PGA TOUR Korn Ferry Tour 2025 graduates meet the newest members
Discover the top 20 players from the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour who earned PGA TOUR cards, including champions like Johnny Keefer and Chandler Blanchet.
This video breaks down the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship, key victories, and stats from the class of 2025.
Learn about rookies, international players, and standout performers in golf’s Korn Ferry Tour to PGA TOUR journey.
Highlights include Johnny Keefer’s record-breaking scoring average, Neal Shipley’s comeback wins, and more PGA TOUR Korn Ferry Tour updates.
Perfect for golf fans following the Korn Ferry Tour 2025 season and PGA TOUR news.
2025 corn ferry tour graduates. Meet the 20 newest PGA Tour members. Neil Shipley makes birdie on number 11 at cornferry tour champ. Written by staff French Lick, Indiana. The 2025 corn ferry tour season concluded Sunday evening at the cornferry tour championship presented by United Leasing Finance as 20 PGA Tour cards were awarded in a ceremony at the peak die course that French lit golf resort. The top 20 players on the 2025 cornferry tour points list earned PGA Tour membership for the 2026 season which begins in January. Chandler Blanchett birdied the first three holes of the final round on route to a six under 66 and a victory at the season ending Cornferry Tour Championship earning his second victory of the 2025 season. Lancett finished two strokes ahead of runner-up Baron Bofer who entered the week in need of a win to potentially move into the top 20 of the final 2025 Cornferry Tour points list. There were 11 players who entered the corn ferry tour championship mathematically assured of a PGA Tour card and the nine remaining cards were awarded to players who entered the week in the top 20 of the 2025 Cornferry Tour points list. Johnny Kefir clinched the number one position on the 2025 Cornferry Tour points list, earning exemptions for the Players Championship 2026 and 2026 US Open. Kefir reached number one for a second time after a victory at the 2025 NV5 Invitational in late July, his second win of the season, and solidified the top spot in the standings with a pair of top 10s in the season ending Cornferry Tour finals. Some key numbers to know about the Cornferry Tour class of 2025. 12 players who will be PGA Tour rookies for the 2026 season. Zack Bao, Chandler Blanche, Davis Chatfield, Emilio Gonzalez, Kensei Herata, Jeffrey Kang, Johnny Kefir, Christo Lamperect, St. Lee, Pontis Niholm, John Vandelan, Sudasharian Yala Maraju. Nine countries and territories represented Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, United States. Two PGA Tour University alums earned their first PGA Tour card, led the tour in top five finishes, six, top 10s, nine, top 25s, 15, and broke the Cornferry tour record for single season scoring average 67.95. Previously established by Luke Guthrie 68.33 in 2012. finished number 25 in the 2024 PGA Tour University ranking. The last position which awarded performance benefits after five seasons at Baylor University 2019 to 2024 where he broke Jimmy Walker’s school record for career scoring average 71.45, 45 earned PGA Tour America’s membership via PGA Tour University Performance Benefits and finished number one in the 2024 Forinet Cup standings, earning Cornferry Tour membership for the 2025 season. Following his professional debut in June 2024, stood number one 1,654 in the official World Golf ranking, but entered the season ending 2025 Cornferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing Finance, ranked number 51. Moved to San Antonio, Texas in his early teens and honed his game at TPC San Antonio, host of the PGA Tours Valero Texas Open. In addition to golf, he grew up playing lacrosse. His father, John Kefir III, got Johnny into golf by bribing him with lacrosse equipment. Huge fan of the popular television show The Office. He claims to have watched the show in its entirety more than 10 times. Johnny Kefir’s parents, relatives follow him at Cornferry Tour Championship number two. Chandler Blanchett in what was his fourth season on the Cornferry Tour earned his first PGA Tour card off the strength of victories at the 2025 Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Highland Dairy Foods and 2025 Cornferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing Finance. previously finished number 95 202021 and number 115 2022 on the corn ferry tour points list. Regained membership with a no. Finish on the 2023 PGA Tour Latino America Order of Merit and finished number 84 on the 2024 corn ferry tour points list to begin the 2025 season with conditional status. Chandler Blanche makes birdie on number 13 at Cornferry Tour Champ. played four seasons at University of West Florida 2014 to 18, an NCAA Division 2 program in Pensacola, Florida, where he earned 13 individual victories with the crown jewel being medalist honors and the Arnold Palmer Award at the 2017 NCAA Division 2 Championship. also earned the 2017 Division 2 Jack Nicholas Award. Born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, where he and his older brother Christian frequented Meadowbrook Golf Club and the George Cobb designed Gainesville Country Club. prepped at Bookholt High School, which counts twotime NBA champion Vernon Maxwell, twotime MLB All-Star pitcher Andrew Miller, and professional tennis player Ben Shelton among its alumni. Number three, Austin Smotherman, a threetime Cornferry Tour winner returning to the PGA Tour after victories at the 2025 BMW Charity ProAm presented by TD Syninx and 2025 Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS. Ranked tied for third on tour with 13 top 25s this season only trailing Johnny Kefir 15 and Chandler Blanche 14. graduating from the Cornferry Tour for a second time, having previously accomplished the feat upon conclusion of the 202021 Cornferry Tour season when he finished number 25 on the cornferry tour points list and earned the last available tour card from the standings. previously earned cornferryy tour membership for the first time after a number four finish on the 2019 PTA tour Latino America Order of Merit. A native of Lumis, California who grew up playing at Hagen Oaks Golf Complex in nearby Sacramento and was an active participant in First T Greater Sacramento for 10 years. won the 2012 California Interscolastic Federation High School Championship as a senior at Del Oro High School. played four seasons at Southern Methodist University 2012 to 16 where he was a two-time all-American athletic conference selection 2014 2016 and alongside teammates Bryson Desambo and Harry Higgs helped the Mustangs win the 2014 AAC Championship and qualify for match play at the 2014 NCAA Championship. Enjoys Bruce Lee movies. No. For Neil Shipley earned PGA Tour membership for the first time off the strength of comeback victories at the 2025 Leecom Sun Coast Classic where he overcame a four- stroke 54 hole deficit and defeated fellow graduate St. Lee in a playoff and 2025 Ascendant presented by Blue where he trailed by seven strokes through 54 holes and closed in eight under 64 for a one-stroke victory. a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who graduated from Central Catholic High School, which counts Pro- Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, two-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Bulier, and actor Zachary Quinto among its alumni. played three seasons at James Madison University 2019 to22 and two seasons at Ohio State University 2022 to 24 earning a bachelor’s degree in quantitative finance from the former and a master’s degree in data analytics from the latter. Neil Shipley returns to Ohio State for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. earned exemptions for the 2024 Masters Tournament and 2024 US Open from his runner-up finish at the 2023 US Amateur Championship, lost to future PGA Tour winner Nick Dunlap in the championship match and subsequently became the first player since Victor Hovland 2019 to earn low amateur honors at both major championships in the same year. Featured in season 3 of the Netflix documentary series Full Swing, number five, Emlio Gonzalez Gonzalez secured PGA Tour membership for the first time with a victory at the 2025 Albertson’s Boise Open presented by Chevron in what was his third consecutive season on the Cornferry Tour. previously finished number 49 on the 2024 Cornferry Tour points list and number 172 on the 2023 Cornferry Tour points list as a rookie. Though he missed a significant portion of 2023 while recovering from appendicitis played four seasons at St. Mary’s University 2016 to 20 an NCAA Division 2 program in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned seven individual victories, including the 2018 Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational, and earned three consecutive conference player of the year awards. Grew up in San Miguel Deende, Mexico, where he and his siblings honed their games at Club to Golf Malen. becomes the sixth player from Mexico to earn PGA Tour membership via the Cornferry Tour. Number six, Hank Leboda secured a return to the PGA Tour off the strength of his first Cornferry Tour title, a playoff win over fellow graduate SH Kim at the season opening the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, and four additional top five finishes. previously graduated from the corn ferry tour following the 2018 season and maintained PGA Tour membership through the end of the 2022 to 23 season with a 2021 FedEx Cup playoffs appearance being a highlight of his time on tour. Finished number 75 on the 2024 Cornferry Tour points list. The final position which awarded fully exempt status for the 2025 season played four seasons at Florida State University 2012 to 16 where he earned two individual victories garnered a 2015 All-America second team honor and was named the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. followed Bobby Cochran 1994 and Brooks Kepka 2010 2012 as the third Florida State player to be named ACC player of the year native of Orlando Florida who earned eight varsity letters six in golf two in baseball at Trinity Preparator School in nearby Winter Park. No. Seven. Adrian Dumond Desard. Dum de Shasart clinched his return to the PGA Tour with a record- setting victory at the 2025 Compliance Solutions Championship where his winning score of 33 under 251 marked the lowest 72 hole score relative to par in corn Ferry Tour history as well as the second lowest 72 hole score in tour history. 250 Stefan Jagger 2016 Ellie May Classic. Also carded an 11 under 59, the 14th sub60 round in Cornferry Tour history at the 2025 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Witchita Open. Adrian Dumand de Shasar miked up after winning Compliance Solutions previously earned PGA Tour membership for the first time with a number 11 finish on the 2023 Cornferry Tour points list. He joined the corn ferry tour in June 2023 by way of performance benefits from his number one three finish in the 2023 PGA Tour University ranking and won his professional debut at the 2023 BMW charity proam presented by TD Syninnex just 12 days after his final collegiate event. played five seasons at the University of Illinois 2018 to 23 where he became the third player in history to earn three consecutive Big 10 Conference Player of the Year awards 2021 2022 2023 following Northwestern University’s Luke Donald 1999 to 2001 and Indiana University’s Randy Lean 1996 to98 hails from Vle Levil Belgium a municipality roughly 40 minutes from Brussels and remains one of only two cornferry tour graduates to represent Belgium. Thomas Detri 2022. Number eight, SH. Kim retained PGA Tour membership and improved his status for the 2026 season with a victory at the 2025 Advent Health Championship and a pair of runner-up finishes. Graduating from the Cornferry Tour for a second time, having previously accomplished the feat as a rookie in 2022 as a PGA Tour rookie, finished number 68 in the 2023 FedEx Cup fall standings with a runner-up finish at the 2023 Procore Championship. prior to his first Cornferry Tour title this season, earned four international victories, including wins at the 2020 KPGA Championship and 2021 Japan PGA Championship, prestigious events on the KPGA Tour and Japan Golf Tour, respectively. Number nine, Christo Lampre secured PGA Tour membership for the first time in what was his first full season on the Cornferry Tour. won the 2025 Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse in dramatic fashion as he hold a bunker shot on the 72nd hole of regulation for a walk-off birdie and a one-stroke victory. previously played the second half of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season via PGA Tour University performance benefits from his number two finish in the 2024 PGA Tour University ranking in four seasons at Georgia Tech 2021 to 2024 became the first South African to reach number one in the world amateur golf ranking September 2023 broke Bryce Molder’s school records for career scoring average 70.05 and single season scoring average 696 as a senior in 2023 to 24 and became the sixth yellow jacket to be named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, winning the award in 2024. notably won the 128th amateur championship in June 2023 at the age of 22 following Bobby Jones 1930 and Charlie Yates 1938 as the third Georgia Tech alum to win the amateur also became the fourth South African to win the amateur following Bobby Cole 1966 Joan Rabula 2018 and Aldrich potita 2022 earned an exemption for the 2023 open championship where he earned low amateur honors. Stands 6’8 in and hails from George, South Africa. Entered high school at 5’7 in but went through a major growth spurt leading friends to jokingly refer to him as Melman, a reference to the giraffe from the animated movie Madagascar. Grandfather also stood 6’8 in while his great-grandfather was 7 feet tall. Father Christo Lampre senior is 6’4 in. Counts fellow South African Ernie L’s as a family friend. Number 10 Davis Chatfield earned PGA Tour membership for the first time in what was his third consecutive season on the Cornferry Tour. He was one of six players to finish in the top 20 of the 2025 Cornferry Tour points list without a victory this season. Hosted runner-up finishes at the 2025 Aara Chile Classic presented by Scotia Bank and 2025 UNCC Health Championship presented by Stitch and loped six of his nine career top 10s on tour this season. previously finished number 44 on the 2024 Cornferry Tour points list and number 62 on the 2023 Cornferry Tour points list as a rookie. Turned professional in summer 2022 and was one of eight players who advanced through every stage of the 2022 Cornferry Tour qualifying tournament. Now PGA Tour Q School presented by Cornferry beginning with pre-qualifying to earn Cornferry Tour membership for the first time. Played four seasons at University of Notre Dame 2017 to22 where he earned a 2022 AllAt Atlantic Coast Conference honor. a native of Atalttboroough, Massachusetts, who honed his game at Highland Country Club, a 9-hole golf course, and the links at Mass Golf, a par three course, continues to reside in the Northeast, where he plays and practices at TPC Boston and Wanoyet Country Club with the latter serving as host of the annual Northeast Amter. Has yet to make his PGA Tour debut. Number 11, Zap Bouch secured PGA Tour membership for the first time with a win at the 2025 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedica Foundation. The first of four season ending Cornferry Tour finals events. Played his way onto the bubble for PGA Tour cards last season and held the 36 and 54 whole leads at the 2024 Cornferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing Finance. but carded a final round 76.
