Four new venues enter the qualifying race
On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry begins its second wave of First Stage qualifiers. Four 72-hole stroke-play competitions run simultaneously through October 30. This is not a regular PGA TOUR tournament: entrants are trying to progress through a multi-stage qualification pathway toward playing privileges for the 2027 season.
The PGA TOUR's official Q-School schedule identifies Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas; Bermuda Run Country Club (East Course) in Bermuda Run, North Carolina; The Preserve at Ironhorse in West Palm Beach, Florida; and Abilene Country Club (South Course) in Abilene, Texas. Each site is scheduled for four 18-hole rounds. There is no conventional halfway cut at First Stage: advancement is determined after 72 holes, according to each site's allocation of qualifying places.
Ninety-seven golfers have already advanced
The opening block took place October 20–23 at five venues. Official qualifying results show that 97 players earned passage to Second Stage, scheduled for December 1–4. These were the advancement marks and the leading finishers:
- Wilderness Ridge, Nebraska: 21 advanced at 6-under par or better; Jonas Baumgartner led at 17-under.
- Champions Pointe, Indiana: 17 advanced at 15-under or better; Tyler Goecke led at 29-under.
- University of New Mexico, New Mexico: 18 advanced at 5-under or better; Blaine Hale Jr. led at 16-under.
- RTJ Magnolia Grove, Alabama: 18 advanced at 16-under or better; Alex Price led at 26-under.
- Country Club of Ocala, Florida: 23 advanced at 7-under or better; Esteban Jaramillo led at 18-under.
The site-by-site differences are central to understanding Q-School. A score of 15-under was needed in Indiana, while 5-under was enough in New Mexico. The courses, conditions and qualifying allocations differ; there is no single nationwide leaderboard or universal First Stage advancement score.
The route to five PGA TOUR cards
First Stage comprises 14 sites across three date windows: October 20–23, October 27–30 and November 3–6. The number advancing at each site is calculated proportionately to field size, subject to the official rules for tied qualifying positions.
Second Stage follows December 1–4 at five venues. Final Stage is scheduled for December 10–13 at TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley Course) and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Only the top five finishers at Final Stage earn PGA TOUR membership for 2027. A tie affecting the last available card is resolved by a hole-by-hole playoff.
Other Final Stage finishers receive varying eligibility for the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas under the published regulations. Winning a First Stage site does not itself award a PGA TOUR card; it is one checkpoint on the road to December.
What to watch October 27–30
The four official site leaderboards will become the key references as rounds unfold. Positions may change each day, but qualification is settled only once each four-round event is complete. At publication time, the October 27–30 sites have no verified final scores; an entry list or provisional standing should not be mistaken for a completed qualification result.
Five additional First Stage competitions begin November 3. Once those conclude, attention will shift to the December stages and ultimately the five players who secure their 2027 PGA TOUR cards.
Official references: PGA TOUR Q-School schedule and site leaderboards; PGA TOUR explanation of the qualifying system.
