It doesn’t always happen, but a win on the Korn-Ferry Tour usually is a spring board to a PGA Tour card the following year.

Trace Crowe got a win last year, but it did not result in a promotion to the PGA Tour.

The Auburn grad spent his first two professional years with conditional status on the Korn-Ferry Tour. It meant his opportunities to play were limited, but the pressure to perform was not.

Now after two rounds of the Korn-Ferry Tour Q-School finals, Crowe is in another pressure packed situation and so far, so good.

The former Easley High School golfer shot a 5-under par 65 in the second round to move up 12 spots into a tie for fourth with 36 more pressure packed holes to go.

“Especially winning last year and being so close to getting my card at finals I understand the pressure of it,” said Crowe. “I’m just trying to play my best and see where that puts me at the end,” he said.

Making the final stage has guaranteed Crowe a spot on the Korn-Ferry Tour in 2024. If he can hold on or improve on the fourth place he now has, he will jump over the Korn-FerryTour and earn a spot on the PGA Tour.

“The top five and ties in this field is very difficult so you got to relax and let loose. At the end of the day its just playing golf, you got to relax and play. Stick to your process and play golf and if it works out, it works out,” said Crowe.

Wesley Bryan won the 2017 RBC Heritage, but injuries have limited his play on Tour and he, like so many other veterans in the field, are here to try to get back as a regular PGA Tour member.

Bryan, a former Gamecock golfer, shot a 4-under par 66 to climb up twenty three spots into a tie for ninth.

Former Clemson golfer Doc Redman opened the qualifier with a 4-under par 66, but dropped back into a tie for 15th place after shooting a second round 71.

The rest of Palmetto State golfers struggled to maintain their place.

Greenville’s Keenan Huskey took a big tumble down the leader board after posting a second round 3-over ar 73. The former USC golfer now is in a tie for 61st place with Winthrop grad Taylor Dickson.

Former Gamecock Ryan Hall improved four shots in the second round to also join the group in 61st place.

Inman’s Trevor Phillips shot a second round 72 to stand at four over par and former Clemson golfer Bryson Nimmer shaved a stroke off his first round total to be one shot behind Phillips.

The Qualifying tournament is being played on two courses. Golfers will play two rounds on both the Sawgrass Country Club and Dye’s Valley Course at the TPC.

After the top five and ties move up to the PGA Tour, the next 40 golfers are guarnteed a full season on the Korn-Ferry Tour.

After the 40, the next 20 get conditional status on the Korn-Ferry Tour and exempt status on the PGA Tour Americas membership.

The rest of the 168 player field leave Q School as conditional members of the Korn-Ferry and the PGA Tour Americas.

Golf Channel will broadcast portions of the tournament both Saturday and Sunday.

Scores from the second round of the Korn-Ferry Q-School. https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/2023/pga-tour-q-school-presented-by-korn-ferry/R2023088/leaderboard