Johnny Keefer’s chances of qualifying for his first Masters just got a significant boost.
Keefer, this year’s Korn Ferry Tour points winner, cracked the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time last week. But after sliding three spots this week, it became clear he’d need at least one more world-ranked start to secure that coveted top-50 exemption into Augusta National at year’s end. That’s where next week’s World Wide Technology Championship comes in—Keefer has landed a sponsor exemption to compete in Mexico.
While the Masters eliminated exemptions for PGA Tour fall winners, a win for Keefer in Mexico would move him safely inside the world’s top 50.
He’s got other options too. Keefer could earn sponsor exemptions into the last two PGA Tour events this fall—the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and RSM Classic. If invites don’t materialize, he could try Monday qualifying for both. There’s also the possibility of finding international events to boost his ranking. Or he could take his chances next year by either winning on the PGA Tour or getting inside the second top-50 cutoff the week before the Masters.
“What I’ve accomplished so far has been really awesome, just to be in this position to even think about the Masters next year before even playing a PGA Tour event as a full-time member,” Keefer said recently on Golf Channel’s College Golf Talk podcast. “I’m not a huge fan of trying to think too much about the numbers. If I get into an event or two this fall, I’ll be super excited and ready to go out there and ready to compete, but I think it’s the same as thinking about the cut line instead of thinking about winning. … I’m not trying to just make it to the Masters; even if I don’t make it this year, I’ll have plenty of opportunities next year.”
The WWT Championship will be played at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico—a Tiger Woods-designed course.
The field includes two recent major winners, J.J. Spaun and Wyndham Clark. Michael Brennan, who won last week at the Bank of Utah Championship, is also playing. Brennan was headed to the KFT next year before making the most of his sponsor invite and securing PGA Tour status with his victory.
The other three unrestricted sponsor exemptions went to Will Gordon, Peter Knade, and current Florida State junior Tyler Weaver, who won last spring’s Cabo Collegiate.
David Lipsky, currently No. 100 in FedExCup points, is in the field, while No. 101 Billy Horschel isn’t playing. Horschel isn’t in danger of losing his fully-exempt status, though. That’s not the case for No. 102 Sami Valimaki, No. 103 Isaiah Salinda and No. 104 Patrick Fishburn—all of whom are teeing it up in Cabo.
Here’s the full field list:
