Confident Rayhan Thomas advances through Korn Ferry Tour Stage One in the US

Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas, representing Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, shot rounds of 67, 69, 67, and 66 for a 15-under-par total of 269 at Wilderness Ridge Country Club in Nebraska, finishing tied for fourth from a field of 75 players in the First Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School, the development tour of the PGA Tour in the US.

Played over the 7,108-yard, par-71 layout, Thomas comfortably qualified for Stage 2 of Q-School, which will be held in the first week of December.

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The qualifying cut score at Nebraska was nine under par, with 18 players advancing to Stage 2. Stage One medalist was 30-year-old Travis Smyth (AUS), a regular on the Asian Tour, who finished 18 under par.

There are 14 Qualifying sites for Stage One, with around 225 players and ties advancing. Stage Two will be held across five sites, with Final Qualifying taking place at TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley) and Sawgrass Country Club (East and West) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, from December 11–14, 2025.

At the final stage, the top five players earn full PGA Tour cards for the following year, while the next 40 finishers and ties receive full Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2026.

Thomas, 25, finished 88th on the 2025 Points List, giving him conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2026. He is aiming to improve that ranking through Q-School.

Over 72 holes, Thomas recorded one eagle, 21 birdies, 42 pars, and eight bogeys. This year marks his first full season as a professional and his debut year on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Thomas told Khaleej Times, “I played pretty solid all week and was happy with my game, and got the job done by qualifying—that was my sole goal for the week.

"I will play this week in the Philippines on the Asian Tour’s $2 million International Series at Sta. Elena Golf Club in the city of Santa Rosa, October 23–26, and then come back to Dubai for a couple of weeks, and then return to the US to Stage Two in December," he added.

"I am excited with where my game is at the moment, and I am looking forward to playing on the Asian Tour, then to return to Dubai to see my family and friends, and hopefully have a strong finish to the year.”

For further information, visit: www.PGATour.com