Sorry for Bobby JonesThere’s hit-and-giggle golf and online career golf, and they’re not the same at all.
Sunday showed the difference between them.
For the former lighthearted, fans had the pleasure of Grant Thornton Invitation in Naples, Fla., a co-production of the PGA and LPGA Tour that features 16 two-player teams in a mixed-format competition filled with all the excitement of a birthday party on a tee shot course. In the third and final round of that sensational affair at Tiburón Golf Club, Lauren Coughlin and Andrew Novak pulled away from the pack with a three-way 9-under 63 in modified four-ball (each hitting their own drives, then playing the other’s ball and recording the best score on each hole), giving them a tournament total of one winner at three and 28. of the LPGA Tour’s biggest names (Nelly Korda, Charley Hull and Jennifer Kupcho).
This was the fluffy, wallet-stuffed thing.
To bite the bullet without a purse on the line, you had to turn elsewhere in the Sunshine State — Ponte Vedra Beach, to be exact — where the annual dog fight known as Q-School Finals was unfolding. At Q-School, math is always unforgiving. However, this year was crueler than ever as, due to an off-season format change, only the top five finishers made it. Previously, the top five finishers and ties won their cards.
The stage was set for heartbreak and heroics on the Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass and, as usual, Sunday’s final round delivered both. One particularly poignant moment involved the well-known tour veteran Camilo Villegaswho hit a short birdie putt at 18 that he knew he was likely to need. Of course, the loss left him at 10, an agonizing single shot out of a playoff. (However, the Villegas stuck around to join a party that we’ll get to shortly.)
For Spencer Levin, a 41-year-old with two decades in the professional game of varying degrees of status, the pain came more slowly throughout the day. After a Saturday 63, Levin was in position to regain the PGA Tour card he lost in 2017. But his Sunday was a disappointing 1-over struggle that dropped him to T13.
Then it was the case of Ben Kohles, who tied for the lead when it went viral for all the wrong reasons. His unlucky turn came on the par-4 8th hole, where Kohles jammed his drive into a tree and was then penalized for moving his ball as he tussled with debris around his lie: double bogey. Kohles backed that up with a water putt on the next hole and another bogey that dashed his hopes for good.
You know what they say, though: every golf swing makes someone happy. And at the end of the day, five players were particularly pleased. Here’s a look at who passed it and how they did it.
AJ Ewart
A 26-year-old Canadian and the son of a teaching professional, Ewart grew up in a cold climate but went on to play in a mild climate at Barry University in Florida. He won seven times in college and turned pro in 2023. Last year, Ewart lost in a playoff at the Victoria Open, had four top 10s on the PGA Tour Americas and narrowly missed out on his Korn Ferry Tour card. But winning Q-School with a 14-under total, he now has something better.
Adam Svensson
Same place of origin as Ewart. Same college alma mater, too. But Svensson, 31, is older and more seasoned, with several Tour campaigns under his belt, along with a win at the 2022 RSM Classic. After finishing 167th in the FedExCup standings in 2025, Svensson needed a big week to regain full status in 2026. He managed it with a T2 finish.
Alejandro Tosti
True to its name, Tosti can take toast. In his young career, the fiery Argentine has been caught at odds with his fellow players and tournament officials. At the 2023 Albertsons Boise Open, he was suspended for what was reported to be a defamatory outburst directed at his playing partner, Kyle Westmoreland. More often than not, though, Tosti’s game has spoken for itself—and held up under pressure. This is the second year in a row that he has earned full Tour status through Q-School.
Marcelo Rozo
When his first shot fell on 18, guaranteeing him a T2, Rozo pointed to the sky and burst into tears. It was the most emotional finish to the day outside and no wonder. After a serious wrist injury in 2022, Rozo thought he might not play competitive golf again. He sat out all of 2023 and earned his real estate license as a backup career. Originally from Colombia, Rozo is 36 years old and his moment of triumph on Sunday was very close.
One of the most touching scenes of the day followed soon after, as Rozo celebrated with family members along with his compatriot Villegas and the Villegas family. Villegas had stalled to share Rozo’s moment after coming agonizingly close to his bid.
Dylan Wu
The only American to hit his card this week, Wu did so in emphatic fashion, with a birdie on the first hole of a two-man playoff against Ben Silverman. Since turning pro in 2019, Wu, 29, has bounced between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, gaining experience that came in handy on Sunday. After two back-nine bogeys threatened his chances, Wu responded with an eagle on 16 and two gutsy pars on the final two holes before coming up big in sudden death.
