PGA Tour rookie Will Chandler may still be seeking his first victory, but he’s already making a name for himself when it comes to being clutch.
Not only did Chandler Monday-qualify for Korn Ferry Tour events a whopping four times in 2024, he also earned his way onto the PGA Tour by firing a final-round 66 to finish in the top 5 at Q-School last year. And earlier this month, Chandler continued to display his Monday-qualifier prowess at the WM Phoenix Open, where he made it into the field with a round of seven-under 67 that included two eagles.
Chandler then made the most of his opportunity in Scottsdale by finishing T6, firing 66 in the final round, which he played alongside World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
On this week’s episode of Subpar, Chandler explained to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz how he went from a middle-of-the-pack collegiate player at Georgia to PGA Tour cardholder.
“I love the game so much,” Chandler said. “I wanted to give it a shot. I don’t like saying that, but I wanted to turn professional and give it 110 percent.
How this pro earned a notable badge of honor at the WM Phoenix Open
“And I feel like I’ve done as good a job as I can the last few years doing that, and really dedicated myself,” he continued. “I worked with a couple of new guys that helped me and it’s clicked.”
Chandler said that he also decided to treat every level of tournament play like it was the PGA Tour.
“I prepare as well as I can and get there, do my practice round and it’s not glamorous, but I love golf so much that I enjoy all that,” he said.
Was there anything in particular that pushed Chandler to the game’s top level? Not really, he said. It was more about learning to practice well and gaining incremental confidence.
“There’s no one thing that clicks in golf, and you can just take off,” Chandler said. “Maybe there is, but not for me. Practicing a little better, a little more efficient, get my fundamentals better.
“Getting into my first Korn Ferry event, then that gives you like a little little bit of confidence and then you get in another one and you start doing okay in those and you’re like, OK, yeah, I, I can do this. You know, I gotta work on X, Y, and Z, but you keep inching along, inching along, plugging away and eventually, at the end of the year, I’m like, oh dang, I got a tour card, like, this is awesome. Let’s keep doing this and see where I am at the end of this year.”
For more from Chandler, including what it was like to be paired with Scheffler at TPC Scottsdale, check out the full episode below.
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