Drew Nesbitt won a Korn Ferry Tour event on Sunday, earning $180,000 (US) for the biggest win of his career<\/p>\n
Local golfer Drew Nesbitt has earned the biggest victory of his career, winning a Korn Ferry Tour event in Springfield, Ill.,\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The victory on the PGA Tour\u2019s development circuit, puts the 31-year-old from Shanty Bay in position to challenge for a spot on the top golf circuit in the world as the season progresses.<\/p>\n
Nesbitt made birdie on the 16th hole\u00a0Sunday to break a tie for the lead, then two clutch pars to win by a shot. He earned a $180,000 (US) and moved to 22nd on the Korn Ferry points list.<\/p>\n
The top 20 at the end of season earn their PGA Tour card for 2027.<\/p>\n
Nesbitt arrived in the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln unlikely to even play. He was listed as the eighth alternate and was about to drive to Wichita, Kan.,\u00a0to play in a PGA Tour Americas event \u2014 the circuit from which Nesbitt graduated last season.<\/p>\n
But a spot opened up in the Land of Lincoln and Nesbitt took full advantage, shooting 11-under 60 on Thursday to take the early lead. Nesbitt briefly dropped to second on Friday, but retook top spot on Saturday and never looked back.<\/p>\n
Sleeping on the lead,\u00a0as nervy as existence as there is in sports,\u00a0Nesbitt made seven birdies on Sunday, including two immediately after his two bogeys.<\/p>\n
He signed for a five-under-par 66 and a four-round total of 25-under, 259.<\/p>\n
The victory now ensures that Nesbitt can remain on the Korn Ferry Tour next year if he falls short of the top-20 cutoff for PGA Tour cards. He will also gain entry in the four playoff events that offer another pathway to golf\u2019s top circuit.<\/p>\n
Those four tournaments, which begin in September, also offer increased purses ($1.5 million, $270,000 winner\u2019s cheque) meaning that Nesbitt now can be playing for some serious cash on top of the $200,000-plus he has already earned this year.<\/p>\n
The win marks a remarkable turnaround for Nesbitt. Last year, he was working as the director of instruction at National Pines just across the Barrie\/Innisfil border, while trying to maintain a place on the PGA Tour Americas \u2013 the circuit below the Korn Tour and two below the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n
A couple of high finishes on the PGA Tour Americas early in the summer,\u00a0followed by a huge victory in Victoria, B.C<\/a>., in September, clinched his Korn Ferry Tour card for 2026.<\/p>\n Still working and giving lessons at National Pines and travelling all over the Western Hemisphere to maintain both gigs, Nesbitt\u2019s life\u00a0suddenly changed. He moved from the local area to Jacksonville, Fla., where the PGA Tour is based to prepare for the 2026 season<\/p>\n