GLENVIEW, Ill. (May 4, 2020) – The Korn Ferry Tour announced today additional modifications and details regarding the restart of the 2020 schedule and a fall calendar of events that will be part of a one-time, combined 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season. Included in the fall series of tournaments is the Evans Scholars Invitational, which will be held September 9-13.
The 2020 Evans Scholars Invitational, which was originally scheduled for May 20-24, was postponed on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event – now one of five tournaments that will make up the Korn Ferry Tour’s new fall schedule – will be held in the Chicago area at a site yet to be determined.
“We are excited to announce this new date for the Evans Scholars Invitational as we look to bring Korn Ferry Tour golf back to Chicago in 2020,” said Vince Pellegrino, senior vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association. “We appreciate the ongoing support of our partners and volunteers as we work towards tournament week, knowing we will only contest this event if deemed safe to do so under the guidance of leading public health authorities.”
The announcement of a fall schedule comes after the PGA TOUR announced last week that, due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation or postponement of 13 events from the 2019-20 TOUR Season, eligibility has been extended for exempt 2019-20 PGA TOUR members for the 2020-21 season. These adjustments will result in the Korn Ferry Tour not having a graduating class in 2020; however, the TOUR has established a performance benefit for the top 10 from the Korn Ferry Tour points list following the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. Those players will be granted access into all PGA TOUR additional events for the 2020-21 season.
The newly created 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour schedule that will bridge two seasons will conclude with 25 PGA TOUR cards awarded at the 2021 WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by KraftHeinz, with an additional 25 cards awarded at the conclusion of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
With six events completed through the El Bosque Mexico Championship by INNOVA, the remaining 2020 schedule – subject to change – now consists of 23 events. Korn Ferry Tour events to be contested in 2021 as part of the combined 2020-21 schedule will be announced later this year.
The restart to the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season will begin as previously announced with the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The event will now be one of four new events in the first six weeks back to play that have been created by the Tour to make up for the cancelation or postponement of events affected by COVID-19.
First held in 2019, the Evans Scholars Invitational provides the WGA with an added fundraising opportunity for the Evans Scholars Foundation, which offers full tuition and housing scholarships to deserving caddies across the nation. This past year, 1,010 Evans Scholars were enrolled at 18 universities. Since its founding in 1930, more than 11,050 caddies have graduated as Evans Scholars.
“We conduct the Evans Scholars Invitational to raise funds and greater awareness for the Evans Scholars Foundation’s scholarship programs for caddies, and we’re fortunate that the TOUR has agreed to move forward with playing the event,” Pellegrino said.
Scottie Scheffler rallied from a six-shot deficit to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the inaugural Evans Scholars Invitational at The Glen Club in 2019. The Korn Ferry Tour rookie defeated Marcelo Rozo in a playoff.
The win propelled Scheffler to a spot on the PGA TOUR, where he’s finding success in his rookie season. Scheffler – the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie and Player of the Year – has four top-10 finishes this year on the TOUR. He is 19th in the FedExCup Playoff standings, just ahead of Adam Scott and Jon Rahm.
For more information about the Evans Scholars Invitational, please visit EvansScholarsInvitational.com
To view the revised Korn Ferry Tour schedule, please visit PGATOUR.com.
