The final round of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Championship started with two players who needed to win to earn their PGA Tour card leading the way.
For Barend Botha and Sandy Scott, only a win would put them in the top 20 and onto the PGA Tour. But Sunday at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort was not their day. Scott quickly faded, 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 as Chandler Blanchet, who had already clinched his PGA Tour card for next season, opened with three straight birdies. Botha hung tough but could not catch Blanchet, who shot a Sunday 66 to post 14 under and beat Botha by two.
Blanchet’s win 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 dropped and he turned his attention to what he hopes is a long future on the top circuit.
“I hope I can lead by example,” Blanchet told Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine about having his two kids watch him chase 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 life.”
The 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 entered the week at 18th in the standings but fell onto the bubble over the weekend. With Botha making a weekend charge at the trophy, the pressure was ratcheted up on Nyholm to try to secure his card. On Sunday, the pressure came from Botha, who had to win to get his card, and Mitchell Meissner, who made a late charge as Nyholm leaked oil down the stretch, shooting a back-nine 40. Meissner birdied 12, 13, and 15 to enter the conversation and needed at least two more to finish to have a chance at catching Nyholm. But a wayward tee shot on 16 led to a bogey and caused Meissner to finish 21st in the standings.
“Really proud of how I fought,” Meissner told Romine after finishing one spot shy of his card. “It was cool to have a chance today. I’m grateful to be in this position. My buddy last night, he said, when I was a senior in college and going through the yips, I didn’t think I’d be in this spot. So grateful to be here and happy to have a chance.
After dodging Meissner, Nyholm just had to sweat out Botha’s Sunday charge. But once Blanchet held him off, Nyholm could exhale.
“Yeah, I’ve got a new favorite golfer in Chandler Blanchet,” Nyholm said after he secured his card.
On the other side of the coin was Zecheng “Marty” Dou. Three weeks ago, Dou was considered a long shot to make it back to the PGA Tour. But the 28-year-old posted a T2 finish at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and followed that with a solo second at the Compliance Solutions Championship to jump into the top 20. Dou entered the Korn Ferry Championship at 19 and posted rounds of 72, 69, 72 and 72 to finish T18 and punch his ticket back to the PGA Tour.
“I haven’t really put much thought into getting my card this year,” Dou told Romine after the round. “I was just looking to get into Q School, maybe second stage or third stage. Two runner-ups, and suddenly it turns out to be getting my card. Coming in at 19, I was nervous all week.
“You want to show it on the best stage. Getting it done this week, I’m just looking forward to next year.”
Chandler Blanchet interview after winning Korn Ferry Tour Championship
Check out the full list of Korn Ferry Tour graduates below, in order of their finish on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.
2025 Korn Ferry Tour graduates
1. Johnny Keefer
2. Chandler Blanchet
3. Austin Smotherman
4. Neal Shipley
5. Emilio Gonzalez
6. Hank Lebioda
7. Adrien Dumont de Chassart
8. S.H. Kim
9. Christo Lamprecht
10. Davis Chatfield
11. Zach Bauchou
12. Pierceson Coody
13. S.T. Lee
14. Jeffrey Kang
15. Hensei Hirata
16. Trace Crowe
17. John VanDerLaan
18. Zecheng Dou
19. Sudarshan Yellamaraju
20. Pontus Nyholm
