'If You're Good Enough, You're Going To Make It'

James Nicholas looks on during the 2026 Argentine Open — (Image credit: Getty Images)

In October 2024, the PGA Tour announced it was making significant changes to key sections of its competitive structure.

In addition, the historic US circuit confirmed it would largely be eradicating Monday qualifying spots from its events and - starting in 2026 - only the top-20 pros on the Korn Ferry Tour would earn full PGA Tour status compared to the 30 it had previously offered.

Those who backed the decision insisted it would make the historic US circuit more competitive while lessening the likelihood of rounds taking five-plus hours and the cut being made on a Saturday as players finished off.

It was also stated that the tweaks were designed to offer a greater level of certainty for those with status in terms of when and where they would be competing throughout the campaign.

On the flip side, plenty of people - including a healthy number of top-level pros - criticized the PGA Tour for "hiding behind the issue of slow play," saying that reducing the number of cards on offer and the size of fields was a bad idea.

Lucas Glover - who was only recently voted Player Advisory Council chairman - called the decision "terrible" at the time.

More than a year has passed since the PGA Tour's verdict was rubber-stamped, and the emotions on both sides have cooled off somewhat with time to witness the changes in full effect.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Korn Ferry Tour pro James Nicholas suggested he is in favor of the overall alterations simply because there is more clarity for pros now.

Nicholas said: "I think it's easy to say there should be more PGA Tour cards for the Korn Ferry Tour, but there are a lot of different variables going on. They're reducing the number of PGA Tour cards and they're reducing the field sizes.

"Say they gave 50 PGA Tour cards out. You don't want to be the 50th guy and be like, "Oh, I'm on the PGA Tour" and then find out when the season starts that you actually don't get into any events because the field sizes are 120 and you'd be 20 spots out.

"So, you'd rather have 20 cards and them really be full cards than have more cards and the bottom guys think that they have a PGA Tour card but only actually get five to 10 starts for the whole year. Now, whether that's the right system or not, that remains to be seen."

Although current PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has made a name for himself as someone who is not afraid to rock the boat through change, former commissioner Jay Monahan was the one at the helm when the card adjustments came to fruition.

And Nicholas, who began his pro golf journey back in 2019, has witnessed plenty of variation during his time across the second tier of US men's golf.

James Nicholas at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open

The New York-born pro admitted he hasn't always agreed with every modification made by the legacy US circuit but shared he is a firm believer in the meritocracy of elite-level golf and said that anyone who is good enough to reach the top will make it there.

Nicholas said: "I think that the PGA Tour is going through this trial-and-error phase right now where they're trying to figure it out and trying to see what works with elevated events and ever-changing field sizes and purses and points and whatnot.

"But, at the end of the day, if you're good enough, you're going to make it. If you play well enough, you're going to make it. And that's the beauty about golf - it's up to you, right?

"If I go out and I play great [this season], I'm going to have a PGA Tour card. If I go out and play not so well, I won't be. But that's the beauty of game, you either earn it or you don't and it's all on you."

James Nicholas smiles while in action on the Korn Ferry Tour

At the time of writing, Nicholas is very much on his way to the PGA Tour due to sitting comfortably inside the top-10 on the Korn Ferry Tour's points list.

The former Yale University golfer triumphed at the Astara Golf Championship in Bogota, Colombia back in February to score his first win at this level and could start to dream of a first taste of PGA Tour action in 2027.

However, the 29-year-old won't allow himself to look too far ahead at this stage and has vowed to continue playing aggressive golf as he looks to lock up one of the precious PGA Tour cards.

Nicholas said: "The win hasn't done much in a sense of changing my goals and targets, just because my goal at the beginning of the year was to get a PGA Tour card and in order to do that you need to win.

James Nicholas kisses the Astara Golf Championship trophy after winning his first Korn Ferry Tour title

"So it wasn't like 'OK, the win was expected' but it was like 'I'm planning on winning because I'm planning on putting myself in a position where I can go get a PGA Tour card' and, like I said, in order to do that you've got to win.

"The goals remain the same. They become a little bit more in reach obviously after having a win, but you've got to go have a great second half of the year now and either go get another win or get a bunch of top 10s and chase down that point threshold.

"Like I said, great start to the year, but we're just sort of continuing on with our goals and our path and our targets towards that PGA Tour card."

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time.

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