Each year, the PGA Tour gets a new wave of fresh blood from the Korn Ferry Tour, its official feeder circuit, with 20 players graduating up to the big league for 2026.
That number has been reduced from 30 to 20, and 11 players have already secured their status ahead of this week's Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
Johnny Keefer
- Born: Baltimore, Maryland
- College: Baylor University
- Turned pro: 2024
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 2
Korn Ferry Tour rookie Johnny Keefer looks destined for a glittering career after winning twice on the KFT this season.
The Baltimore man graduated from Baylor University and only turned pro last year yet he is already on the verge of reaching the world's top 50.
As well as his two wins this year, Keefer also has two runners-up finishes and made his Major debut at the PGA Championship. One to watch next year, for sure.
Austin Smotherman
- Born: Loomis, California
- College: Southern Methodist University
- Turned pro: 2016
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 3
Smotherman was teammates with Bryson DeChambeau at SMU and has three career Korn Ferry Tour wins including two this season.
The Californian, who now lives in Dallas, has played 77 PGA Tour events and will be returning to the circuit in 2026 after winning twice in June in a year that included five other top-10s.
Neal Shipley
- Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- College: Ohio State University
- Turned pro: 2024
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 2
Shipley famously won the Masters Silver Cup and US Open Silver Medal in 2024, and even got to play with Tiger Woods in the final round at Augusta National.
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.
Emiliano Gonzalez
- Born: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- College: St Mary's University
- Turned pro: 2020
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
Emilio Gonzalez is in his third Korn Ferry Tour season this year and it has been the best of his short career so far to earn promotion via one win, a runner-up and five other top-10s.
Hank Lebioda
- Born: Orlando, Florida
- College: Florida State University
- Turned pro: 2016
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
Left-hander Hank Lebioda will return to the PGA Tour in 2026 after winning his maiden title this year on the Korn Ferry Tour. He also had a runner-up finish and four other top-10s.
The Floridian also has a win on the PGA Tour Canada in 2017 after being named ACC Player of the Year while at Florida State University.
Adrien Dumont de Chassart
- Born: Villers-la-Ville, Belgium
- College: University of Illinois
- Turned pro: 2023
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
Dumont de Chassart followed his countrymen Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry in studying at the University of Illinois, and he looks to be another high class Belgian player.
He won in his professional debut at the 2023 BMW Charity Pro-Am and just recently won his second Korn Ferry Tour title at the Compliance Solutions Championship where he shot a record score of 33-under-par.
Chandler Blanchet
- Born: Gainesville, Florida
- College: University of West Florida
- Turned pro: 2018
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
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.
SH Kim
- Born: Changwon, South Korea
- College: Korea National Sport University
- Turned pro: 2017
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
SH Kim looks to be another promising Korean star to take to the PGA Tour.
Kim won the Korean PGA Championship in 2020 and then the Japan PGA Championship in 2021 before winning his maiden Korn Ferry Tour title this season. He also had two runners-up finishes this year.
Zach Bauchou
- From: Edmond, Oklahoma
- College: Oklahoma State University
- Turned pro: 2019
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
Bauchou was teammates with Viktor Hovland and even had the Norwegian on the bag during US Open qualifying in 2023 a day after he won the Memorial Tournament.
Now Bauchou will be competing against his good friend again after winning his maiden Korn Ferry Tour title this season, which also featured four other top-10s.
Davis Chatfield
- Born: Attleboro, Massachusetts
- College: University of Notre Dame
- Turned pro: 2022
- Best Korn Ferry Tour finish: 2nd (twice)
Chatfield is yet to win on the Korn Ferry Tour since joining in 2023 but two runners-up finishes and four other top-10s in 2025 ensure a well earned promotion up to the PGA Tour for 2026.
Prior to turning pro, Chatfield spent five years at Notre Dame and won the Rhode Island Amateur Championship as well as reaching the quarter-final stage of the 2021 US Amateur.
Christo Lamprecht
- From: George, South Africa
- College: Georgia Tech University
- Turned pro: 2024
- Korn Ferry Tour wins: 1
Former World No.1 Christo Lamprecht, who is 6'8" tall and known for his monster hitting, had a glittering career prior to turning pro, including winning the British Amateur Championship and Open Championship Silver Medal.
The former Georgia Tech man joins the PGA Tour after winning his maiden Korn Ferry Tour title in his second season. He also recorded a runner-up finish in 2025.
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