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 Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
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 GolfChannel.com. “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