Josele Ballester has turned down his Korn Ferry Tour membership for this summer.
The Arizona State standout, who recently wrapped up his college career with a T-4 finish at the NCAA Championship and helped the Sun Devils reach the quarterfinals, has officially declined the KFT card he earned as the No. 3 finisher in PGA Tour University rankings, GolfChannel.com reports.
Ballester’s decision creates a ripple effect for several other PGA Tour U graduates. Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon jumps to fifth place, which not only gives him a full KFT card but also an exemption into the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School this December. LSU’s Algot Kleen moves up to No. 10, securing full KFT membership along with his existing exemption into Q-School’s second stage. Ole Miss’ Kye Meeks goes from having nothing to claiming the No. 25 spot, which comes with full PGA Tour Americas status.
The other newly minted KFT members from this PGA Tour U class include Auburn’s Brendan Valdes, Florida’s Ian Gilligan, Vanderbilt’s Jackson Van Paris, Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays, Louisville’s Sebastian Moss, and UCLA teammates Omar Morales and Pablo Ereno.
North Carolina’s David Ford topped the PGA Tour U points list this season—a race Ballester was in until Ford won three straight events in the spring. Ford’s achievement earned him a PGA Tour card for the next season and a half. He made his pro debut two weeks ago at Colonial and will tee it up at this week’s RBC Canadian Open alongside Gordon Sargent and Luke Clanton, who both qualified through PGA Tour U Accelerated. Auburn’s Jackson Koivun has also earned 20 points through the Accelerated program, though he’s chosen to return for his junior year.
