PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry update: Five players whose lives could change Sunday at Final Stage

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – If the mind is a memory bank, Q-School’s final weekend requires life-altering deposits and withdrawals.

Players on the verge of their first PGA TOUR card into Sunday at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will remember this day, for better or worse, forever. The top five and ties after 72 holes in northeast Florida (two rounds each at Sawgrass Country Club and TPC Sawgrass' Dye’s Valley Course) will earn 2025 PGA TOUR membership.

Sunday is the last dash for a dream.

“It’s what everybody’s been working for,” said co-leader Alistair Docherty, a ninth-year pro who has couch-surfed and slept in his car at times to preserve his professional golf dreams. “I just want to be on the PGA TOUR.”

The field’s top half through 36 holes played Sawgrass Country Club on Saturday and found gentler conditions than on a windswept Friday where zero players broke par at the ocean-adjacent venue. Docherty’s 3-under 67 matched the day’s third-lowest round at Sawgrass CC, keeping him in an ideal position to fulfill a lifelong dream on Sunday. Docherty shares first place (6-under 204) with Matthew Riedel, a fresh-faced recent Vanderbilt alum who finished No. 4 on this year’s PGA TOUR University Ranking, the keeper of an acclaimed amateur resume that suggests he’s PGA TOUR-ready. By virtue of finishing No. 32 on this year’s Korn Ferry Tour Points List, one shot away from a TOUR card via the top 30 on the season-long standings, Docherty’s resume suggests he’s ready as well.

That’s the thing about the PGA TOUR structure, though. With no guaranteed contracts, players must earn their card on a yearly basis. Q-School’s final day is the final chance to earn a 2025 PGA TOUR card, and the scenario is cut and dry.

Finish sixth? It’s to the Korn Ferry Tour or PGA TOUR Americas for 2025.

Here are five players whose lives could change Sunday at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, in the form of their first PGA TOUR card.

Alistair Docherty

Docherty’s story has been told extensively around these parts in recent months, but Sunday’s immense stage makes it worth repeating. The ninth-year pro has kept his professional dreams alive by razor-thin margins at times, often couch-surfing and sometimes sleeping in his car to keep finances balanced. He’s a former hockey player, which has cultivated his toughness, shown through repeated success at potential career crossroads moments. A few years back, he took a club caddying job at Silverleaf Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was set up for a chance round of golf with Barstool Sports’ Sam Bozoian, known colloquially as “Riggs.”

Docherty played well in front of Bozoian, inspiring the “Fore Play” podcast host to offer key funding at a time when money was tight – first from his own pocket, then a formal Barstool Sports sponsorship. Docherty has seized the opportunity; he finished runner-up at the TOUR’s Myrtle Beach Classic on a sponsor exemption earlier this year, parlayed that into his best Korn Ferry Tour season, and is now one day away from a PGA TOUR card. As co-leader at 6-under, Docherty is three strokes inside the projected top-five number. He chipped in for par on Sawgrass Country Club’s ninth hole Saturday to keep things on track, and he carded a bogey-free, 3-under 32 on the back nine to move to the verge of his dream.

Corey Shaun

There are sliding-doors moments, and there are sliding-doors moments on hyperdrive. Two weeks ago, Shaun might have experienced the latter. After a globetrotting autumn that saw the seventh-year pro earn 2025 DP World Tour status via Q-School, Shaun missed the cut by one stroke at the ISPS Handa Australian Open in late November. Had he made the weekend, he wouldn’t have flown back to America to compete at Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School in California – but once he learned he wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the following two DP World Tour events, he decided to roll the dice stateside. Then he finished runner-up at Second Stage, seven strokes inside the number, and carried the momentum right to northeast Florida for Final Stage.

Shaun opened in 9-under 61 at Dye’s Valley Course, a competitive course record, which he followed with rounds of 76-70 at Sawgrass Country Club. Despite a closing double bogey on the par-4 18th Saturday, he’s still tied for fourth into the final round and projected to earn his first PGA TOUR card. It won’t be easy, and the UCLA alum might be near the end of his energy tank after a whirlwind two-month stretch across continents and Q-School stages. But with just one round left in his competitive year, he’ll come ready to play.

John Greco

Greco might be one of the leaderboard’s most anonymous pros, but everyone starts from scratch at Final Stage, knowledge that has energized Greco in a potentially Cinderella-type run to a PGA TOUR dream. Greco, 30, played a variety of sports growing up, but golf was too expensive until coming across the Youth on Course program in the San Francisco Bay Area as a high schooler, which allowed him to develop his game and eventually compete in college (first at San Jose Community College, then at William Jessup University).

The eighth-year pro has made just one PGA TOUR start and one Korn Ferry Tour start, competing mostly on mini-tours and making six PGA TOUR Americas starts earlier this year (without a top-25 finish). But the free-spirited Greco, who goes by @champagnejohnnie on Instagram, might have peaked at just the right time. He carded a third-round 67 at Sawgrass Country Club to move into a four-way tie for fourth place, squarely on the cut line for a PGA TOUR card.

Grant Hirschman

Hirschman made just five cuts in 15 Korn Ferry Tour starts this past season, finishing a distant No. 178 on the season-long standings to lose status. He was two strokes outside the cut line with nine holes to play at First Stage of Q-School two months ago. Then the former University of Oklahoma standout found the Hirschman of old, carding a bogey-free 4-under nine to advance by two shots. He comfortably advanced through Second Stage in Savannah, Georgia, and he fired a third-round 66 at Sawgrass Country Club to move into a tie for fourth place into Sunday, squarely on the projected number to earn a PGA TOUR card.

Hirschman admitted Saturday that he’s ready to be known, professionally speaking, for more than just his amateur results. Earlier in his pro career, he shared a house in Dallas with Scottie Scheffler, the comfortable world No. 1 who was named 2024 PGA TOUR Player of the Year earlier this week. If Hirschman becomes #TOURBound on Sunday, it will mark a banner week for the house (which also included 2025 TOUR member Max McGreevy) affectionally known as the “Dirty Meadow.” It’s safe to say Hirsch-mania would ensue.

Christo Lamprecht

How far back is too far back? Lamprecht stands four strokes outside the top-five cutoff into the final round at Final Stage, and although it’s a tall task, the tall South African has proven his elite game can produce some special results. Lamprecht, the former top-ranked amateur from Georgia Tech, finished No. 2 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn direct access to Final Stage (he had a chance to overtake Michael Thorbjornsen for the top spot into this year’s NCAA Championship, but he was forced to withdraw midway through the individual competition due to a back injury). He has worked through a swing change this summer and fall, partly to reduce the strain on his back, and although results have been slow to come by at times (he missed seven of 10 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour this summer), he has fared well at Final Stage with rounds of 71-71-69. He’s tied for 15th into the final day and might need something special to move inside the top five and ties. But he has a puncher’s chance.

Projected TOUR cards

The top five and ties after 72 holes will earn full status for the 2025 PGA TOUR season. Through 54 holes, here’s who would earn a TOUR card.

T1. Matthew Riedel (6-under) – The Vanderbilt alum finished No. 4 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, and he finished No. 77 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List in just 13 starts. He earned direct access to Final Stage via PGA TOUR University and is making the most of it, carding a 67 on Saturday to tie for the lead.

T1. Alistair Docherty (6-under) – Two months ago, Docherty was on the verge of a TOUR card at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, finishing in a three-way T2 when a two-way T2 would have been enough for his first TOUR card. After rounds of 71-66-67 to open Final Stage of Q-School, he has a shot at ultimate redemption.

3. Takumi Kanaya (4-under) – A former world No. 1 amateur, the Japan native advanced through Second Stage last week in California and has carried the momentum to Final Stage, where he has opened in rounds of 68-70-68.

T4. Corey Shaun (3-under) – After setting a competitive course record at Dye’s Valley Course on Thursday (9-under 61), Shaun came back to earth with a second-round 76. A 70 on Saturday has him still in a position to receive a TOUR card with a good round on Sunday.

T4. Grant Hirchman (3-under) – A University of Oklahoma native and former roommate of Scottie Scheffler, Hirchman buried a birdie putt on his final hole to sneak into the top-five threshold with a Saturday 66.

T4. John Greco (3-under) – Making it into Final Stage with a birdie on his 72nd hole at Second Stage, the 30-year-old from Rochester, New York, played six events in the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season and has never had Korn Ferry Tour status. He looks to do better than that, putting a PGA TOUR card within grasp with a 3-under 67 on Saturday.

T4. Hayden Buckley (3-under) – The 28-year-old from Chattanooga, Tennessee, played a full season on the PGA TOUR, making 11 cuts of 29 events to finish outside the top 125 in the FedExCup. A steady 67 keeps him within the realm of earning a TOUR card and remaining there. Otherwise, Buckley will be looking at a return to the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time since 2020.

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 3, 59 players are at 4-over or better, making that the current cutoff for guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts. Among the notable names of the group:

Christo Lamprecht (1-under, T15) – The 6-foot-8 Georgia Tech product 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. A steady 69 on Saturday has him in good position heading to the final round.

Nick Gabrelcik (2-over, T23) – 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. Gabrelcik played eight tournaments over these two courses in college, winning six of them. He navigated his way to a 71 on Saturday at Sawgrass Country Club.

Doc Redman (3-over, T31) – Two months ago, Redman was projected to earn a TOUR card on the final day of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship but struggled down the stretch and fell just short. He also finished seventh at Final Stage of Q-School a year ago, two strokes off the number. He’s fully exempt on the Korn Ferry Tour next season and can play aggressive in a Sunday bid to move inside the top five (and ties).

Runchanapong Youprayong (4-over, T47) – One of the 11 players who advanced through each stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, beginning with Pre-Qualifying. With an even-par 70 on Saturday, he sits squarely on the bubble for guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts.

Notables

Alejandro Tosti (E, T10) – 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). Tosti charged with a 5-under 65 Saturday at Sawgrass Country Club, keeping a return to TOUR for 2025 within reach

Adrien Dumont de Chassart (1-under, T15) – 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. He had one of the stronger rounds Saturday with a 67, placing him back within striking distance heading to Sunday.

Pierceson Coody (3-over, T31) – The No. 1 player in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2022 and former University of Texas All-American, Coody has excelled on the Korn Ferry Tour with three career wins but struggled in his first season on TOUR, finishing 131st in the FedExCup. Despite struggling his first two rounds, Coody carded the round of the day with a 6-under 64 on Saturday at Dye's Valley, leaving him one last day to try and charge towards the top five and secure his return to the PGA TOUR.

Alistair Docherty (T1/6-under)

• Cards a 3-under 67 t at Sawgrass Country Club o maintain a share of the lead, in addition to having a three-stroke cushion from the current cut line for PGA TOUR membership (4-way T4 at 3-under 207)
• Seeking his first PGA TOUR card in what is his ninth year as a professional (turned professional out of Chico State in 2016)
• Making fourth career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School, having previously finished T21 in 2023 (earned guaranteed starts on Korn Ferry Tour for 2024), T29 in 2022 (earned guaranteed starts on Korn Ferry Tour for 2023), and T61 in 2019 (earned conditional status on Korn Ferry Tour for 2020-21 season)
• Earned exemption for Final Stage by virtue of finishing in the top 60 of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Finished No. 32 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, earning fully exempt status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season; he needed a two-way T2 finish at the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance to finish in the top 30 of the Points List and earn PGA TOUR membership, but Doc Redman’s birdie on the 72nd hole created a three-way T2 finish and bumped Docherty out of the top 30
• Finished T2 as a sponsor exemption at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic, which was his second career start on the PGA TOUR
• Previously finished No. 86 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie
• Played four seasons at Chico State (also known as California State University-Chico), an NCAA Division II program, garnering three All-America honors (First Team in 2014 and 2016; Second Team in 2015), earning medalist honors at the 2015 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, and receiving the 2016 CCAA Player of the Year award

Matthew Riedel (T1/6-under)

• Cards a bogey-free 3-under 67 at Sawgrass Country Club to maintain a share of the lead, in addition to having a three-stroke cushion from the current cut line for PGA TOUR membership (4-way T4 at 3-under 207)
• Only player in the field with three rounds in the 60s this week
• Earned an exemption to Final Stage by virtue of his No. 4 finish in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking
• Holds fully exempt status for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season via his No. 2 finish on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Total Points List (combined FedExCup and Korn Ferry Tour points earned by PGA TOUR University Class of 2024 members)
• Finished No. 77 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List in just 13 starts after he joined the Tour via PGA TOUR University performance benefits in June; he notably finished T2 at The Ascendant presented by Blue
• Played five seasons at Vanderbilt University (2019-24), where he was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference First Team selection (2023, 2024) and won his lone collegiate event at the 2022 SEC Match Play presented by Jerry Pate, where he won medalist honors for the stroke play portion of the event.
• Finished T2 at the 2024 SEC Championship, which was won by Auburn University’s Jackson Koivun

Additional player notes

• Making his first career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School, Takumi Kanaya (third/4-under), a seven-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour and former No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, maintains a position in the top five with a 2-under 68 at Sawgrass Country Club; he advanced to Final Stage via Second Stage of Q-School.
• John Greco (T4/3-under) moves into the top five with three birdies in his final four holes en route to a 3-under 67 at Sawgrass Country Club; he is making his first appearance at Final Stage of Q-School after earning medalist honors at First Stage and making birdie on his 72nd hole to advance through the Valencia, California Second Stage site on the number.
• Grant Hirschman (T4/3-under) moves into the top five with a 4-under 66 at Sawgrass Country Club; he advanced through First and Second Stage of Q-School after a No. 178 finish on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
  • Hirschman played the last five seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing inside the top 100 of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List after two of those seasons (No. 68 in 2019, No. 79 in 2020-21).
  • Hirschman’s best finish in three previous appearances at Final Stage of Q-School was solo seventh in 2021.
• Korn Ferry Tour winner and two-time FedExCup Playoffs qualifier Hayden Buckley (T4/3-under) moves into the top five with a 3-under 67 at Sawgrass Country Club; he earned an exemption to Final Stage by virtue of his No. 156 finish in the 2024 FedExCup Fall standings.
• Corey Shaun (T4/3-under), who opened with a course-record 9-under 61 at Dye’s Valley for a five-stroke 18-hole lead, makes double bogey at the par-4 18th at Sawgrass Country Club to fall into a tie for the final position which awards PGA TOUR membership; he is seeking his first PGA TOUR card in what is his seventh year as a professional, and he has DP World Tour membership for the 2024-25 season via his solo-14th finish at Final Stage of its Q-School last month.
• Marcus Plunkett (T15/1-over), who attended two high schools in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Nease High School for first three years, Ponte Vedra High School as a senior), cards an even-par 70 at Sawgrass Country Club; he played college golf at the United States Military Academy in West Point, and is bidding to become the first Army graduate to earn PGA TOUR membership in what is his first career appearance at Final Stage of Q-School.
• Christo Lamprecht (T15/1-over), who finished No. 2 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking, cards 1-under 69 at Sawgrass Country Club to move within four strokes of the current cutoff for PGA TOUR membership (4-way T4 at 3-under 207).
• Four-time Korn Ferry Tour winner and two-time FedExCup Playoffs qualifier Robby Shelton (T15/1-over) and three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Pierceson Coody (T31/3-over) share the low round of the day at Dye’s Valley with matching 6-under 64s, while Korn Ferry Tour winner Alejandro Tosti (T10/Even par) cards 5-under 65 for the low round of the week at Sawgrass Country Club.
• Kensei Hirata (T47/4-over), 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, falls 14 places on the leaderboard after a 1-over 71 at Sawgrass Country Club; he earned an exemption to Final Stage as the leading player on the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit.
• Runchanapong Youprayong (T47/4-over) leads the 11 players who advanced through each stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, beginning with Pre-Qualifying.
• The current cutoff for guaranteed starts for the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season is a 13-way T47 at 4-over 214.

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 Jimmy Reinman and Amanda Cashman contributed to this report.