In a year without a direct route to the PGA Tour, Will Gordon may have found a side door.
Just over a year ago, Gordon was playing for Vanderbilt, where he was once the SEC Player of the Year. But on Sunday he fought the best of the game, taking advantage of a sponsor’s exemption from the Traveler Championship. Gordon made his way into the mix with a 62 of the second round, and ended with a 64 that gave him a share of third place together with Mackenzie Hughes.
In addition to a six-figure payday, Gordon’s milestone earned him a special temporary subscription to the PGA Tour. This season he has had some success in other spots, including a T-10 placement at the RSM Classic and a T placement. -21 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
“I knew something in the top five would perhaps have had a chance,” said Gordon. “I knew that higher was better, so I was looking at the rankings. I knew that if I got up there, T-1, T-2 by the end of 18 holes, I could have finished in the top three.”
STM status now means that the 23-year-old can accept unlimited sponsor invitations for the rest of the season as he tries to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2020-21 season. With the Korn Ferry Tour in an enveloping season until 2021 and the Korn Ferry Finals and the Q-School both canceled, Gordon’s path to the main stage for the next year is limited: he must earn as many non-member FedExCup points as he achieves . on the points list this season.
He’s a bit of a moving target, but Gordon now has 296 nonmember points to his credit. This would currently classify him in 79th place on the Tour, placed between Kevin Kisner and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
