Chandler Blanchet, whose PGA Tour card had already been secured coming into the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, was in a class of his own on the final day, eventually winning by two shots.
As the battle for a PGA Tour card neared its conclusion, Barend Botha put in a strong late charge at French Lick in Indiana.
The South African needed to win the event outright to secure one of the 20 PGA Tour cards available - and it looked on when he rolled in a long birdie putt on the par-3 16th.
A clutch birdie for a chance at a @PGATOUR card 🔥Barend Botha is two back after holing a long putt at the 16th.📷 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/MBAvA9MCe1October 12, 2025
However, Botha then bogeyed the next hole, which meant he needed an eagle on the par-5 18th to force a playoff with Blanchet.
After finding an awkward spot with his tee shot, he then topped a fairway wood, which ended his hopes of a thrilling finish.
As expected, it was an emotional Sunday in Orange County. With a number of cards still up for grabs, a low one could earn playing rights on the PGA Tour.
After a few ups and downs, the 20 PGA Tour cards went to the players below.
Five more PGA Tour cards will be handed out in December.
THE 20 PLAYERS TO HAVE SECURED THEIR PGA TOUR CARDS
- Johnny Keefer
- Chandler Blanchet
- Austin Smotherman
- Neal Shipley
- Emilio Gonzalez
- Hank Lebioda
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart
- S.H. Kim
- Christo Lamprecht
- Davis Chatfield
- Zach Bauchou
- Pierceson Coody
- S.T. Lee
- Jeffrey Kang
- Kensei Hirata
- Trace Crowe
- John VanDerLaan
- Decheng Dou
- Sudarshan Yellamaraju
- Pontus Nyholm
Korn Ferry Tour Championship Final Leaderboard
- -14 C Blanchet
- -12 B Botha
- -11 J Weiler
- -11 N Shipley
- -9 T Phillips
- -8 H Lebioda
- -8 S Macdonald
Updates from...
WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship final round. We'll be with you for the next few hours as the action at French Lick reaches its conclusion and the 20 Korn Ferry Tour graduates are confirmed ahead of their rise to the PGA Tour.
BLANCHET LEADS
Everyone has now started their final rounds at French Lick, and it's Chandler Blanchet who has hit the front thanks to a hot start at the Pete Dye Course. He's three-under through five after making birdie at each of the first three holes and currently sits at 11-under for the tournament.
Close behind is South Africa's Barend Botha and the USA's Neal Shipley on 10-under, and they're lining up after that with 12 players within five strokes.
COMING UP
Looking forward to this. I'm sure there's a good reason why we can't see every shot, but I don't like it. This is BIG. We should be able to watch it ALL. I'd rather watch these guys battling it out for a tour card than a lot of tour events.
The grand finale @tourchampulf 💪Live coverage of Round 4 on @GolfChannel with @shanebacon and @JamesNitties23 from 3-6 pm EST 📺 pic.twitter.com/XuA8MUfh1QOctober 12, 2025
CURRENT LEADER
Here's the man leading the way at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Chandler Blanchet. Blanchet has been playing on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2020 and has finally made his way up to the PGA Tour this year following his first victory and four other top-10s this season.
SCHEFFLER, THOMAS, YOUNG...
All big names to have played their way onto the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry. We're less than 20 minutes away from live action. Time for a quick drink. Then we're going to have ourselves a very entertaining couple of hours watching these guys go through the ringer.
WHICH KORN FERRY PLAYERS HAVE SECURED THEIR 2026 PGA TOUR CARDS?
Here's a reminder of those players who have secured their playing rights for 2026.
JOINT LEADERS
Barend Botha has just joined Chandler Blanchet at the top - both players now on -11 , two clear of the chasing pack. Less than 10 minutes until we get live action.
WEILER TO -10
Joe Weller is out in 32. Another birdie on the 9th - he's -4 for the day. Up to -10.
BLANCHET IS TOUR BOUND
The co-leader is just playing for another win - he's in. Must be a nice feeling, just playing for a bigger pay check. Another fine shot finds the green. Now -12 and sole leader again.
Shipley misses a shortish birdie putt and looks a little stressed, but his card is also secure.
Shipley famously won the Masters Silver Cup and US Open Silver Medal in 2024, and even got to play with Tiger in the final round at Augusta.
The Ohio State man has had an excellent season on the KFT with two wins plus a third-place finish to earn his PGA Tour card. The popular Pennsylvanian was featured in Netflix's Full Swing docuseries and will be a fan-favorite in 2026.
WEILER HOT
Another birdie from Weiler on the 10th - his fifth of the day. He's now up to -11, one shot off the lead. Tap in birdie after a fine approach.
NOT HAPPENING FOR SCOTT
+3 for his front nine. Not happening for Sandy Scott so far. Leaves a very makable birdie effort in the jaws at the 9th.
IT'S THIS KIND OF DAY
The waiting game begins for Pontus Nyholm 😰A back nine 40 puts him on the outside looking in for a TOUR card at No. 21 on the Points List. The afternoon's action could move him back inside the top 20, though.📺 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/lPYuYSVz7aOctober 12, 2025
TOP SCRAMBLING
24/27 up-and-downs for Botha this week. Another tidy one there on the 10th. Stays -11.
PAIN FOR YELLAMARAJU
Out in 34. However, he bogeys the par-5 14th and he's making a real mess of the 15th. Is his tour card slipping away?
DAMAGE LIMITATION
A 12-foot save for bogey there for Yellamaraju. How important will that be at the end of the day?
OH NO
Sudarshan Yellamaraju now left on the par-3 16th, well left. Projected 19th at the moment. He's wobbling. Big up-and-down coming up.
BLANCHET LEADS
A birdie on 11 gets the American to -13. He's really enjoying himself out there. Yellamaraju splashes out of the trap on the par-3 16th to about 12 feet. Not a bad shot, but he's staring at a third straight bogey.
ANOTHER BOGEY
Yellamaraju can't make his par putt on the 16th, which was more like 20ft. He now heads to the hardest hole on the golf course on the back of three straight bogeys.
No joy for Sandy Scott with the putter, either - that one on the 11th just grazing the edge. Good putt but just didn't drop. Frustration showing. He's not the only one.
SHIPLEY LOOKING GOOD
Neal Shipley had made the turn in 35 and a birdie at the 11th has him just two shots off the lead.
Fighting for the three-win promotion 💪Neal Shipley sits two back of the lead @TourChampULF.📺 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/0PGKn4nZKAOctober 12, 2025
BLANCHET WITH AN ARROW
This guy isn't worried about anything, playing with such freedom. A laser on 13 straight at the pin. A reminder that his card has already been secured.
A tearful Mitchell Meissner speaking after his round - a final-round 72 is not going to get the job done. "Time to get fully healthy," he says.
BLANCHET WALKS IT IN
Now -14, was never anywhere else. This guy won 13 times at college - so he knows how to get it done.
SHIP STEADIED
Yellamaraju pars the difficult 17th. Could do with a birdie up the last...
YELLAMARAJU LIVING DANGEROUSLY
Wow. Rips one on 18 - he's long enough to get home in two. Trouble is, it goes left, just pulling up before being in lost ball territory. Big shot coming up. A good job he's a lefty.
HAT-TRICK MAN
Three in a row to start. Three in a row to start the back nine. Tour bound already and he's opened up a three-shot lead. He's looking very much like a PGA Tour player right now.
BACK IN PLAY
As lay-ups go, that's a beauty from Yellamaraju. Nearly a lost ball, but powers an iron through the heavy rough to get himself back in position. This final hole is a beastly 663 yards!
YELLAMARAJU ALL BUT IN
73, 71, 71, 71. With Blanchet in pole position, I think we can say he's safe. In fact, I'm going to say that PGA Tour card is locked in for Yellamaraju.
BATTLE FOR TOP 50
With so many of the 20 cards locked, or looking that way, it's still not over. There's still the top 50 to aim for and a place at final qualifying. It's going to be a grind right to the end for a lot of these guys.
YELLAMARAJU SPEAKING...
Entered the week 20th, now 19th. "Just hit fairways and greens," he says of keeping it together over the last couple of holes. From India, to Canada, to the PGA Tour.
THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS
The emotions on the bubble ❤️🩹 Mitchell Meissner finishes his season just short of a PGA TOUR card, projected 21st. pic.twitter.com/59hiiUzVriOctober 12, 2025
BOTHA WITHIN 2
Botha makes the up-and-in. Masterclass in scrambling today. Four to play, just two back.
ZECHENG DOU LOOKING GOOD
Onto the final hole for Dou. He takes an almighty swipe in an effort to make the green in two, but comes up just short. He's smiling because it's looking like he's done enough to secure his PGA Tour card.
HERE'S WHAT THEY ARE PLAYING FOR
Just a small piece of metal - but they mean A LOT. Here's what last year's PGA Tour cards looked like - but they're not an awful lot different for 2026. They're giving them out as I type for those who have already got the job done...
JEFFREY KANG
Job done. Well played, sir.
DOU IN
Dou was out of it a few weeks ago, projected 18th now. Job done.
PHILLIPS NEEDS AN EAGLE
He needs an eagle on the 18th and some help from Botha. Unlikely.
BOGEY FOR BOTHA
The South African's challenge appears to be over - a bogey there on 15. He's not done a lot wrong today (-2). Blanchet has just been too good for everyone, coasting at -7 for the day. Leads again by three.
TOUR BOUND PLAYERS
A selection of those who are PGA Tour bound: Chandler Blanchet, Neal Shipley, Hank Lebioda, Christo Lamprecht, Davis Chatfield, S.T. Lee, Jeffrey Kang, Zach Bauchou, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Emilio Gonzalez, Austin Smotherman, Johnny Keefer...
BOTHA FIGHTING HARD
Second is not enough for a PGA Tour card. A birdie 2 on the 16th and once again Botha is just two off the lead. There's still hope...
HOPE FOR BOTHA
Blanchet making a mess of the 17th. Odds on a dropped shot, which would see him head down the 18th with just a one-shot lead. Doesn't make much difference to him as he's already got his card, but Botha needs the win. The South African has found the rough off the 17th tee.
BOGEY FOR THE LEADER
Now just a one-shot lead heading down 18. Things have suddenly got very interesting. That's a first bogey of the day for the tour-bound Blanchet.
Botha would have been watching with great interest back on the fairway. A reminder that Botha needs the win to get a PGA Tour card.
CLUTCH FROM BOTHA
This was the birdie 2 from the South African that has given the South African hope. Unfortunately, he's tugged his approach and will now be scrambling for a par, when he really needs a birdie. Can he chip in? His scrambling has been superb today.
A clutch birdie for a chance at a @PGATOUR card 🔥Barend Botha is two back after holing a long putt at the 16th.📷 @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/MBAvA9MCe1October 12, 2025
ALSO TOUR-BOUND
John VanDerLaan... in.
BOTHA NEEDS EAGLE
A dropped shot on the 17th - and that's that... surely.
COODY TIDIES UP
A 75. Not his best day. Better days ahead - he's going back to the PGA Tour.
BLANCHET POSTS -14
A 66 from a man who has now played 96 tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour. Three PGA Tour starts but he's going to get a bunch more of them. Botha needs an eagle. He's topped his approach... a cold top. In fairness, that wasn't an easy lie to rip a wood at the green.
BLANCHET WINS KORN FERRY TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
HAVE A GOOD EVENING
These guys will:
Johnny Keefer, Chandler Blanchet, Austin Smotherman, Neal Shipley, Emilio Gonzalez, Hank Lebioda, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, S.H. Kim, Christo Lamprecht, Davis Chatfield, Zach Bauchou, Pierceson Coody, S.T. Lee, Jeffrey Kang, Kensei Hirata, Trace Crowe, John VanDerLaan, Decheng Dou, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Pontus Nyholm
