PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The drama is building at PGA Tour Q-School, where the top five and ties will be awarded the ultimate prize, exempt status in the big leagues for 2025.
“It’s what we’re all working for,” said Alistair Docherty, the 54-hole co-leader who is seeking to earn a spot on the Tour for the first time.
On Saturday, the wind died down a bit at Dye’s Valley at TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Country Club and the temperature ticked into the low 70s on a sunny day. There were several low scores, one day after no one managed to break par at Sawgrass CC.
The players will swap courses for the final round. There’s still much at stake beyond the top five as the top 40 and ties will earn exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour (12 guaranteed starts for the first 25 and ties, eight for the others).
Here’s a look at 10 with a legitimate shot to finish among the top five and ties and punch their ticket to the Tour in ’25.
Alistair Docherty
Docherty, who turned professional in 2016 out of Chico State, is seeking his first Tour card in what is his ninth year as a professional. He shot 67 at Sawgrass CC to improve to 6-under 204 and share the 54-hole lead.
Docherty took up golf after an injury in hockey as a junior ended his playing career on ice.
“I told a couple of my friends that were on the team that I can’t play hockey anymore because I keep getting injured. I’m going to try to play golf. And that was before I could even break 90,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve stuck to it.”
Docherty nearly wrapped up a card this season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He needed a two-way T-2 finish at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to finish in the top 30 but Doc Redman’s birdie on the 72nd hole created a three-way T-2 finish and bumped Docherty out of the top 30. Docherty could’ve been deflated but he arrived with the right attitude this week.
“It’s going to happen when it’s supposed to happen,” he said.
Matthew Riedel
Riedel finished No. 4 on the PGA Tour University ranking out of Vanderbilt and already has full status locked up for next season on the Korn Ferry Tour. As the only player to post all three rounds in the 60s, Riedel is tied for the 54-hole lead and poised to collect one of the Tour cards.
“My whole goal in the offseason’s to earn my PGA Tour card, that’s kind of my expectation and goal going into this week,” he said.
Takumi Kanaya
Kanaya is a former top-ranked amateur and a seven-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour. He’s showing his game can stack up on the PGA Tour, too. On Saturday, he maintained a spot in the top five, alone in third, with a 2-under 68 at Sawgrass CC.
John Greco
Greco needed a birdie at the last hole of second stage in Memphis just to make it to final stage. He got it and he’s making the most of his opportunity. Greco birdied three of the final four holes to shoot 67 at Sawgrass Country Club and improve to 3-under 207 and T-4 heading into the final round.
Greco, who grew up in the Bay Area, played at a nine-hole course, Prune Ridge, and used to ride to it with three clubs tied to his bike with a bungee cord and said he could only afford the game thanks to Youth on Course. He played college golf at Jessup University, a NAIA school, and played on the PGA Tour Americas this season.
Asked if he had thought about what it would mean to earn a Tour card, he said, “I don’t really go there. I mean, obviously you want to play against the best players for the biggest amount of money and that’s definitely a part of it. But none of that affects the next shot. Any time I spend thinking about that is probably a waste of time.”
Corey Shaun
Shaun made double bogey at the par-4 18th at Sawgrass Country Club to shoot even-par 70 and fall into a tie for the final position at 3-under 207.
The former UCLA Bruin opened with a course-record 9-under 61 at Dye’s Valley and followed with a 6-over 76 at Sawgrass Country Club.
Shaun earned DP World Tour membership for the 2024-25 season with a solo 14th finish at final stage of its Q-School last month. He advanced through first and second stage of 2024 PGA Tour Q-School and was planning on withdrawing from second stage until he missed the cut by a shot at the Australian Open and was able to fly home in time to tee it up.
“All you can ask for is a shot at it,” he said. “Going…
