Top Korean tour player learns from crashing out at PGA Tour qualifying event

After enjoying a banner year on the domestic tour, Korean golfer Ok Tae-hoon crashed out at the PGA Tour's qualifying tournament in Florida last week. Though he didn't come close to earning his PGA Tour card, the 27-year-old said Monday not all was lost for him. "I didn't have a good result, but it was still a meaningful experience," Ok said in a statement released by the Korea PGA (KPGA) Tour. "It was a brand new experience, and I learned a lot from it. I was able to see how my skills stacked up at an international competition." Ok earned a direct entry into the final stage of the annual PGA Tour Q-School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, by virtue of winning the KPGA Tour's Player of the Year honor for 2025. Ok, who recorded three wins at home, also led the tour in money, scoring average and top-10 finishes. But he only managed to shoot a one-over par 281 at the Q-School and tie for 92nd place. Only the top five players grabbed PGA Tour cards for 2026. "I traveled to the tournament site early to prepare," he said. "But it took quite a while to adapt to the course and the grass there. But I