Meet 17 PGA TOUR Americas alums poised to thrive on 2025 Korn Ferry Tour

No two paths to the Korn Ferry Tour are exactly alike, and while each new member has taken a different path to the season-opening The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, 17 players in the field share one commonality: They are PGA TOUR Americas alums.

There’s San Antonio native Johnny Keefer, who registered nine top-10s and a victory to win the Fortinet Cup. There’s Matthew Anderson, who became the first Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas, after a triumphant final charge down the stretch at the 69th Brazil Open in Rio de Janeiro.

Months later, South Africa’s Barend Botha earned status for the North America Swing through PGA TOUR Americas Q-School and found the winner’s circle in his second and third starts as a professional.

In its inaugural season, PGA TOUR Americas showed to be a formidable proving ground for golf’s up-and-coming stars. Here’s a look at the 17 PGA TOUR Americas alums set to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour season opener, all chasing one goal on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour – finishing inside the top 20 on the season-long standings to earn 2026 PGA TOUR membership.

Johnny Keefer

After earning status via his No. 25 finish in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking, the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Player of the Year quickly established his game as Korn Ferry Tour-ready. Highlighted by his maiden victory as a professional at the Manitoba Open, Keefer never finished worse than T19, with four runner-up finishes to boot. By winning the Fortinet Cup, Keefer secured fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour status in 2025 and earned exemptions into the PGA TOUR’s 2024 Procore Championship (T15) and 2025 RBC Canadian Open.

What makes Keefer’s torrid run to start his professional career even more impressive is that it almost didn’t happen. Heading into the 2024 NCAA Championship, Keefer stood outside the PGA TOUR University top 25, the threshold for PGA TOUR Americas status. Keefer finished T11 at NCAAs to earn enough points to claim the No. 25 spot, becoming the final player to earn PGA TOUR Americas membership.

Fast forward to January, and Keefer hasn’t finished outside the top 15 of a tournament since July. He’s ready for his close-up on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Matthew Anderson

The Mississauga, Ontario native wasted no time cementing his status as one of the best players on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024. In his first full season as a pro, Anderson won in his third start at the Brazil Open, made 14 of 16 cuts with six top-10s and ended the season as the top Canadian in the Fortinet Cup. By virtue of his runner-up finish in the Fortinet Cup, Anderson earned an exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, which will be his third start in his country’s national open.

While Anderson comes off as composed and even-keeled in competition, it’s his fire and intensity that sets him apart from the field according to his Golf Canada teammate and current PGA TOUR Americas member, A.J. Ewart.

“He’s definitely the hardest-working guy out here,” Ewart said. “He really doesn’t ever take a break. It’s always pedal to the metal. He kind of sets the way for us and sets the bar, so it’s nice to see all his hard work pay off.”

Chase Sienkiewicz

Known for his explosive distance off the tee, the University of Arizona product finished No. 17 in the Fortinet Cup race in his second year as a professional after eight top-25s and three top-10s. The Sacramento, California native always looked the part, and he seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough at the end of the 2024 season.

After the conclusion of the 2024 season, Sienkiewicz shifted his focus to PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. After advancing to Final Stage, Sienkiewicz secured Korn Ferry Tour status for the first time in his young pro career after a T26 finish.

Petr Hruby

Although it took a few months, the former Washington standout has quickly ascended the ranks of professional golf.

Last summer, Hruby finished a career at the University of Washington where he claimed nine top-10s and a victory over his final two collegiate seasons. After finishing No. 21 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024, the Czech Republic native found his footing as a professional late in the summer with four consecutive made cuts to end the PGA TOUR Americas campaign, including a T6 finish at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center.

Hruby was the lone Czech on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024 and retained membership for the 2025 Latin America Swing. Hruby was quick to improve his status after the 2024 season by earning medalist honors in the Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry at the Valencia, California, site, securing strong Korn Ferry Tour status into 2025.

John Greco

Prior to the Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, Greco was a relatively unknown commodity. The wavy-haired, mustache-adorning Greco began his professional golf journey in 2017 and has made just 20 career PGA TOUR-sanctioned starts.

After losing status on PGA TOUR Americas after the 2024 Latin America Swing, Greco shifted his focus towards Q-School. Because Greco held PGA TOUR Americas membership for a portion of the season, he was exempt into First Stage and was able to bypass pre-qualifying.

Greco advanced to Final Stage and finished the weekend 1-over in tough conditions, good for T26 and eight guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts. A bold third-round, 3-under 67 at Sawgrass Country Club put Greco comfortably inside the number to earn his starts.

Greco entered Final Stage at No. 2,397 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Now Greco, the player who played collegiately at San Jose City College and William Jessup University, has a chance to knock on the doorstep of golf’s grandest stage, and it all begins Sunday in Atlantis.

Barend Botha

After a decorated collegiate career at the University of Toledo, Botha quickly showed his talent translated to the next level with back-to-back wins at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open and BioSteel Championship. A native of George, South Africa, Botha finished No. 4 on the 2024 Fortinet Cup standings to earn 2025 Korn Ferry Tour membership.

Clay Feagler

After Monday qualifying into the season-opening Bupa Championship, Feagler won in a dramatic four-hole playoff and never fell outside the top 10 in the Fortinet Cup. Feagler held Korn Ferry Tour membership in 2022 and is back for a second run after a consistent 2024 highlighted by his victory and a solo third at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist.

Will Cannon

Heading into the 2024 Fortinet Cup Championship, Cannon needed a victory to leap inside the top 10 on the Fortinet Cup and earn his Korn Ferry Tour card, and he did just that. After earning status for the North America Swing through PGA TOUR Americas Q-School, Cannon missed four consecutive cuts to start the summer, but he responded with three top-10s and a win in his final six starts to secure his Korn Ferry Tour card for 2025.

Harry Hillier

Hillier made PGA TOUR Americas history in 2024 with a 13-under 59 in the second round of the Inter Rapidísimo Golf Championship in Bogóta, Colombia. Hillier went on to win comfortably to secure his first victory as a professional, en route to a seventh-place finish on the Fortinet Cup and a 2025 Korn Ferry Tour card.

Sandy Scott

Scott personified consistency in 2024, making 12 cuts in 15 starts with five top-10s. Scott saved his best for last in 2024, as he fired a 4-under 66 in tough conditions in the final round of the Fortinet Cup Championship at TPC Toronto to finish runner-up and secure his spot inside "The 10."

Ryan Burnett

Another member of "The 10," Burnett lost his card after the Latin America Swing, but he regained status through PGA TOUR Americas Q-School. Shortly after, Burnett claimed his first professional victory at the Bromont Open. He finished ninth on the Fortinet Cup to earn his 2025 Korn Ferry Tour card.

Ian Holt

Holt returns to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025, a place where he has made 18 starts since 2019. Holt quietly put together one of the more impressive seasons on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024, registering eight made cuts in 10 starts, with six top-25 finishes and a win at the Explore NB Open.

Stuart Macdonald

Macdonald became the second of three Canadians to win in 2024 after his triumph at the Diners Club Peru Open. In addition to his 15 starts across PGA TOUR Americas in 2024, Macdonald made two starts on each of the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR, highlighted by a T24 at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

He stood No. 11 on the 2024 Fortinet Cup after the season finale, but he moved to No. 10 after Frederik Kjettrup resigned his membership in December, thus earning 2025 Korn Ferry Tour membership.

Corey Shaun

Shaun earned status on the DP World Tour through its Q-School, only to qualify for the Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry shortly after. Shaun set a competitive course record at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course with an opening-round, 9-under 61, and rode the momentum to earn Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2025.

After Final Stage, Shaun made the trip to South Africa for the DP World Tour’s AfrAsia Mauritius Open, where he finished T9. Shaun made six starts on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024, with his best finish coming at the Bupa Championship (T18).

Zach James

James made nine starts during PGA TOUR Americas’ North America Swing last summer and capitalized on the opportunity to improve his status at Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. James, who works as an accountant in his spare time, secured Korn Ferry Tour starts with a T26 finish at Final Stage.

Zack Fischer

A battle-tested veteran, Fischer fought through injury in 2024. Despite injuries, Fischer made 13 starts on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024 and registered two top-10s, good enough to retain his membership for the Latin America Swing in 2025. After some time off, Fischer regained Korn Ferry Tour membership by advancing to Final Stage of Q-School, then finished T36 to earn eight guaranteed starts in 2025.

Samuel Anderson

After a season that featured five top-10s, including a runner-up finish at the Diners Club Peru Open, Anderson capitalized on the momentum, earning strong Korn Ferry Tour status for 2025 after comfortably earning medalist honors at Second Stage of Q-School at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Georgia.