‘Korn Ferry Tour Is Harder’: Former PGA Tour Veteran’s Comments Speak Volumes About State of Men’s Pro Golf

What makes a Tour competitive? The players? The tournaments? Try again, because the answer is the Tour itself. The debate surrounding the PGA Tour’s competitiveness has sparked varying viewpoints. Some argue that the tour has softened certain courses in response to player feedback, making them more susceptible to low scores. Others point to factors like advancements in technology as contributing to easier scoring conditions. Recent events, such as the Cognizant Classic, have seen record-low winning scores, with some players lamenting the “easier conditions” and describing the tournaments as “birdie-fests.”

The frequency of sub-60 rounds on the PGA Tour has also raised questions about the tour’s competitiveness. With eight sub-60 rounds in the last eight years, some argue that these achievements have become less special, and now the word is that even the Korn Ferry Tour has surpassed the PGA Tour in difficulty levels. We’re not saying that, but a PGA Tour veteran is.

Speaking on the latest episode of Talk Birdie To Me on YouTube, PGA Tour pro Nick O’Hern shared an interesting perspective, stating that he found the Korn Ferry Tour more difficult than the PGA Tour. “I would shoot 15 under for a four-round event, and for me, that’s good play, but I’d finish 30th… okay 15 under.” He also recalled instances where his scores weren’t enough to make the cut. “I found the Korn Ferry Tour harder than the PGA Tour because… I remember shooting five under one week, six under the next week, and I missed both cuts. It was… six and seven under, it was crazy. And I was playing good golf, these courses weren’t that easy.”

Well, it is true. Many courses on the PGA Tour have undergone significant changes in the last few years, so that they have lost their charm, and when talking about easy courses on the Tour, one has to mention PGA National. Once a beast of a course, it struggled to attract top players due to its scheduling and setup. However, after tournament organizers made adjustments, including cutting rough and overseeding fairways with rye grass, the course has become notably easier. According to Jordan Spieth, the change in grass type can account for a stroke a round, resulting in low scores and a 36-hole cut at 5 under par, a rarity for PGA National.

O’Hern attributed the difference in difficulty to the nature of the tours. On the PGA Tour, courses are more challenging, and the scores are more indicative of good play. “Shooting eight under” on the PGA Tour would typically result in a top-10 finish. In contrast, the Korn Ferry Tour features younger players who are hungry to succeed. “They’re all 21-year-old hungry something hitting the ball 330 yards, and they can putt and they’re hungry.” He described the Korn Ferry Tour as a “birdie fest” where players can “just blast it and they just keep” going.

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Well, O’Hern isn’t the first golfer to draw a difference between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.

Will Zalatoris weighs in on Tour differences

Golfers who have played on both tours say the biggest separator is the playing surfaces, with PGA Tour courses being more demanding and Korn Ferry courses being easier to score on. According to Will Zalatoris, the current season points leader on the Korn Ferry Tour, “Their golf courses are a lot harder than ours.” This is reflected in the scores in 2020, with six Korn Ferry winners finishing atop the leaderboard by shooting 20 under par or better, compared to the PGA Tour.

The difference between the two tours is also attributed to the level of competition and the comfort level of players. Ollie Schniederjans, who has played in 95 PGA Tour events, notes that there’s “definitely a big difference between the competition out here and there.” Scottie Scheffler‘s 59 at TPC Boston in 2020 highlights the narrow dividing line between the two tours. Scheffler won the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019 before moving to the PGA Tour, where he has had five top-10 finishes in 2020.

Kyle Reifers, who previously played on the PGA Tour, agrees that it’s a fine line between the two tours, citing his own experience of having five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2016 before taking a step back. So, what are your comments on the matter? Do you believe the Tour is losing its essence by getting either? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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