Alumni watch: A.J. Ewart set to start PGA TOUR season in Hawaii
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A.J. Ewart shoots a final round 66 to win PGA TOUR Q-School
Written by Gregory Villalobos
For a moment last September, A.J. Ewart appeared to have his future neatly lined up.
Playing in his home province of British Columbia at the PGA TOUR Americas’ Victoria Open (now the Digital Commerce Group Open), Ewart put on a performance few in the field would forget. A second-round 59 vaulted him into contention, and by the time Sunday arrived, he held a four-shot lead with a Korn Ferry Tour card seemingly within reach.
But professional golf has a way of testing resolve. Fellow Canadian Drew Nesbitt charged from behind, forcing a playoff and ultimately denying Ewart the win. The ripple effect was immediate and significant. Nesbitt finished the season eighth on the PGA TOUR Americas Points List to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, while Ewart slipped to 15th, left searching for another path forward.
“That playoff loss stung, especially in my home province with friends and family,” Ewart said. “But things happen for a reason. It pushed me to work harder and want it a little bit more.”
That resolve would soon define the next chapter of his season.
A.J. Ewart's stellar play wins PGA TOUR Q-School
Just over two months later, Ewart arrived at the Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry with a singular focus. From the opening round onward, he remained inside the top five, refusing to let go of his position. A closing 66 sealed a two-shot victory and one of the five PGA TOUR cards available for the 2026 season—a complete reversal of fortune in the span of a few weeks.
“I came in with the goal to win a golf tournament,” Ewart said at the time. “Not just to finish in the top five or 25, but to prepare myself to win.”
Now, that same mindset brings Ewart to the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he starts the 2026 season as a PGA TOUR member. For Ewart, Hawaii is not simply a starting point — it’s a reminder of how quickly this game can take away, and how decisively it can give back.
The 26-year-old will be one of four PGA TOUR Americas alumni in the field, joining Johnny Keefer, who parlayed his 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Player of the Year season into 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors; Neal Shipley, a top-20 finisher on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Points List; and Michael Brennan, who won the PGA TOUR’s Bank of Utah Championship soon after capturing 2025 PGA TOUR Americas Player of the Year honors.
