Youngest Winners on the Korn Ferry Tour

The history of the Korn Ferry Tour — the PGA Tour-owned and run developmental circuit that feeds into the PGA Tour — dates to 1990. And in that history, a total of four teen-agers have won tournaments on the Korn Ferry circuit. All four of them became well-known PGA Tour pros.

The current record-holder as youngest winner on the Korn Ferry Tour is Aldrich Potgieter, who won the 2024 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic tournament at age 19 years and four months old. Potgieter, a year later, won on the PGA Tour as a 20-year-old, adding his name to the list of youngest PGA Tour winners since 1970.

It is certainly accurate to say that winning on the Korn Ferry Tour before reaching 20 years of age is a very good indicator of future success on the PGA Tour.

The List: Youngest Korn Ferry Tour Winners

These are all the golfers younger than 20 who've so far won tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour:

• 19 years, 4 months, 11 days — Aldrich Potgieter, 2024 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic
• 19 years, 7 months, 26 days — Jason Day, 2007 Legend Financial Group Classic
• 19 years, 9 months, 17 days — Sungjae Im, 2018 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic
• 19 years, 11 months, 19 days — Akshay Bhatia, 2022 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic

The first thing that jumps out is that three of the four teen champions won in The Bahamas. But the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic (won by Potgieter in setting the record) and the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic are two different tournaments. It is still quite a coincidence.

Another thing that stands out about the above group of four golfers is that they all quickly went on to PGA Tour success. As already noted, Potgieter won on the PGA Tour one year later at age 20. Day's first PGA Tour win happened when he was 22, and he became a major championship winner and double-digit PGA Tour winner.

Im was only 21 years old at the time of his first PGA Tour victory. And Bhatia also first won on the PGA Tour at age 21.

All four of the Korn Ferry victories by teens also happened from 2007 forward. Who were the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winners before that, the previous record-holders?

Progression of Korn Ferry Tour Youngest Winners Record

These are the golfers who held the record as youngest winner on the Korn Ferry Tour going back to the tour's founding year of 1990 (the tour's earlier names are also noted):

• Ted Tryba, 23 years, 3 months, 7 days, 1990 Gateway Open on what was then called the Ben Hogan Tour
• Perry Moss, 23 years, 1 month, 1992 Texarkana Open (Ben Hogan Tour)
• David Duval, 21 years, 9 months, 1993 Wichita Open (Nike Tour)
• James Oh, 21 years, 5 months, 27 days, 2003 Mark Christopher Charity Classic (Nationwide Tour)
• Jason Day, 19 years, 7 months, 26 days, 2007 Legend Financial Group Classic (Nationwide Tour)
• Aldrich Potgieter, 19 years, 4 months, 11 days, 2024 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic (Korn Ferry Tour)

Related articles:

• Youngest winners in professional golf
• Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year winners
• Youngest winners on the LPGA Tour

Sources:
PGATour.com. "Aldrich Potgieter, 19, becomes youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner," January 24, 2024, https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/article/news/latest/2024/01/24/aldrich-potgieter-becomes-youngest-korn-ferry-tour-winner-19-years-old-the-bahamas-great-abaco-classic.
PGA Tour. Nationwide Tour Official 2011 Guide, All-Time Records, Youngest Winners.
PGA Tour. Buy.com Tour Official Media Guide 2000, All-Time Records, Youngest Winners.
PGA Tour. Ben Hogan Tour Book 1992, All-Time Records, Youngest Winners.