Latest news with #PinnacleBankChampionship
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dubai's Rayhan Thomas falls victim to shock admin error on PGA Korn Ferry Tour
Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas saw his hopes dashed at the $1 million Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse last week, not by his game, but by a stunning administrative error. The 25-year-old, who turned professional in June 2024 and represents Dubai Creek Resort and Dubai Golf, had been allocated the first reserve spot for the Korn Ferry Tour event at Indian Creek Golf Club in Nebraska. His father, John, even flew in from Dubai to watch him compete. Thomas waited patiently all Thursday, hoping for a last-minute withdrawal to open the door. It never came - or so it seemed. Ironically, four players did pull out, but only after they had begun their first rounds. Phone Call Brings Shock News Then came the twist. On the drive back to his U.S. base in Oklahoma, Thomas's phone rang nonstop. When he picked up, he learned the truth: a clerical error had cost him his place in the field. South African MJ Daffue, who should have been listed as an alternate, was wrongly entered ahead of Thomas due to a ranking category misallocation. Daffue, 36, had earlier played the ISCO Championship on the PGA Tour under a medical exemption, which had expired. His ranking shifted to the Korn Ferry Tour, but a category reshuffle placed him higher than he was eligible for. Thomas, ranked 107th, should have taken the final available spot. Instead, Daffue played and finished tied 39th with rounds of 67, 66, 73, and 72, earning $5,100 and moving up to 107th in the standings. Speaking to Khaleej Times from the U.S., Thomas said: 'Apparently, I will receive some spots as part of the compensation for the error. I am now placed 113 in the Points table. We will see how those conversations go along with my management. Staying Focused Amid Setback 'It is obviously disappointing and one of those things that is unfortunate and out of my hands. Every week, at this time of the season, is very important. I will focus on my golf and, if I play well, everything will take care of itself.' His father was equally pragmatic: 'Rayhan needs to make the top 75 to make the Finals and retain his full card - he has four events left before the Korn Ferry Championship, and if he does well, none of this will matter. He is a strong lad, and let's hope so.' This week, Thomas is confirmed as an entry for the $1 million Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron in Idaho. With the top 20 in the Korn Ferry Rankings at season's end earning PGA Tour cards for 2026, the stakes couldn't be higher. Good luck to Rayhan, and let's hope this is a season-defining moment in a positive sense for him. He deserves it. For the records, South African Christo Lamprech, won the tournament, earning $180,000 with rounds of 67, 67, 65 and 66 for a 72-hole total of 265, to be 19 under par. He moves up to 10th place in the Korn Ferry Rankings. We thank Monday Q for their cooperation with this article.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Christo Lambrecht holes bunker shot at 18 for birdie, first Korn Ferry Tour win in Omaha
Christo Lamprecht won't soon forget his first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour. The lanky South African holed a bunker shot on the final hole for birdie to win the Pinnacle Bank Championship by one stroke over Peter Kuest. 'I thought it was going to stay on the edge,' Lamprecht said. 'To finish off that kind of way and kind of have everyone go ballistic, it's pretty special.' Lamprecht, 24, who played his college golf at Georgia Tech, carded five birdies and posted a bogey-free 5-under 66 on Sunday at the Club at Indian Creek in Omaha for a 72-hole total of 19-under 265. Kuest was 5 under through 10 holes, but the birdies dried out and he settled for 67 and his best finish of the season. Robby Shelton, a 54-hole co-leader and the 2022 champion of this tournament, bogeyed the final two holes to finish two back in third. Lamprecht had his cousin, Christian, on the bag, and they each reacted to the hole-out by throwing the club they were holding — Lamprecht his sand wedge and his cousin, his putter. 'I didn't know what to do so I thought I'll just throw a club in the air and then I think I broke my caddie's arm by hitting him so hard,' said Lamprecht of slapping his cousin five afterwards. The former British Amateur champion improved to No. 10 on the Korn Ferry Tour's points list, and is well positioned to earn a PGA Tour card awarded to the top 20 in the season-long standings at the end of the year.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Chaos Unfolds as PGA Tour's 'Error' Lets Ineligible Player in Korn Ferry Event
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In professional golf, the list of qualified players for a tournament is sacred. Be it rising stars or struggling pros, it's a shot at redemption, securing FedEx Cup points, and even earning a basic livelihood. An error can drastically affect a pro's career. Unfortunately, something similar happened this week, when a "clerical" blunder at the Korn Ferry Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship turned the field upside down. On Saturday morning, MJ Daffue stood tied for third at the Pinnacle Bank Championship. The 36-year-old South African had carded rounds of 67 and 66 at The Club at Indian Creek, putting him in contention for his best finish since 2022. But all of it came with a bizarre issue. He wasn't "supposed" to be in the field. OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 08: MJ Daffue of South Africa reacts after making a putt on the sixteenth green during the second round of the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse 2025 at The Club... OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 08: MJ Daffue of South Africa reacts after making a putt on the sixteenth green during the second round of the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse 2025 at The Club at Indian Creek on August 08, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by) More Getty Images According to Monday Q Info's post on X, the cult-favorite golf insider known for spotlighting the sport's underdog stories was the result of a "clerical error" by the PGA Tour. "MJ Daffue is currently T4, but he is not supposed to be in the field," Monday Q posted on Friday. "And Rayhan Thomas, who sat on the range all day Thursday as the first alternate, before not getting in, should be in the field." The incident occurred when Daffue was playing under a major medical exemption, granted to PGA Tour players sidelined by injury. Under this exemption, players must earn a minimum number of Official World Golf Ranking points to retain eligibility. Daffue failed to meet that threshold after the Barracuda Championship last month, causing his PGA Tour card to lapse. Normally, that would drop him into a lower eligibility category for Korn Ferry Tour events. But the Tour mistakenly kept him in the 126–150 category, reserved for PGA Tour members not exempt for current events. That error bumped him into the Pinnacle Bank field, while Rayhan Thomas, the rightful first alternate, was left out. "Had he been listed in the correct category, Daffue would have ended as the fourth alternate," Monday Q explained in the same post. "Rayhan Thomas, who I spoke with as he was driving back to Oklahoma, was left out of a field he should have been in." A clerical error by the PGA Tour has lead to something that I have never heard of. MJ Daffue is currently T4, but he is not supposed to be in the field. And Rayhan Thomas, who sat on the range all day Thursday as the first alternate, before not getting in, should be in the… — Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) August 8, 2025 Thomas, ranked 107th in Korn Ferry Tour points, had arrived at The Club at Indian Creek at 6:15 a.m. on Thursday, hoping for a last-minute withdrawal. His father had flown in from Dubai to watch him play. But after waiting all day, Thomas watched the final group tee off and headed home. "The Tour is trying to find a way to rectify it," Thomas told "I'm pretty confident that things will be made right. They were regretful about it." He added, "Now, I'm back in Oklahoma, trying to get ready for Boise. In my head, regardless of MJ getting in or not, I just didn't play good enough to get into the field, so I need to play better, and hopefully Boise will be a good chance for me to move up the rankings a little bit." The Korn Ferry Tour confirmed the error and said it is working with Thomas to provide an "equitable solution." Meanwhile, Daffue has made the most of his accidental entry, shooting 67-66 to sit near the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday. It's not the first time a clerical error took place on a major tour. Earlier this year, the LPGA mistakenly allowed Sophia Popov into three events she wasn't eligible for, later retroactively removing her points. However, as per the reports, Daffue will be allowed to finish the tournament and retain any points earned. On the other hand, for Thomas, the hope now shifts to next week's Albertsons Boise Open, where he's expected to be in the field. More Golf: Scottie Scheffler makes $50 auction site buy to replace lost golf tool
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
'Unfortunate error' allows wrong player into field at Korn Ferry Tour event
Watch the best highlights from the second round of the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Rayhan Thomas should've still been in Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday evening. Instead, the 25-year-old Korn Ferry Tour was back in Stillwater, Oklahoma, having just completed the nearly seven-hour drive home. Thomas had hung around The Club at Indian Creek all Thursday, waiting to see if he'd earn entry into the Pinnacle Bank Championship as an alternate. That call, mistakenly, never came. In what the Korn Ferry Tour is calling an 'unfortunate error,' M.J. Daffue gained access into the field for the penultimate event of the KFT's regular season via an incorrect category. So, when Scott Gutschewski withdrew before his first-round tee time, that opening was given to first alternate Runchanapong Youprayong, the Thai rookie who should've already been in. Thomas was next on the alternate list behind Youprayong. Monday Q Info's Ryan French first reported the story, and a KFT spokesperson confirmed the human error to By missing the cut at last month's Barracuda Championship, Daffue failed to satisfy his non-exempt major medical extension on the PGA Tour. That's when Daffue was supposed to be placed in the KFT's reorder category along with the next 25 players and ties from Q-School and Nos. 2-10 from last year's PGA Tour Americas points list. But he was accidentally coded into the category for PGA Tour members not exempt for current PGA Tour events (Nos. 126-150). Unlike the LPGA's clerical error involving Sophia Popov earlier this year, when Popov had her points retroactively removed after playing in three events that she wasn't eligible for, Daffue remained in the field and will be allowed to accrue official points. The mistake could prove massively fortunate for Daffue, who is currently tied for third and two shots off the lead through 36 holes. OMAHA, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 08: MJ Daffue of South Africa chips onto the ninth green during the second round of the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse 2025 at The Club at Indian Creek on August 08, 2025 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by) Getty Images The KFT spokesperson, in a statement, added, 'We have communicated this situation with the player who was impacted and are working to provide an equitable solution.' That player is Thomas, who arrived at the course at 6:15 a.m. Thursday, a half hour before the first tee time. The morning wave passed with Thomas still waiting, and after a quick meal break, he returned to the course until 2:20 p.m. when the last threesome teed off. When reached by phone Friday evening, Thomas said he was bummed that his father had flown in from Dubai to watch him play, but he also expressed understanding of the situation. 'The Tour is trying to find a way to rectify it, and I'm sure that we'll come to an agreement and figure it out,' Thomas told 'I'm pretty confident that things will be made right. I think the Tour has good intentions. Obviously, they made a mistake, and they were regretful about it. 'Now, I'm back in Oklahoma, trying to get ready for Boise. In my head, regardless of MJ getting in or not, I just didn't play good enough to get into the field, so I need to play better, and hopefully Boise will be a good chance for me to move up the rankings a little bit.' Any make-good by the KFT will likely come after the season, when Thomas solidifies what his status for next year will be. Thomas, at No. 107 in points entering this week, will easily get into next week's Albertsons Boise Open, which fills its field based on the current standings. He will also qualify for the first two playoff events, which have fields of 156 players and 144 players, respectively. The 120-man Compliance Solutions Championship in Owasso, Oklahoma, is still in question, as Thomas has missed 13 of 20 cuts in his rookie season while posting only one top-10 finish, his T-7 at the second event of the year in Bahamas. The top 75 players in points after Compliance not only advance to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship but earn full KFT status for next season as well. 'That is priority one to get into the top 75, and if we can go on a really good run, maybe top 20,' Thomas said. 'But yeah, getting to the finals would be damn good. … The year hasn't gone as good as I'd hoped. It was a good start and that gave me a lot of confidence, but as things have progressed, I've not played as sharp and just not been as tidy with my game, and my scores have shown that. It's been a lot of golf, and I'm just trying to figure it out week by week. 'But from what I've seen, one good week can really help you and move you up the rankings really quickly, so I'm still quite optimistic about the rest of the season.'
