Josele Ballester Declines Korn Ferry Tour Membership After NCAA Finish

Tempe, Arizona — Recent Arizona State graduate Josele Ballester has announced he will not participate in the Korn Ferry Tour this summer. Ballester, who concluded his college golf career with a tie for fourth place at the NCAA Championship and a quarterfinal exit alongside the Sun Devils, officially turned down the KFT membership.

GolfChannel.com reports that he received the membership due to his standing as the No. 3 finisher in the PGA Tour University rankings. His decision opens up opportunities for several other players from the PGA Tour U program.

For instance, Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon moved up to fifth place in the rankings, earning him a full KFT card along with an exemption into the final stage of the PGA Tour Q-School scheduled for December. LSU‘s Algot Kleen also benefited, advancing to No. 10 and gaining full KFT membership and second stage Q-School exemption.

Furthermore, Ole Miss‘s Kye Meeks transitioned from an unranked position to No. 25, now holding full PGA Tour Americas status. A number of other newly minted KFT members emerged from this PGA Tour U class, including Auburn’s Brendan Valdes, Florida’s Ian Gilligan, and Vanderbilt’s Jackson Van Paris.

North Carolina‘s David Ford topped the PGA Tour U points list this season, which Ballester had been competing for until Ford won three consecutive events in the spring. Ford will secure his PGA Tour card for the upcoming season and a half. He made his professional debut two weeks ago at the Colonial and is set to join Gordon Sargent and Luke Clanton at this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Auburn’s Jackson Koivun has also accumulated 20 points through the Accelerated program but plans to return for his junior year. Ballester’s decline of membership highlights the competitive landscape of college golf as players transition to professional opportunities.