With the goal of earning a PGA Tour card by the end of the year, Turk Pettit is presently making his way through PGA Tour Q-School.
Going from LIV Golf to the PGA Tour is something Turk Pettit is attempting to do, something no player has ever done before.
In 2022, Pettit, who is only 24 years old, participated in the Saudi-sponsored circuit’s first season. Playing for Bubba Watson’s Niblicks GC (now known as the Range Goats), he participated in all eight events.
Golf Monthly claims that the former Clemson Tiger made close to $1.7 million. His best result was a tie for 27th at the Bangkok event held in Thailand by LIV Golf.
However, he was unable to make any headway on the breakaway circuit and was forced to spend the majority of 2023 on the Asian Tour.
This season, he tied for eighth place at the St. Andrews Bay Championship, which was his best finish. During the third round of play, Pettit shot a 10-under 62 to take the 54-hole lead by himself. However, a dismal 2-over 74 on Sunday prevented him from reaching the winner’s circle.
His most recent result at the Macao Open, where Min Woo Lee won, was a tie for 56th.
Pettit is still able to attempt to obtain a PGA Tour card through Q-school, though, as a result of his demob from the LIV to the Asian Tour.
All LIV Golf players remain suspended by the PGA Tour, a motion in place since June 2022. Interestingly, since Pettit does not play for LIV Golf anymore, he is now eligible to try and qualify for the tour.
Pettit played well at the first stage of Q-school, making it through to the second stage of qualifying after he finished solo eighth at the Walden on Lake Conroe Golf Club in Montgomery, Texas.
The top 19 players and ties from Montgomery, Texas qualified for the second stage, which is listed in its entirety below:
Nov. 14-17: RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands/Marshwood),
Dothan, Alabama
Nov. 14-17: Tesoro Club (Palmer), Port St. Lucie, Florida
Nov. 14-17: The Landings Club (Deer Creek), Savannah, Georgia
Nov. 28-Dec. 1: Valencia Country Club, Valencia, California
Nov. 28-Dec. 1: Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta, Georgia
Should Pettit make it through the second stage, he will then head to Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida, in mid-December, where the final stage of Q-School will take place. Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass and Sawgrass Country Club’s East and West courses will host the finals of Q-school.
This will be the first time since 2012 that the PGA Tour is awarding tour cards through Q-school, as the top five finishers plus ties will receive cards for the 2024 season.
Between 2013 and 2022, the top 40 finishers in Q-school earned Korn Ferry Tour cards for the subsequent seasons.
If Pettit wants to make the most of this chance, he has to perform well once more at one of the five locations that will host the second stage. How many players make it to the Q-school final round from the second stage is still to be determined. At this point, it’s also unclear where Pettit will set the tone for that second phase.
In any case, Pettit has a chance to accomplish something really novel. If the PGA Tour’s agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund is finalized by December 31, 2023, then it might not be all that unconventional.
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