History of Korn Ferry Tour in Timeline

The Korn Ferry Tour serves as the developmental tour for the PGA Tour, providing a pathway for professional golfers to earn PGA Tour membership. Golfers who haven't reached or haven't maintained their status on the PGA Tour compete on the Korn Ferry Tour, with the top 30 players on the money list at the end of the season earning PGA Tour cards for the following season. Since 2013, it has been the primary route to the PGA Tour, with Q-School now serving as an entry point to the Korn Ferry Tour itself.

1989: PGA Tour commissioner announces satellite tour

In early 1989, PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman announced the creation of a "satellite tour".

1990: Formalization of the Ben Hogan Tour

In 1990, the PGA Tour formalized the satellite tour, naming it the Ben Hogan Tour, with sponsorship from the Ben Hogan Golf Company. The inaugural season featured 30 events, with typical purses of $100,000.

1992: Nike acquires title sponsorship

Late in 1992, Nike acquired the title sponsorship of the Ben Hogan Tour, leading to a name change.

1993: Tour reaches outside US for first time

In 1993, the tour ventured outside the mainland United States for the first time with the Monterrey Open in Mexico.

1993: Nike Tour established

In 1993, the tour was renamed the Nike Tour, following Nike's acquisition of the title sponsorship.

1997: Establishment of the "performance promotion"

Since 1997, any player who wins three tournaments in a single year on the Korn Ferry Tour receives an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour for the remainder of the current year and the entirety of the following year. This is known as a "performance promotion".

1999: End of Nike sponsorship

The Nike Tour ended in 1999 after seven seasons of Nike's title sponsorship.

2000: Buy.com becomes title sponsor

In 2000, Buy.com became the new title sponsor of the tour, which was then titled the Buy.com Tour.

2001: Monterrey Open's final year

2001 was the final year for the Monterrey Open in Mexico as an annual fixture on the tour schedule.

2002: End of Buy.com sponsorship

The Buy.com Tour ended in 2002, concluding Buy.com's three-season run as title sponsor.

2003: Nationwide Insurance becomes title sponsor

In 2003, Nationwide Insurance became the title sponsor, renaming the tour to the Nationwide Tour.

2004: Tournament added in Panama

In 2004, a tournament was added in Panama, expanding the tour's international presence.

2006: Korn Ferry Tour offers OWGR points

From 2006 until August 2022, the Korn Ferry Tour offered Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, with winners earning a minimum of 14 points (provided at least 54 holes were played) and 20 for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

2007: Paul Claxton reaches $1 million in career earnings

In 2007, Paul Claxton became the first golfer to achieve US$1 million in career earnings on the Korn Ferry Tour.

2008: Tour returns to Mexico

In 2008, the tour returned to Mexico, marking its re-establishment in the country.

2010: Tour visits Colombia

In 2010, the tour extended its reach to Colombia, adding another international location to its schedule.

March 20, 2012: PGA Tour announces radical changes

On March 20, 2012, the PGA Tour announced significant changes to the main tour's season and qualifying process, set to take effect in 2013, with associated changes to the then-Nationwide Tour also announced at the same time.

June 2012: Web.com announced as new title sponsor

In late June 2012, Web.com was announced as the new title sponsor in a 10-year sponsorship deal. The tour's name was changed to the Web.com Tour mid-season.

2012: Tour visits Chile

In 2012, the tour expanded to Chile, hosting events there from 2012 to 2015.

2012: Korn Ferry Tour qualification methods in 2012

Until 2012, various avenues existed for golfers to join the Korn Ferry Tour, including top finishers at qualifying school, those ranked 26th to 60th on the previous year's money list, players ranked 126th–150th on the PGA Tour money list, and former PGA Tour members.

2013: PGA Tour season starts in October

Beginning in fall 2013, the PGA Tour season started in October of the previous calendar year. This change had several consequences for the Korn Ferry Tour, either directly or indirectly.

2013: Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament replaced PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament

From 2013, the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament was replaced by the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, which only granted playing rights for the Korn Ferry Tour.

2013: Korn Ferry Tour becomes primary PGA Tour pathway

In 2013, the Korn Ferry Tour became the primary pathway for golfers seeking to earn their PGA Tour card, as Q-School transitioned to an entryway for the Korn Ferry Tour. This marked a significant shift in how golfers qualified for the PGA Tour.

2013: Radical changes take effect

In 2013, the radical changes to the PGA tour took effect.

2013: Tour visits Brazil

In 2013, the tour included Brazil as a host country for events, which continued until 2016.

2013: Increased OWGR points for Korn Ferry Tour Finals

Starting in 2013, the events of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals awarded 16 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points to the winner.

2013: Korn Ferry Tour adopts PGA Tour structure

Starting with the 2013 season, the Korn Ferry Tour adopted a structure similar to that of the PGA Tour, featuring a regular season followed by a season-ending series of four tournaments called the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, held during the main tour's FedEx Cup playoffs.

2015: Last year for Chile

2015 was the final year the tour hosted events in Chile.

2016: Tour visits Dominican Republic and end of Brazil

In 2016, the tour visited the Dominican Republic for the first time, while also marking the final year for events in Brazil.

2017: Tour visits the Bahamas and end of Dominican Republic

In 2017, the tour began hosting events in the Bahamas, while the 2017 season marked the final year the tour visited the Dominican Republic.

June 2019: Korn Ferry replaces Web.com as sponsor

In June 2019, the PGA Tour announced a 10-year deal with Korn Ferry to replace Web.com as the tour's sponsor.

August 2022: Change in OWGR system

In August 2022, the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points system changed, affecting the points awarded on the Korn Ferry Tour, ending the previous minimum point system established in 2006.