Jared Wolfe one win away from PGA Tour promotion after Wichita Open victory
Make that two Korn Ferry Tour players who are now one win away from promotion to the PGA Tour.
Jared Wolfe captured the Wichita Open on Sunday at Crestview Country Club to join Davis Riley as two-time winners this season on the developmental tour. The 32-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky, shot 1-over 71 and hung on at 16 under for a one-shot victory over Taylor Pendrith.
Wolfe made no birdies during his closing round in cold, wet and windy conditions, but his eagle at the par-5 14th hole gave him the cushion he needed, as he bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16. Pendrith, who now has five top-3 finishes since the restart, also bogeyed No. 16 before making two pars coming in for a closing 69.
“That was some pretty intense golf over the last 12 holes,” Wolfe said. “It doesn’t help that it was cold and blowing; my hand were shaking hard enough as it was.”
Full-field scores from the Wichita Open
It has been quite the journey for Wolfe, who turned pro out of Murray State in 2010. He missed 15 of 17 cuts in his first full season on the KFT. He lost his card and didn’t regain it until 2018, when he lost it again. After winning last season on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, he got a third try on the KFT, and he ended up winning the second event of the season last January in the Bahamas.
With the COVID-19 pandemic scrapping graduation this summer, Wolfe will have to wait until next August to earn his Tour card the old-fashioned way. He is now fourth in points, which puts him in great shape.
Of course, one more win would expedite that process.
“This kind of puts things at peace for me a little bit about having to wait another year for the PGA Tour,” Wolfe said. “But maybe not.”