Rayhan Thomas (Right) and his former college coach in Ponte Vedra
Dubai-national Rayhan Thomas who has represented India in past international amateur teams, earned a highly coveted spot on the PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour for the 2025 season after delivering a composed performance at the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament (Q-School), held from December 12-15 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Thomas, 25, finished tied-26th, securing a guaranteed minimum of 12 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour next year. Thomas’ caddy for the tournament was Stratton Nolen – former assistant coach of the men’s golf team at the prestigious Oklahoma State University (OSU), where Rayhan played on the men’s golf team from 2019-2024
Thomas turned Pro midway through 2024 and earned top-10 finishes on a couple of big Asian Tour events, plus a win in his first and only start on the PGTI Tour, in Coimbatore.
Competing across two renowned courses—Sawgrass Country Club and TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley—Thomas posted rounds of 70-72-71-68, finishing one-over-par for the tournament.
Thomas reflected on his performance after his round with calm confidence, “Today was my best round of the week—I played really solid,” he said. “It was a steady round, and I felt in my comfort zone. I had fun all week and kept my focus.”
“I’m so excited for this opportunity. I will now head home to Dubai, spend time with my family and friends over Christmas, and return to the US in January to start the season,” he added.
Thomas, a former Dubai Creek Golf Club member, trains under Justin Parsons and the CH3 Performance Centre team at The Els Club, Dubai. Thomas had also come exceptionally close to securing full playing rights for the 2025-2026 season of the European (DP World) Tour at the qualifying tournament held last month. He still walked away with eligibility for the Challenge Tour.
USA’s Lanto Griffin claimed the medalist honor of this year’s PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, finishing at nine under par with rounds of 67, 72, 69, and a superb 63 to win by three shots. The top five players and ties, with a cut-off at four under par, secured coveted PGA Tour cards. Six players made the cut for direct promotion.
For the Korn Ferry Tour, the next 40 players and ties, including Thomas, earned guaranteed status, while the remainder of the field received conditional membership for the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.
