Korn Ferry Tour: Kevin Yu earns right to join game’s best, as 5 Asian golfers seal PGA Tour status
- Yu finishes in 20th position on regular season points list despite missing cut at Pinnacle Bank Championship
- China’s Carl Yuan and Marty Dou, as well as Korean pair Byeong Hun An and Seonghyeon Kim also secure spots on elite circuit
Kevin Yu missed the cut and still made history at the final Korn Ferry Tour event of the regular season this weekend, the Pinnacle Bank Championship.
The Taiwanese professional became just the second golfer from the self-ruled island to secure a PGA Tour card through the second-tier competition, and helped set a record in the process as one of five Asian golfers to earn spots on the elite circuit.
It was the perfect birthday gift for Yu, who turned 23 last week. Despite missing the halfway cut, he finished in 20th position on the points list to join China’s Carl Yuan and Marty Dou Zecheng, and Korean duo Byeong Hun An and Seonghyeon Kim among the Top-25 who move on to play against the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Will Zalatoris.
“It’s amazing, it’s a dream come true to me,” Yu said. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was five years old and since I just started to play golf. Now it’s a dream come true and I’m looking forward to next season.”
This is the first time a total of five Asian golfers have emerged from the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season graduating class.
Yuan concluded his campaign as No 1 and the Dalian native is now looking forward to his first stint on the main tour. He is the third mainland Chinese golfer after Dou and Xinjun Zhang, both in 2018, to hold a Tour card.