When the Korn-Ferry Tour season started a few weeks ago, Greenville’s Keenan Huskey and Boiling Springs Trent Phillips didn’t have full time status on the Tour,
All that changed on Sunday when the two upstate young professionals tied for second at the Panama Championship.
Huskey shot rounds of 73, 67, 72 and a final round 64 to finish behind winner Issiah Salinda. The South Carolina grad’s final round included six birdies and his play in the tournament produced the first hole-in-one on the Korn-Ferry Tour this season,
Phillips shot rounds of 72, 69, 69 and a final round 66 to finish in a three way tie for second with Huskey and Will Bateman.
Huskey, who did not have a starting spot in the event when he took a “flight of faith” and got on a plane to travel to Panama City in hopes of finding a way into the field.
“I was on the first leg of the trip when I found out I was in,” said Huskey. “It turned out to be alright cool so it was worth the flight down here,” he added.
Huskey didn’t have much time to process he was going to play. As you might expect the former SCGA Amateur champion had to fight his nerves at the start of the tournament.
“In the first round it played in my mind. I’m happy with the way I held myself together, that is the biggest place I think my game has improved and its going to get better from there” he said,
Phillips had played in two of the first three Korn-Ferry Tour events, but missed the cut in both.
Like Huskey, Phillips was playing to gain status and move up into one of the secure positions. A good finish would allow Phillips a playing spot and not depend on qualifying, or a sponsor exemption or a drop out to play in a tournament.
The second place tie for Huskey and Phillips puts them in 8th place on the early season Korn-Ferry points list, but more importantly earned both golfers the status they need to play on a full time basis for at least the start of the season.
“It has been a grind playing mini tour and trying to qualify, but Ive been working hard. I know I can compete out here and I now I can do it,” Huskey concluded.
Scores from the Korn-Ferry Tour Panama Championship https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/tournaments/2024/the-panama-championship/H2024084/leaderboard
Categories: Korn-Ferry Tour
