Lin Yuxin dominates at Asian Tour Q-School in Thailand to secure his 2026 Tour Card

Lin Yuxin of China, 23, a two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, emerged victorious at the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School, becoming the first of 35 players to secure their cards for the 2026 season.

After five gruelling days of competition, some players’ journeys beginning as far back as October, left-hander Lin carded a four-under-par 67 in the final round to finish at 16 under total (339). His rounds of 68, 67, 70, 67, and 67 were enough to edge India’s Shaurya Bhattacharya by a single stroke.

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Bhattacharya closed with a 72, while Canada’s Henry Lee finished third after shooting 70, narrowly missing out due to a double bogey on the final hole. Mexico’s Roberto Lebrija (72) and Australia’s Will Florimo (70) rounded out the top five. The tournament was contested on the C&D Course at Lake View Resort & Golf Club, Hua Hin, Thailand.

Lin’s victory marks a significant milestone for the highly-rated golfer, who won the AAC in 2017 and 2019 and played collegiate golf at the University of Florida. Since turning professional in 2023, Lin has competed on the PGA Tour Americas and selected Korn Ferry Tour events, though he has battled putting struggles, mostly “mental,” he says.

Triumph at Q School

Lee reflected on the challenge: “It’s definitely a great feeling to get through Q School; it’s one of the toughest tournaments in golf for any professional, so just fortunate enough to get in this week.

"I’ve been hitting it well all season, just been having trouble with the putter, mainly throughout the summer. I did some work on it during October and November, so the game has been feeling good for a while.”

On adapting to the professional circuit, Lee added, “It’s been tough, it’s a lot of ups and downs, and just trying to stay patient, to be honest. I’ve learned a lot in the last few years after I turned pro, so it’s been a good learning experience.”

Bhattacharya, who began the final round one shot clear, was undone by bogeys on holes 12, 13, and 18. Still, the 22-year-old enjoyed an outstanding week; he currently sits third on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit with two wins.

Other notable qualifiers included South African Justin Harding, Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat, Indonesian Naraajie Ramadhanputra, Berry Henson from the United States, and India’s Rashid Khan and Ajeetesh Sandhu. Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, Singaporean Gregory Foo, Hong Kong’s Shunyat Hak, and Malaysian Khavish Varadan also secured their tour cards.

Saudi Arabia’s Shergo Al Kurdi made a clutch 10-foot putt on the final hole to tie for 19th at six under, narrowly missing the ensuing playoff by a single shot and becoming the first player from Saudi Arabia to reach the Final Stage.

Scramble for final spot

The battle for the 35th card was intense. Twelve players tied at five under in 28th place, triggering a sudden-death playoff for the last eight cards.

Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka, who stumbled with an 81 in the final round, survived, alongside Carson Herron, the son of former PGA Tour star Tim Herron, Carlos Pigem of Spain, Wales’ David Boote, China’s Jin Zihao, Germany’s Marc Hammer, and Australia’s Marcus Plunkett. Shubham Jaglan from India ultimately claimed the final spot, edging out Kelvin Si after a five-hole playoff.

UAE professionals Ahmad Skaik and Joshua Grenville-Wood competed in the Final Qualifying School but did not secure their 2026 Asian Tour cards.

For more information, visit Asian Tour.