GLENVIEW, Ill. – Turns out Cameron Young is mortal after all. And the rest of the field still couldn’t catch him.

For the first time in two weeks, Young made a costly error and knew the position he put himself in was one of the toughest at The Glen Club’s links-style course. Young blasted his approach at the par-4 second over the green, left his chip shot off a downhill lie short and in the rough, then chipped on and two-putted for six. The double bogey negated an eagle from the par-5 first, but it was not enough to knock Young off the top spot of the leaderboard at the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank. 

“That’s about the only one I’ve made over the last couple weeks,” Young said of the mistake at No. 2. “I’ve kept it in play, made a lot of smart decisions. That was really the first bad mistake I made, hitting it somewhere where I knew it was really hard to get up and down.” 

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is third at 9 under, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is tied for eighth at 5 under. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 21st and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver is tied for 25th.

Young logged five birdies and a bogey the rest of the way, carding a 4-under 67 and extending his lead over Northbrook, Illinois native Nick Hardy to four strokes. It is the seventh consecutive Korn Ferry Tour round Young has at least a share of the lead, as well as sixth time in the last seven rounds he leads outright. 

The Scarsborough, New York native entered Saturday’s third round as the only player with fewer than three bogeys through 36 holes this week. Although Young doubled the second and bogeyed the par-3 11th later in the round, he still has fewer holes played over par than anyone in the field. Young only made five bogeys, tied for the third fewest of the tournament, in last week’s wire-to-wire win (solo leader after every round) at the AdventHealth Championship.

In addition to making fewer mistakes than anyone else, Young’s three eagles (one in each round) are tied with University of Illinois alum Luke Guthrie for the most in this week’s field. Young’s round-opening eagle Saturday was a drive in the fairway, followed by a 6-iron from 223 yards out, and a 25-foot putt. 

“My goal standing on the first tee was to hit the fairway. That’s what I did,” Young said. “To make the putt was a bonus and a nice way to start.” 

A par save off another downhill lie behind No. 3 green gave Young a quick boost, which he turned into birdies at Nos. 4 and 5. The birdie at the par-5 fifth came after Young escaped the trees on his second shot and knocked a wedge to eight feet. Four pars later, Young drove the 333-yard par-4 10th and notched a two-putt birdie. A bogey from the greenside bunker at the 11th cost him a shot, but Young got it back with a tap-in birdie at the par-4 15th. Young capped the round with a two-putt birdie from just left of the green at the par-5 18th. 

“I don’t think I hit it that great. I made a couple putts early,” Young said. “After that, I didn’t make much. I think I have a lot more in me.” 

Four strokes is double what Young’s lead was after 54 holes in Kansas City, Missouri a week ago. Even with the added cushion, Young knows he can ill afford to play cautiously, or try to protect his lead Sunday afternoon. 

“If I do that, I’ll get passed really quickly,” Young said. “Nick [Hardy] showed some fire on the back nine.” 

Hardy, a two-time All-American and the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year at the University of Illinois, rallied from a 3-over 39 on the front nine with a bogey-free 4-under 31 on the back nine. 

Even as Hardy provoked roars from the crowd after a long, double-breaking birdie putt went down at the par-3 11th, as well as dazzling approaches at the par-4 13th and 15th, Young stayed in his own zone. 

Scott McKean, Young’s caddie, is a major reason why they’re able to operate within their own little world. The two were close friends at Wake Forest University. McKean was also the best man at Young’s wedding. Young’s connection to McKean feels especially important this week, given the fact this event raises funds to support the Evans Scholars Foundation and its efforts to send caddies to college on full tuition and housing scholarships. 

With 18 holes left @ESInvite:

1. Cameron Young (-14)
2. Nick Hardy (-10)
3. Adam Svensson (-9)
4. Patrick Flavin (-7)

Full leaderboard: https://t.co/RJawDIV1X7 pic.twitter.com/R0KgGaokc5

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 29, 2021

When Young needed a caddie for last August’s Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, the third week the four-tournament run which earned him Special Temporary Membership status, McKean picked up the bag. Working for cybersecurity company, McKean took some time off, but also worked remotely while on the road. Young called McKean two weeks later for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. Once again, McKean took off work and joined Young in Newburgh, Indiana. 

Young made an even bigger ask in late September. He needed a caddie for three straight weeks. McKean asked if he could call back with an answer. 

“He called me back an hour and a half later and had quit his job,” Young said. “He’s giving up a lot to be away from home a lot, and not necessarily get to play golf, do other things he likes to do. But we have a great time. We have a lot of fun. It makes the travel and the long days a lot easier.” 

Drawbridge, the cybersecurity company McKean left, is embroidered on Young’s polos. It’s an ever- present reminder of what the stakes are, what sacrifices have been made, and what potentially lay ahead. 

A victory Sunday would move Young from 26th to 12th in the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour points standings. More simply, finishing off a second win in as many weeks would take Young to the verge of his first PGA TOUR card. 

“Very thankful to be where I am. I knew what it felt like to be missing Monday qualifiers and making $50 in mini-tour events,” Young said. “I’m most of the way to where I want to go. I want that last little bit to be soon. That’s where I have my eyes set.” 

Final-round tee times will run from 6:54 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time Sunday off the first tee. 

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Two Canadian golfers sit in the top 10 at the halfway mark of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is two shots off the lead in third at 8 under, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is seven shots back and tied for eighth at 3 under.

American Cameron Young leads at 10 under through 36 holes.

Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver is tied for 12th at 2 under, while Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 22nd at 1 under.

Pendrith, who is fifth in the tour standings, already has secured a PGA Tour card for next season as he is guaranteed to finish in the top 25.

Svensson also currently holds down a PGA Tour spot at No. 18.

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Nick Hardy, one of roughly a dozen players in the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank field with local ties, had no issues navigating the kind of chilly, windy morning one would experience at a Chicago Bears tailgate. New Yorker Cameron Young actually enjoyed his first four holes in the same conditions, because once he reached the fifth fairway, scattered rain showers blew in and turned Thursday afternoon into one of the most miserable golf rounds he ever endured. 

Hardy and Young emerged from the wicked Chicago area weather with matching 7-under 64s, finishing the opening round with a one-stroke edge over Canadian Adam Svensson. 

Stuart Macdonald shot a 68, while both Taylor Pendrith and Ben Silverman shot 69 to put all four Canadians inside the top 20 after the first round.

A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Hardy has a share of the 18-hole lead for the third time in 42 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Young sits atop the leaderboard for a fifth consecutive Korn Ferry Tour round, as he turned in a wire-to-wire victory (solo leader after every round) amid rainy conditions at last week’s AdventHealth Championship. 

Hardy eagled his opening hole, the par-5 first, countered his only bogey of the day (a three-putt five on No. 3) with one of his six birdies the following hole, and snuck a 6-foot par putt in the side door at the par-5 18th to tie his lowest first-round score on the Korn Ferry Tour. 

“It was a tough day. Everything is tough with that much wind,” Hardy said. “The greens are fast, so you’ve got to control your pace really well, and predict the wind well on putts. I was unhappy I blew it by about six feet and (had) a sidehill putt (on No. 18). I was definitely antsy to make that. I just took the absolute high line because I didn’t want to four-putt… tried to drip it in, and I hit a great putt. Luckily, it caught the right side of the hole and went in. 

“That definitely helps going into a 24-hour break where you’re thinking about it. I was just relieved.” 

Hardy also caught a break at the par-3 17th. As his tee ball sailed 25 yards left of his target and dangerously close to the water, Hardy just hoped for a kind bounce. The ball landed softly enough it hung up in the rough within the penalty area. Hardy took advantage of his good fortune, saving par there and narrowly avoiding a three-putt bogey at the 18th. 

“I thought it was going to be okay when it was in the air, but I was sweating the bounce. If it got a bad bounce, it easily could’ve gone in the water,” Hardy said. “Saving that shot was huge. You have to finish that stuff off in the early rounds of the week if you want to put yourself in position Saturday and Sunday.” 

A strong contingent of fans followed Hardy around The Glen Club. It was hardly a surprise given the fact Hardy played countless rounds at nearby Anetsberger Golf Course, a nine-hole par-3 course less than three miles from The Glen Club, throughout his childhood. Hardy is also very familiar with this week’s venue, having grown up five minutes from it; he played the course in multiple Illinois Open Championships as well. 

Hardy starred at the University of Illinois, where he was a two-time All-American, the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year, and a three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Hardy played alongside fellow Illinois alum Brian Campbell Thursday, and their gallery included Dylan Meyer, a former Fighting Illini teammate with status on the Forme Tour. 

“There are a lot of people out here that mean a lot to me, that, growing up, helped me with my career,” Hardy said. “I want to play well in front of them, and it’s special to have this support. I just have to enjoy it as much as I can.” 

Young’s bogey-free 64 marked his fifth consecutive round in the 60s, and second consecutive tournament-opening 64. Prior to last week, Young had 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and never led after any of the 48 rounds he played. 

“That’s how I’ve been as a player through my career. When it starts feeling good, I feel like it just keeps going,” said Young, who played collegiately at Wake Forest. “I’m very comfortable. I’ve made a few little changes with the putter… being more comfortable and happier on the greens has changed how I’m looking at each day, and it’s bleeding all the way through the bag.” 

Once the showers rolled in, Young began his scoring run. After birdies at Nos. 5, 7, and 8, Young escaped wild drives at the ninth and 10th with a par and birdie, respectively. An 83-yard hole-out eagle at the par-4 13th took Young to 6-under, and an easy up and down for birdie at the par-5 18th, where he hit a 5-wood pin high and just left of the green from 258 yards out, capped the 7-under round. 

“Frankly, one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in my life. Crowned with a hole-out on the back nine, where I was just trying to hang on,” Young said. “I like days like this. I’ve had some good battles, especially in the last few months, through some weather. My caddie and I were joking, we kind of thrived on it. We’re just out there doing the best we can not to care it’s raining on us, that we’re miserable, and that it’s cold. We’re just smiling through it, and it helps when things are going well.” 

Friday’s forecast currently calls for more rain and temperatures once again hovering around 50 degrees. Don’t expect that to faze Young, who welcomed the impending weather conditions. 

“At this point, bring it on.” 

Second-round tee times will run from 6:45 a.m. to 2:16 p.m. local time Friday off the first and 10th tees. 

The long road to the PGA Tour was indeed a lengthy journey for Canada’s Taylor Pendrith.

He didn’t decide on professional golf plans until midway through his four-year run at Kent State University. Pendrith turned pro in 2014 and has since endured the grind of the lower-level circuits.

He bounced from tour to tour, lost status for a couple years, battled injuries and survived on minimal earnings.

Pendrith’s hard work would eventually pay off. A strong showing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season has cemented a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2021-22 campaign.

“It really is a story of perseverance,” said Golf Canada men’s team coach Derek Ingram. “Next (season) when he gets on the PGA Tour, everyone is going to be talking about overnight success and how quickly he took to it, how he came out of nowhere.

“But as I’ve said to Taylor, there’s nothing about his story that has been an overnight success or a guy that has just burst onto the scene. He’s been doing the right things for 10 years and building.”

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., played a variety of sports as a youngster, including baseball and hockey. He tried golf when he visited his sister at the Muskoka golf club where she worked at the time.

“He’d be hitting balls and we’d be like, ‘Man, he can hit it,’ said Jennifer Pendrith, now a superintendent at Kawartha Golf and Country Club in Peterborough, Ont. ”He just had this natural ability to hit the ball.

“He started getting really into it and it took off from there.”

Jennifer set up a small putting space in the family backyard so Taylor could work on his short game. Their father, meanwhile, set up a ‘contraption’ for Taylor to work on his ball striking.

“I think he had an old pool tarp or something and he hung it up so that he could hit balls in his own sort of little driving range,” she said. “It was kind of neat.”

Taylor Pendrith said he found golf to be “peaceful” and quickly fell in love with the game.

“I just seemed to hit the ball really far, so that was fun for me,” he said in a recent interview. “I just wanted to hit it as hard as I could and see how far I could hit it. It all just came together.

“I never really had a coach until I was 18 in the year off that I took before university.”

In his final season at Kent State, Pendrith was named co-Mid-American Conference golfer of the year with teammate Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., now a regular contender on the PGA Tour. Pendrith was one of only two players in school history to play in the NCAA Championships in all four college seasons.

His lower-level pro breakthrough came in 2019 when he won twice on the Mackenzie Tour. Pendrith said it did wonders for his confidence.

“I think over the last few years I’ve had a different mindset, trying to put less pressure on myself,” he said.

Sky's the limit for @TaylorPendrith. 🇨🇦#TOURBound @HuntsvilleChamp pic.twitter.com/fPJBqq2JV6

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 28, 2021

His injury list, meanwhile, has been a long one. Since turning pro, Pendrith has had wrist and shoulder problems and torn ligaments in his forearm and hand.

He also had a “weird palm injury” where he couldn’t hold a club for four months. Pendrith adjusted his practice and training routine to minimize injuries and feels his mental game is stronger too.

He locked up his PGA Tour card last month after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

“I’ve worked really hard for the last six or seven years to get to this point,” Pendrith said. “It has taken me a bit longer than others and some of my other friends but I’m happy to finally get that card and join them next (season).”

Currently seventh on the Korn Ferry money list at over US$353,000, Pendrith is fifth on the tour’s points list. He’ll likely get into two PGA Tour events this season but is trying to make a push for top spot on the Korn Ferry list as it would give him more exemptions next season.

“(No. 1) is essentially much better than (No.) 2,” he said. “But I do have that card locked up, which is nice. It’s kind of a sense of freedom. I can go out there and play freely, so that’s exciting.”

Pendrith, who turns 30 on Sunday, is third in average driving distance on the Korn Ferry tour at 320.4 yards. He’s 123rd in driving accuracy (60.86 per cent) and is tied for 27th in putting average.

“He’s a nice combination of long and straight,” Ingram said. “He’s become very consistent over the last two or three years in his iron play and the rest of his game. On top of being long, he’s got one of the nicest set of hands you’ll see around the greens of a PGA Tour player.

“Very soft, subtle hands and the ability to get the ball close to the hole from even very difficult spots. It’s a nice toolbox that he has and it’s quite full.”

Pendrith has played in a handful of PGA Tour events over his career, finishing in a tie for 43rd at the RBC Canadian Open in 2014 at Royal Montreal.

He qualified for his first major last September at the US Open, finishing in a tie for 23rd at Winged Foot.

“I think I’ve proven myself at all levels and that I can compete with the best,” he said.

Canadian golfer Taylor Pendrith has earned his PGA Tour card after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., shot a final round of 7-under 64 Sunday at the Veritex Bank Championship, which moved him up 27 spots into a tie for 15th.

The 51 ranking points he earned at the tournament gave Pendtirh, who is currently third on the tour’s money list, a total of 1,748. The Korn Ferry Tour calls the 1,700-point mark its “fail-safe threshold” for earning a PGA Tour card for next season.

Pendrith called locking up his first PGA Tour card a “dream come true.”

"Dream come true to lock up my card." @TaylorPendrith, 29, has crossed our fail-safe threshold of 1,700 Points, securing his first @PGATOUR card for the 2021-22 season. pic.twitter.com/wAIVLhvG4y

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 26, 2021

“It’s been a long journey, for sure, starting in 2014 when I turned pro” the 29-year-old Pendrith said in an interview posted on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Twitter feed.

“But it’s always been a goal of mine and a dream to play on the PGA Tour, and I’ll be able to do that next year.”

Pendrith has six top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. He was runner-up at the Wichita Open and finished tied for second at the Pinnacle Bank Championship and the TPC San Antonio Championship.

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He also finished tied for 23rd at the 2020 U.S. Open.

The top-25 players on the Korn Ferry Tour’s money list at the end of the season earn a place on the PGA Tour for the following season.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is currently 13th on the list at 1,261 points.

There are seven active Canadians with full or partial status on the PGA Tour this season: Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.); Michael Gligic (Burlington, Ont.); Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.); David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.); Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.); and Nick Taylor (Abbotsford).

Graham DeLaet of Weyburm, Sask., started the season on tour but has been off since undergoing a back procedure in February.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Canada’s Adam Svensson captured the title at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Club on Sunday.

After birdies on the last two holes of regulation, Adam Svensson birdied the second playoff hole and defeated 54-hole leader Max McGreevy to win the Club Car Championship at The Landings Club. It was Svensson’s second career Korn Ferry Tour victory, and he becomes the first Canadian to win on Tour since Michael Gligic won the 2019 Panama Championship.

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Svensson played the final 10 holes of regulation at 5-under par and upended McGreevy’s bid to become the first wire-to-wire winner on Tour since Kramer Hickok won the 2018 DAP Championship presented by NewBrick.

McGreevy also birdied the final two holes of regulation to match Svensson’s total score of 17-under par.

Catchin up with the champ 🍁 pic.twitter.com/kj8KMKdKkp

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 29, 2021

Both players had a chance to win on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th, but Svensson missed a 12-foot birdie putt after an aggressive run at an eagle try from off the green, and McGreevy missed a 6-footer for birdie.

“I thought (McGreevy) was going to make it,” Svensson said.

Svensson and McGreavy both found the fairway bunker off the 18th tee the second time around and were forced to lay up. Svensson hit his 95-yard approach shot to 8 feet and lipped in the birdie putt.

“I would say it’s my biggest tournament win ever,” said Svensson, whose last victory was at the 2018 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club. “I put so much hard work in in the offseason… hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. I’ve never been that hard of a worker.”

In 2018, Svensson posted five top-10s and a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour to finish 18th in the regular season standings and earn his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season. He posted three top-25 finishes and finished 167th in the FedExCup in his only full season on TOUR, but this week’s victory puts him at No. 12 in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings and in position for a return to the TOUR for 2021-22.

“I made a commitment to myself about five months ago,” Svensson said. “I was tired of playing well, not playing well, lost my PGA TOUR card, and it’s because I’m not working hard enough. Now I’m fully committed, and we’ll see where it takes me.

“You grow up and you realize you’ve got to do things correctly. I think the Korn Ferry Tour has done a great job of building me as a player.”

Svensson emerged from a crowded Sunday leaderboard, which he said he did not look at until just before his birdie putt at No. 17. McGreevy’s runner-up finish will move him from 19th to 11th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings. Three other players finished at 16-under par, one shot behind Svensson and McGreevy.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR announced today the 2021 portion of the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2020-21 combined schedule, featuring 23 tournaments to be played during the next calendar year, with the season culminating at the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in August. The one-time wraparound season will result in a slate of 46 total events.

“Korn Ferry Tour graduates are prepared to compete with the world’s best on the PGA TOUR from day one as we’ve seen with our last two PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year honorees in Sungjae Im and Scottie Scheffler,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With a supersized 2020-21 schedule that bridges two years, we’re extremely confident the Korn Ferry Tour will once again deliver an exceptional class of graduates to the PGA TOUR in the upcoming year.”

The Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, which has been held at The Club at Indian Creek in Omaha, Nebraska, since 2017, moves to the finale of the Tour’s Regular Season, where the first 25 PGA TOUR cards for the 2021-22 season will be awarded based on the season-long points list. The event is set to be contested August 9-15 and will be broadcast on GOLF Channel.

“The season-long race for 25 PGA TOUR cards is at the foundation of the Korn Ferry Tour, and we are excited to bring that incredible atmosphere to the passionate golf fans in Omaha,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “The Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna has been one of our Tour’s premier events over the last four years, and we are looking forward to continuing that tradition leading into 2021 and beyond.”

The 2021 season will open with the third annual LECOM Suncoast Classic, which returns to Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, the week of February 15-21, 2021.

The Tour also announced two new events to the schedule with the Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin and the Paiute Las Vegas Championship. The Emerald Coast Classic will be contested at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s Raven Golf Club the week of March 29-April 4. The Paiute Las Vegas Championship will be played the week of April 12-18 at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort’s Sun Mountain Course.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 tournaments from the Tour’s original 2020 schedule were canceled. Of those 10, the Lake Charles Championship, Veritex Bank Championship, Huntsville Championship and Live + Work in Maine Open were all set to make their respective tournament debuts. While the inaugural Lake Charles Championship will be postponed to 2022 due to the impact from Hurricanes Laura and Delta along the Louisiana coast, the other three tournaments will be contested between April and June.

Other 2020 events impacted by COVID-19 set to return in 2021 include the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS, Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, Visit Knoxville Open, KC Golf Classic and REX Hospital Open.

The Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, contested in Nashville since 2016, will move to The Grove in nearby College Grove, Tennessee, the week of May 3-9, 2021.

The Korn Ferry Tour Finals will be comprised of the Albertsons Boise Open (August 16-22), Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (August 23-29) and Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance (August 30 – September 5). The Finals events will represent three of six tournaments broadcast on GOLF Channel, beginning with the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation (June 7-13), which will feature the debut of the inaugural PGA TOUR University Class of 2021. The Utah Championship presented Zions Bank (August 2-8) will also be broadcast on GOLF Channel.

More than 25 linear TV partners broadcast tournament programming is available in 145+ countries & territories. Over 80 hours of LIVE tournament coverage is available in 135 countries and territories.

For more information on the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour season, please visit PGATOUR.com.

WICHITA, Kansas – Jared Wolfe survived a windy final round at Crestview Country Club to earn his second Korn Ferry Tour title of the season at the Wichita Open Supporting Wichita’s Youth. The 32-year-old carded a final-round 71 to finish the week at 16-under 264. Taylor Pendrith finished solo-second at 15-under 265.

“It’s huge,” Wolfe said of his win. “I feel like I’ve been playing great all year. These last six or seven events, I’ve been playing good and just had a couple of bad holes here and there. To pull through today was pretty cool.”

Wolfe, who began the final round with a three-stroke lead, stumbled out of the gate with a bogey on the par-4 first dropping his lead to one. Despite the setback, he settled into the round carding five consecutive pars on Nos. 2-6 maintaining the lead. As he played the par-4 seventh, the weather began to turn as rain and heavy winds delayed play for an hour and 18 minutes.

“That was incredible,” he said of the weather. “Whatever hit with that wind and everything came out of nowhere. I tried to just stay calm and relax.”

Battling difficult conditions as players returned to the course, Wolfe remained steady keeping his lead after pars on Nos. 7-13.

Pendrith, who played in the final group with Wolfe, made the turn two strokes off the lead. On the par-3 12^th, he converted his second birdie of the round to reach 15-under and pull within one.

Entering the final stretch with a one-stroke advantage, Wolfe drained a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14^th to give himself a three-stroke lead with four holes to play.

Immediately after the eagle, Wolfe dropped a shot with his second bogey of the day on the par-4 15^th. As Wolfe moved back to 17-under, Pendrith tallied his third birdie of the day on No. 15 to cut the lead to one. Both Wolfe and Pendrith dropped a shot on the par-4 16^th, giving Wolfe a one-stroke lead with two holes to play.

After both players made par on No. 17, Wolfe teed off on the 72^nd hole with a one-stroke advantage. After his approach shot came up short of the green, Pendrith stuck his second shot to within 15-feet leaving himself a chance for birdie. Despite his best effort, Pendrith’s putt slid past the hole leaving him a short par putt. With the tournament on the line, Wolfe converted his up-and-down and secured his second win of the season.

“Taylor (Pendrith) was playing some great golf,” Wolfe said. “Him and I were going back-and-forth which made it a lot of fun. I’ve known Taylor for a while, and he’s been so close all year too. It was just a fun day.”

With the win, Wolfe moved to fourth on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour points list and is one win away from the three-win “Battlefield Promotion” to the PGA TOUR. The feat has only been accomplished 11 times in the Tour’s history, most recently by Wesley Bryan in 2016. The Murray State University product joined Davis Riley as the only players to win twice on Tour this season.

“I’m going to go home and celebrate with my daughter and my wife,” Wolfe said. “My parents are in town too so; I get to hang out with them for a day. Then, it’s off to Savannah and we’ll try to go get (win) number three.”

Pendrith’s runner-up was good for his fifth top-3 finish of the season. With the result, he moved to second on the Korn Ferry Tour points list but is still in search of his first Korn Ferry Tour victory.

Next week, the Korn Ferry Tour travels to Savannah, Georgia, for the Savannah Golf Championship.

WICHITA, Kansas – Jared Wolfe carded a 5-under 65 on Saturday to claim the 54-hole lead at the Wichita Open Supporting Wichita’s Youth at 17-under 193. Taylor Montgomery and Taylor Pendrith sit three strokes off the lead at 14-under 196 after three rounds.

Wolfe, who began the day one stroke off the lead, used a birdie-eagle-birdie start to gain the lead after his first three holes on a windy day at Crestview Country Club. After a bogey on the par-4 fourth, he settled into the round with four consecutive pars. The Murray State University product tallied his third birdie of the day on No. 9 to make the turn at 16-under.

On the back nine, Wolfe converted another birdie on the par-4 11^th to reach 17-under. After dropping a shot on the par-5 14^th, the 32-year-old rebounded with a birdie on No. 15 to get back to 17-under for the week. After a birdie on the par-3 17^th, he stumbled with a bogey on the par-4 18^th to finish the third round three strokes clear of the field.

“I got off to a dream start,” Wolfe said after the round. “I just kind of kept things going with some good par saves. It was a good day.”

Earlier this season, Wolfe captured his first Korn Ferry Tour title at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar. Entering the final round in the Bahamas, Wolfe held the 54-hole lead and went on to secure the victory. Once again, he has the 54-hole lead and his second Korn Ferry Tour title within reach.

“It always helps,” he said of his win earlier this season. “Thankfully, that’s kind of the way most of the wins I’ve had have been. I know my game right now and I know it’s solid. If I play my game, I feel like things should go well.”

In 17 starts this season, Wolfe has made 13 cuts with four top-10s and entered the week ranked 15^th in The 25. With a victory tomorrow, he would join Davis Riley as the only two-time winners on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

“That’d be awesome (to win again),” he said. “I feel like this year has been the best year that I’ve had. I want to cash in on how I feel like I’ve been playing this year.”

Montgomery carded a 5-under 65 on Saturday to claim a share of second place after 54-holes. Like Wolfe, Montgomery played his first three holes 4-under to start his round. After making the turn at 12-under for the week, he tallied two birdies on his back nine to reach 14-under for the tournament.

In his first full season on Tour, Montgomery has made eight cuts in 15 starts highlighted by two top-10s. Earlier this season, he finished solo-third at the LECOM Suncoast Classic and T2 at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. The 25-year-old entered the week ranked 32^nd in The 25 and in search of his first Korn Ferry Tour title.

Pendrith, who began the day one stroke clear of the field, carded four birdies against three bogeys on Saturday to reach 14-under after three rounds.

Pendrith, who entered the week ranked third on The 25, is still in search of his first Korn Ferry Tour title. In 18 starts this year, the 29-year-old has made 16 cuts highlighted by three runner-up finishes.

Final-round tee times will run from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Sunday with players teeing off Nos. 1 and 10.

WICHITA, Kansas – Taylor Pendrith fired an 8-under 62 on Friday to claim the 36-hole lead at the Wichita Open Supporting Wichita’s Youth at 13-under 127. Jared Wolfe sits alone in second at 12-under 128.

Pendrith, who began the day two strokes off the lead, started the second round with two birdies on his first four holes. After his lone bogey of the day on the par-3 fifth, the Canadian took advantage of the short par-4 seventh with an eagle.

On the back, Pendrith tallied his third birdie of the round on the par-4 11^th. After a par on No. 12, he caught fire with four consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-16 to reach 13-under for the week. He closed with pars on Nos. 17 and 18 to card an 8-under 62, good for a new career-low on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I hit the driver really well,” Pendrith said. “There are a couple holes here where you can get a little more aggressive and get it up close to the greens. I drove it really well and my putter was on. I didn’t make too many mistakes and when I missed the green, I was in pretty simple spots where I could almost chip in.”

Pendrith, who won twice on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2019, has been one of the most consistent players on the Korn Ferry Tour this season. In 18 starts this season, Pendrith has recorded five top-10s and three runner-up finishes. Despite the close calls, the Kent State University product is still in search of his first Korn Ferry Tour title.

“It’s a great spot to be. I’ve been in similar positions this year, but I haven’t been able to close it out,” he said. “It’s nice to get off to a good start. I feel like at those other tournaments, I was always kind of trailing. I’ll just try and make as many birdies as I can and see where we’re at on Sunday. I’m looking forward to it.”

After a great stretch of play on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this summer, Pendrith earned a spot in last week’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club. Highlighted by a final-round 70, the 29-year-old earned a T23 result in his U.S. Open debut.

“That place (Winged Foot) is so hard. I’m happy to be back out here making birdies,” he said with a laugh. “I played great on Sunday and shot even-par. That gives me a ton of confidence. A lot of the top guys out there struggled which is very easy to do there. I managed my game nicely and had a good week.”

 

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A major debut for @pendy31 🚀 The Richmond Hill, Ontario native and Team Canada member was 3rd in driving distance and closed off the weekend with an even-par 70 on Sunday – the second-best score of the day 👀 He also cleaned up with a $116,385 paycheck – the largest of his career 👀 #GolfCanadaLeaderboard #TeamCanada #golfstagram #teamtitleist #golfer #golflife

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Wolfe, who held a share of the first-round lead, sits alone in second after a 5-under 65 on Friday. Beginning on the back nine, Wolfe carded two birdies and an eagle on his first eight holes to reach 11-under for the tournament. On the par-4 18^th, Wolfe’s tee shot narrowly fell out of bounds resulting in a double bogey. Despite the setback, he rallied with three birdies on his final nine holes to reach 12-under after two rounds.

“I know how I’m playing right now, and I know I like this course,” Wolfe said. “I know how I’m putting it so, I’m just kind of waiting to see how each hole and each shot goes. Thankfully, I made a lot of birdies again today and hopefully I can keep that going on the weekend.”

Third-round tee times will run from approximately 9:20 – 11:20 a.m. on Saturday with players teeing off Nos. 1 and 10.