All 3 Koreans miss out on PGA Tour cards in final qualifying tournament

In this Getty Images photo, Noh Seung-Yul of Korea hits his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of The Farmers Insurance Open on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California , Jan. 26, 2022. AFP-Yonhap

All three Koreans in action at the final PGA Tour qualifying tournament have missed out on their tour membership for 2026.

Bae Yong-jun finished as the top South Korean player in the final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Sunday (local time), as he tied for 85th at even par 280.

Only the top five players earned their PGA Tour cards for next year, with the next 40 finishers and ties gaining membership for the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour.

Ok Tae-hoon tied for 92nd after shooting one-over 281.

Bae and Ok were trying to make a jump from the Korea PGA (KPGA) Tour. Ok was the top player at home this past season, winning the Player of the Year honor while also leading the tour in money and top-10 finishes. Bae ranked fifth in the Player of the Year points standings and made it through the penultimate stage of the PGA Tour qualifying to get to the final phase.

The third Korean in the field at TPC Sawgrass, Noh Seung-yul, withdrew during the final round. He started the final round as the top South Korean player, as he had been tied for 51st, but he only completed nine holes in the final round before calling it a day.

Noh, who began his round on the back nine, had a disastrous 10 at the par-5 16th hole. The 34-year-old has one PGA Tour victory to his credit — the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.