining finishers within the category being subject to the second reshuffle (eight guaranteed starts).

Through Round 1, 69 players are at 1-over 71 or better, making that the current cutoff for Korn Ferry Tour status. Among the notable names of the group:

Shad Tuten (2-under, T7) – Tuten nearly earned his first TOUR card via the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour, finishing No. 32 on the season-long standings, and he was then sidelined for a few months as he recovered from a heart condition that he suffered after the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Championship. He returned to make 13 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2024, finishing No. 78 on the season-long standings, and he has another chance to earn his first TOUR card this weekend.

Nick Gabrelcik (1-under, T20) – The University of North Florida alum finished No. 5 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn direct access to Final Stage of Q-School, and he’s in line to take advantage of that exemption.

Chez Reavie (1-under, T20) – The veteran pro has made 425 career PGA TOUR starts, including three victories, but he finds himself chasing status after finishing No. 163 on the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings.

Alejandro Tosti (1-over, T42) – The animated Argentinian nearly earned exempt TOUR status for 2025, finishing No. 137 on the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings as a rookie, and he’ll be fully exempt for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour regardless of his final position at Final Stage (Nos. 126-150 on the 2024 FedExCup Fall are fully exempt on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour). Hence he can go for broke this weekend, chasing a spot in the top five and ties.

Christo Lamprecht (1-over, T42) – The Georgia Tech alum finished No. 2 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn direct access to Final Stage of Q-School, where he now looks to secure guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts for 2025 – or perhaps catch a heater and earn a PGA TOUR card.

Notables

Kyle Westmoreland (2-over, T70) – The 30-year-old Westmoreland is trying to make his way back to the PGA TOUR after earning a PGA TOUR card in 2023 via the Korn Ferry Tour. With secured 2025 Korn Ferry Tour status, the Air Force veteran and Houston native is going for broke.

Hayden Springer (2-over, T70) – The Cinderella story of 2023's Final Stage barely missed out on renewing his 2024 PGA TOUR card, falling just two spots short at No. 127. He has the more difficult Sawgrass Country Club ahead of him for Round 2.

Justin Suh (2-over, T70) – The 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year had a lackluster 2024 season on the PGA TOUR, racking up only three top-25s and more missed cuts than not in 29 starts. With a 165th-place finish in the FedExCup Fall, he needs a big push over the next three days to secure status.

Adrien Dumont de Chassart (3-over, T96) – Less than three months after finishing his college career at Illinois, Adrien Dumont de Chassart clinched his PGA TOUR card with a series of strong finishes, including a win in his first start, on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. An inconsistent 2024 on the PGA TOUR (two top-10s and 15 missed cuts in 27 starts) led to a 139th-place finish in the FedExCup Fall, outside the top 125.

Sam Bennett (4-over, T117) – The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion competed in the final group for the final two rounds of the 2023 Masters (finishing T16) and has compiled a steady 2024 Korn Ferry Tour campaign with 18 made cuts in 24 starts, including 10 top-25 finishes. After just missing out on a PGA TOUR card, he opened his campaign for a PGA TOUR card with a 4-over 76 at Dye's Valley.

Corey Shaun (first/-9) – Dye's Valley

• Opens with bogey-free 9-under 61 at Dye’s Valley, breaking the course record of 62 previously shared by Roberto Castro (2015 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance/Round 4) and Tommy Gainey (2014 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance/Round 2).
• Ties José Toledo (2017/Whirlwind Golf Club – Devil’s Claw) for the lowest first-round score in Q-School records dating back to 1992.
• Holds a five-stroke lead, marking the largest 18-hole lead at Q-School in records dating back to 1992; the largest 18-hole lead in that span was four strokes (José Toledo/2017).
• Posts one of two bogey-free rounds at Dye’s Valley (Nate Stember/2-under 68), and one of only three bogey-free rounds at either course in Round 1 (Cooper Musselman/3-under 67/Sawgrass CC; Joe Weiler/1-under 69/Sawgrass CC).
• Beats the Round 1 scoring average at Dye’s Valley (71.5) by 10.5 strokes.
• Marks his career-low round in PGA TOUR-sanctioned play (previous: 62/2021 Forme Open at TPC River’s Bend/Round 2) and his first round in the 60s at a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event since a first-round 69 at the 2024 Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club on PGA TOUR Americas back in March.
• Advanced through First and Second Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
• Earned DP World Tour membership for the 2024-25 season with a solo-14th finish at Final Stage of its Q-School last month.
• Finished No. 102 on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a Tour rookie; his only top-10 in 20 starts was a T3 finish at the season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay
• Withdrew after two rounds in his only previous career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School in 2021.
• Finished No. 2 on the 2021 Forme Tour Order of Merit, earning Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2022 season and an exemption to Final Stage of 2021 Q-School.

Additional player notes

• PGA TOUR winner Richy Werenski (second/4-under), who finished No. 55 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and earned fully exempt status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, opens in 4-under 66 as he seeks to improve his PGA TOUR status for the 2025 season; he was exempt to Final Stage by virtue of finishing in the top 60 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
• Cooper Musselman (T3/3-under) and Callum Tarren (T3/3-under) shared the low round of the day at Sawgrass Country Club with matching 3-under 67s.
• Musselman advanced through First and Second Stage of Q-School this year, as he last held membership on a PGA TOUR-sanctioned tour in 2023, when he finished No. 119 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List; he also recorded a T31 finish as a sponsor exemption on the PGA TOUR at the 2024 ISCO Championship.
• Tarren finished No. 180 in the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings and would be in line for conditional Korn Ferry Tour status in 2025 should he not earn additional performance benefits this week at Final Stage; he previously qualified for the 2022 and 2023 FedExCup Playoffs in his first two seasons on the PGA TOUR.
• Takumi Kanaya (T7/2-under), a seven-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour and former No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, opens his first career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School in 2-under 68 at Sawgrass Country Club; he advanced through Second Stage of Q-School.
• Johnny Keefer (T7/2-under), who finished No. 1 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Americas and earned fully exempt status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, opens in 2-under 68 at Dye’s Valley; he earned an exemption to Final Stage by virtue of finishing in the top 10 of the 2024 Fortinet Cup standings.
• Kensei Hirata (T20/1-under), the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 114 in the Official World Golf Ranking and a six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, opens his first career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School in 1-under 69 at Dye’s Valley; he earned an exemption to Final Stage as the leading player on the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit.
• Runchanapong Youprayong (T42/1-over) leads the 11 players who advanced through each stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, beginning with Pre-Qualifying.

Final Stage performance benefits

• Top Five and Ties:PGA TOUR membership for 2025
• Next 40 Finishers and Ties: Exempt for multiple reshuffles of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season
  • The first 25 finishers and ties in this category will be subject to the third reshuffle, assuring them starts in the first 12 events of the 2025 season
  • Any remaining finishers within the category will be subject to the second reshuffle, assuring them starts in the first eight events of the 2025 season

All remaining finishers outside of the aforementioned categories earn conditional status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season, in addition to being exempt through the Latin America Swing of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season

PGA TOUR's Kevin Prise and Stephanie Royer contributed to this report.