Focus over targets: Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas lets the golf do the talking in Q-School

Rayhan Thomas produced one of the most composed rounds of the week on Thursday, carding a superb five-under-par 67 to storm into contention at Stage Two of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School in the United States.

Now at 11-under-par after earlier rounds of 67 and 71, the Dubai-born Indian who represents the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club sits tied ninth in a tightly packed leaderboard.

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After insisting all week that he wasn’t chasing numbers or targets, just staying in his bubble and controlling what he could, the Dubai-born Indian talent who represents the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club delivered a calm and clinical display of golf that the professional circuit demands.

Now at 11-under-par, following earlier rounds of 67 and 71, Thomas sits tied ninth in a pressure-packed field of 76 players.

Birdie blitz

After he began the day with an even-par front nine featuring two birdies and two bogeys, including a pair of three-putt, his game caught fire coming home. A storming back nine with five birdies, including three in a row on holes 14, 15, and 16, saw the 26-year-old move up the leaderboard when it really mattered.

On completing his round, Thomas said, “I had a very good finish for my third round. The weather was calm but a bit cool at the end of the day, an ideal scoring day.”

“It was good to see some putts drop at the end, just what I needed,” he added. “I am not looking at any target score to achieve. I have no idea what anyone is scoring while playing.

“My focus is solely on my game and, if I keep going as I have been and go as low as I can, I hopefully will make progress, my only target for the week.”

Thomas is competing in Stage Two for the second straight year at the same venue. With the top 15 players advancing to the Final Stage, he currently sits on the qualifying number, part of a group of seven players at 11-under. Another four trail by one shot, with several more still in striking distance, setting up a tense and dramatic final round.

Weather, however, could play a major role. Forecasts predict a full day of rain, prompting officials to advance tee times and prepare contingency plans, including the possibility of extending play to Saturday if conditions deteriorate.

Road to final stage

Players who qualify this week will advance to the 72-hole Korn Ferry Final Qualifying, scheduled for December 11–14, 2025, at TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley) and Sawgrass Country Club (East and West) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

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

Thomas represents Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and is sponsored by Hero, Wilson, Cadillac, and the Dubai Basketball Association.

For live scoring, visit the event website.