Tour Pro Disqualified At PGA Tour Q-School After Missing Tee Time

For individuals, Q-School is often the most stressful week of players' lives as they battle to save their careers and earn their playing rights on various circuits.

Because of the high-pressure situation and environment, a lot can happen and, if you don't get off to a good start, chances are a withdrawal could follow, due to the fact you are unlikely to secure the required playing rights you wanted.

At the PGA Tour's Q-School, four players withdrew following their rounds on Thursday and Friday, with one player even getting disqualified after he failed to show up to his second round tee time.

Firing an eight-over-par first round of 78 at TPC Sawgrass' Dye's Valley Course, Norman Xiong found himself over 10 shots back of the top 5 places, with the 27-year-old then set to play Sawgrass Country Club on Friday.

However, looking at the leaderboard later on in the day, the DQ symbol appeared alongside his name, with it being revealed that Xiong had failed to show up for his 10.25am tee time.

Plying his trade between the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas throughout 2025, Xiong claimed victory on the Korn Ferry Tour circuit in 2022 and 2023.

Earning his PGA Tour card for the 2024 season, injury hit the former Haskins Award winner, who returned in 2025, making four cuts of eight on the PGA Tour and just two of six on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Along with Xiong, Carson Young, Trey Mullinax, Robby Shelton and Braden Thornberry were the other names to withdraw from the PGA Tour's Q-School, with all four men firing rounds in the 70s.

At the other end of the leaderboard, we find a five-way tie for the lead at seven-under-par, with Trevor Cone, AJ Ewart, John Pak, Michael Feagles and Kota Kaneko occupying the top five spots.

If the leaderboard were to remain the same, it would mean that the quintet would secure their PGA Tour playing rights for 2026, as the top five earn cards for next season.

Among the notable names in contention include five-time PGA Tour winner Camilo Villegas, who is six-under and one back of the five-way tie.

Former PGA Tour winner, Adam Svensson, is also six-under, while four-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, Ben Kohles, is among the nine-way share of sixth, with 27 players within three shots of the leaders.