These 5 players just received their 2026 PGA Tour cards

With apologies to Bobby Jones, there’s ball-and-giggle golf and there’s career golf, but they’re not the same at all.

Sunday showed the difference between them.

For the light-hearted former, fans were lucky enough to attend the Grant Thornton Invitational in Naples, Florida, a joint event between the PGA and LPGA Tours that featured 16 two-person teams competing in a mixed-format competition filled with the tension of a birthday party on a putt-putt course. In the third and final round of the feel-good tournament at Tiburon Golf Club, Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak shot a 9-under 63 in a modified four-ball tournament (each hits the ball, then hits the other’s ball and records a better score on each hole), moving them to 28 under in the championship and beating three teams by three strokes, including the LPGA The tour’s most famous trio (Nellie Korda, Charlie Hull and Jennifer Kupcho).

That’s fluffy, wallet-filling stuff.

If you’re looking for nail-biting action without a wallet, you’ll have to look elsewhere in the Sunshine State—to Ponte Vedra Beach, to be exact—where the annual “Q School Finals” dogfights take place. In Q-school, math is always unforgiving. This year, however, things are more brutal than ever, as only the top five players advance due to offseason format changes. Previously, the top five and tied players received their cards.

The stage at TPC Sawgrass Valley was filled with heartache and heroics, and as is customary, both games came to fruition in Sunday’s final round. One particularly poignant moment involved popular Tour veteran Camilo Villegas, who missed a short birdie putt on No. 18 that he knew he might need. Sure enough, the miss left him at 10 under par, and he missed the cut by just one stroke in the playoff. (Villegas is staying, though, for our upcoming celebration soon.)

For Spencer Levin, 41, who has been grinding the professional game for two decades and varying degrees of status, the pain came slowly throughout the day. After shooting 63 on Saturday, Levine is expected to regain the PGA Tour qualification he lost in 2017. But Sunday’s game was frustrating, with one stroke dropping him to a tie for 13th.

There’s also the case of Ben Kohles, who became popular for all the wrong reasons and is tied for the lead. His unfortunate turn came on the par-4 eighth hole, where Kollers blocked his tee shot into the woods and then received a penalty for fussing over debris around the hole that caused the ball to move: a double bogey. Kollers backed that up with a water ball and another double bogey on the next hole, which drowned his hopes of a better outcome.

But, you know what they say: every shot in golf is a joy. By the end of the day, five players were particularly happy. Here’s who made it through and how they did it.

AJ Ewart

Ewart, a 26-year-old Canadian whose father was a professional teacher, grew up in cold climates but later played in warmer weather at Barry University in Florida. He won seven times in college and turned pro in 2023. Ewart lost in a playoff at the Victoria Open last year, had four top-10s on the PGA Americas Tour and narrowly missed out on his Korn Ferry Tour card. But by winning the Q-School with a 14-under total, he now has something better.

Adam Swenson

Same country of origin as Yurt. It’s also the same university alma mater. But Svensson, 31, is older and more experienced, having competed on several tours and winning the 2022 RSM Classic. After finishing 167th in the FedExCup standings in 2025, Svensson needed a week to regain full form in 2026. He finished tied for second.

Alejandro Tosti

True to his name, Tosti can become passionate. The fiery Argentinian has often clashed with teammates and match officials throughout his young career. At the 2023 Albertsons Boise Open, he was reportedly suspended for swearing at his partner, Kyle Westmoreland. But more often than not, Tosti’s performance speaks for itself – and his ability to persevere under pressure. This is the second year in a row that he has received full Tour status through Q-School.

Marcelo Rozzo

When he dropped the par putt on the 18th hole to secure his T2, Rozzo pointed to the sky and burst into tears. It was the most exciting end to the day, and no wonder. After suffering a serious wrist injury in 2022, Rozzo thought he might never play competitive golf again. He sat out all of 2023 and obtained a real estate license as a backup occupation. Rozo, a 36-year-old Colombian, has been a long time coming for his moment of victory on Sunday.

One of the most touching scenes of the day followed soon after, as Rozo celebrated with his fellow Villegas and Villegas’ family. Villegas stayed to share Rozo’s moment after his own bid came very close.

Dylan Wu

Wu, the only American carded this week, birdied the first hole in a two-player playoff against Ben Silverman. Wu, 29, has been switching between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour since turning pro in 2019, gaining experience that came in handy on Sunday. After two bogeys on the back nine threatened his chances, Wu responded with an eagle on the 16th hole and made two nice pars on the final two holes before sudden death.