Nothing compares to the pressure of Q-School, especially since this week’s final stage features 170 players competing for only a handful of PGA Tour cards in 2025. The top five players—and ties—will receive them.
Even before this week, thousands of PGA Tour hopefuls tried their shots at glory. But almost all of them fell short of making it to the finals, an impressive accomplishment in and of itself.
Yet, this week, roughly three percent of this final stage will have status on the PGA Tour come January. Despite that, whoever advances will have to play well all season to finish among the top 100 on tour and retain status for 2026. Should they not, they will find themselves back here again in 12 months. It’s a grind.
But playing on the PGA Tour is also the pinnacle of the sport—the place where any aspiring pro golfer has long dreamt of playing.
That’s why Q-School is so difficult. It presents a glimmer of hope and opportunity. And yes, plenty of players have gone on from Q-School to win majors.
This week seems even more impossible, however.
The field saw 20-to-25-mile wind gusts rumble off the Atlantic Ocean, which turned Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club—the host courses that are both par 70s—play like an Oakmont U.S. Open. The forecast on Saturday calls for the same.
Consider this: Corey Shaun shot a 9-under 61 on Thursday at Dye’s Valley and led the field by five. He’s now tied with Alister Docherty and Matthew Riedel after 36 holes. Shaun fired a 6-over 76 during the second round at Sawgrass Country Club, which had an average score of 75.09. Nobody posted any rounds under par, while six players shot 80 or worse there, proving that the wind and the pressure got the best of everyone.
Over at Dye’s Valley, 11 players—including Docherty and Riedel—finished in red figures. But the course still produced an average score of 72.5.
Remarkably, through 36 holes, only eight players are under par. Docherty, Riedel, and Shaun sit atop the leaderboard at 3-under. Takumi Kanaya of Japan is in solo fourth, sitting one-stroke back. And then three players, Jin Chung, Joe Weiler, and Lanto Griffin, who won the 2019 Houston Open, sit in a tie for fifth at 1-under. If the tournament ended right now, these would be the eight players who would earn status on the PGA Tour in 2025.
This tournament is far from over, though, and more carnage is on the docket for everyone left on Saturday. At least the difficult conditions will keep the field close together, making it somewhat entertaining for fans at home. But that only increases the pressure, anxiety, and nervousness exponentially, so any golfer everywhere should say a prayer for everyone competing in Northwest Florida this week. They’re going to need it.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
