Adrien Dumont de Chassart becomes latest Korn Ferry Tour player to break 60
Adrien Dumont de Chassart called it a 'good day to shoot 59.'
As if there's ever a bad day.
The 25-year-old Belgian fired the 14th sub-60 score in Korn Ferry Tour history, an 11-under 59 in Thursday's opening round of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open. Dumont de Chassart took advantage of preferred lies and ideal conditions (temperatures in the low 80s, single-digit wind) at Crestview Country Club, which was damaged earlier this week after severe weather ripped through the Wichita area.
Dumont de Chassart carded 12 birdies and one bogey as he took the lead by four shots following the morning wave. He hit three greens in under regulation, including on both par-5s. When he birdied the second hole to reach 7 under for his round, he began thinking about breaking 60.
Having never broken 61 before in his career, Dumont de Chassart missed a short birdie putt on the par-4 seventh before sticking a 6-iron close at the par-3 eighth for his last birdie of the round.
'I'm glad I had my chance, and I took it,' said Dumont de Chassart, who didn't make a putt longer than 25 feet and missed only three fairways.
'If I can hit the ball in play, I feel like I can compete at any level,' he added.
Dumont de Chassart's 59 was the sixth sub-60 score on the KFT in the last three seasons. Cristobal del Solar owns the KFT record for lowest round, shooting 13-under 57 at last year's Astara Golf Championship. Frankie Capan III and Stephan Jaeger have each carded 58s on the KFT.
A University of Illinois product, Dumont de Chassart graduated from the KFT after just one summer two years ago. But he made just 12 of 27 cuts and ended up 164th in FedExCup points to lose his PGA Tour card. He's currently 33rd in KFT points entering this week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Rocket Classic purse: How much can PGA Tour golfers make?
A crowded leaderboard and plenty of golfers already going low should make for an exciting final round of the PGA Tour's Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. Entering play on Sunday, 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter was the leader by two strokes over Max Greyserman and four others, with 19 other golfers within four strokes of second place. Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa is lurking four shots back in a tie for 10th. Potgeiter carded a 7-under 65 on Saturday to move to the front of the pack and reclaim the lead he held after shooting an opening-round 62. He is looking for his first PGA Tour victory, though he did prevail in a Korn Ferry Tour event last year. How to watch Rocket Classic Round 4 Follow final-round action Sunday, June 29, from Detroit Golf Club on Golf Channel, CBS and various streaming platforms. Rocket Classic purse, payouts The total purse for the PGA Tour's Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club is $9.6 million, with $1.728 million going to the winner. The total payouts are as follows:
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
5 things to know about Aldrich Potgieter, the 54-hole leader at the 2025 Rocket Classic
Aldrich Potgieter slept on the 54-hole lead at the 2025 Rocket Classic in Detroit after a third round in which he made five consecutive birdies (Nos. 4-8) and tied his longest consecutive birdie streak on the PGA Tour. It also marks his first time recording two rounds of 7-under or better in the same event on Tour (62/R1, 65/R3). Potgieter made his Tour debut at Detroit Golf Club two years when he just 18 years old. 'That was kind of a big step for me to come out here by myself with my caddie and kind of play some of these events. So it was a good learning curve. And I didn't make the cut, so there was definitely a chip on my shoulder that I needed to get that done this week.' Here are 5 more things to know (not counting this one. His name is pronounced: ALL-drick POT-gee-tur). Young and the Restless Potgieter is a native of South Africa and was born in Mossel Bay, where 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen grew up. Potgieter attended the Louis Oosthuizen Junior Golf Academy before his family moved to Australia at a young age. At age 17, Potgieter won the 2022 British Amateur Championship, becoming the second youngest winner in the history of the championship. He turned professional in 2023 and became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history by winning The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in 2024, at age 19. At 20 years, 9 months, 16 days on Sunday, he would become the seventh-youngest PGA Tour winner since the start of 1983, and would become the youngest Tour winner from South Africa since 1983, surpassing Garrick Higgo, who was 22 years, 1 month, 1 day old when he won the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree. Bombs away Potgieter isn't just long off the tee – he's the longest player on Tour. The 5-foot-10-inch, 210-pound South African leads all players in driving distance this season at 326.6, or a full six yards longer than No. 2 in the standings Rory McIlroy, and is 26 yards longer than the Tour average. Potgieter also led the Korn Ferry Tour in Driving Distance in 2024 'I think it just kind of came naturally. I haven't done too much to get the distance that I got, it's just kind of been given to me. So happy with it, and just trying to control it, that's kind of the big thing we're trying to work on,' he said this week. 'Kind of did everything as a kid, didn't just focus on golf, so that kind of helped me build that strong foundation at the start, and I think that happened at the right time during my growth spurt that it helped me a lot.' Thanks to his with at the British Amateur, Potgieter earned an invitation to the 2023 Masters, where he was paired in the first two rounds with past champion Charl Schwartzel, who said of Potgieter's prodigious length: "It's incredible how far the guy hits the ball. It's scary." An ace that was wild Schwartzel wasn't joking about Potgieter's length. But for further proof, it's worth re-telling the story of the 2023 John Deere Classic Monday qualifier at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. Potgieter not only drove the green at the 403-yard, par-4 17th hole, but his drive found the bottom of the cup for a rare ace on a par 4. He didn't see the ball go into the hole and had no idea it was in until his caddie in the fairway ahead of him lost his mind. Close but no cigar Potgieter has been in position to win after 54 holes before on the PGA Tour this season. He stood solo third at 7 under through three rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open, two shots back of 54-hole leader Harris English. But the weather turned ugly and he didn't handle it well, tumbling to a 78 and T-15 finish. He fared better when he held the 54-hole lead at the Mexico Open in February. His short game was a bit spotty but he managed to post a final-round 71 to force a playoff with Brian Campbell. On the second playoff hole, Campbell hit a tee shot that was veering out of bounds, but his ball hit a tree and bounced back into play. Campbell then birdied the hole to defeat Potgieter and claim the title. Potgieter missed seven of his next eight cuts after his runner-up finish, but finished T-6 in his most recent start at the Charles Schwab Challenge. For the season, the rookie entered the week having made just four cuts in 13 starts. He entered the week 73rd in the season-long FedEx Cup race and 123rd in the Official World Golf Ranking. Mentored by a champion Potgieter began to put American golf fans on notice of his abilities by winning the 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and competing on the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup team in Charlotte. In the latter, past Players Championship winner and two-time Tour champion Tim Clark served as captain of the International Team. Clark, a fellow South African, had spoken on the phone to the talented junior golfer but that week marked their first time meeting. Potgieter made a point to sit next to Clark every day on the team bus and soaked up as much knowledge from Clark as possible. Clark later welcomed Potgieter to his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in early 2024, shortly after he failed to earn his Tour card at Final Stage of Q-School. 'I do believe this was a good thing for him in a way, and it gives him a big appreciation for what a lot of people go through to become a professional golfer,' Clark told PGA in 2024. Clark, who will be eligible for PGA Tour Champions next season after turning 50 in December, has continued to be a mentor figure for Potgieter. Perhaps a phone call ahead of Sunday's final round in the Motor City may be just the thing to make sure all of Potgieter's pistons are firing as he pursues his maiden Tour title.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter leads 2025 Rocket Classic after three rounds
The Rocket Classic will have a new champion this year. Two-time winner Cam Davis failed to make the weekend, and the play on Saturday, June 28, left a new name atop the leader board. In fact, there were a lot of new names up there after the third round at Detroit Golf Club. But the top golfer is a familiar name, at least this week, as 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter was one of three golfers to card a 7-under 65 in the third round to take a two-stroke lead. Potgieter, who held the DGC course record for a little under 24-hours after his first-round 62, is in position to grab his first PGA Tour victory. Then again, the field is tight at the top — 19 other golfers are within four strokes of second place — which could make for a wild Sunday finish. EAGLES SOARING: Round 3: Davis Thompson pulls off amazing feat in just 8 holes Aldrich Potgieter goes low again Potgieter may have been the surprise of the tournament with his late surge on Thursday, but he's proving himself a leader now. The South African surged on the front nine Saturday, delivering six birdies in the first eight holes. Potgieter's surge hasn't been just beginner's luck, either. Despite a down second round in which he only shot a 2-under 70, he rebounded Saturday with a series of excellent hits. His third shot on No. 1, from the greenside bunker, dropped in from 35 feet out, and he only improved from there. Potgieter hit five straight birdies on Nos. 4-8, then added his seventh birdie of the round on No. 13. While Potgieter's driving has always been his strong suit, his putting was strong Saturday, with 2.569 strokes gained putting. 'I was rolling a lot of good putts out there,' Potgieter said. 'A lot of them dropped, putts that I didn't think were going to drop. … That front nine really helped me to get through. A lot of par saves on this back nine. I felt like I had to stay in it, dig deep to get through that. Didn't birdie the par-5s, which is unfortunate, but should be a good day tomorrow.' Potgieter's only previous professional win came on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024. A final round like Saturday's might change that. LOOKING AHEAD: Rocket Classic's future unclear past 2026, but 'signature' status on PGA Tour isn't a goal The field is close behind Potgieter has plenty of competition nipping at his heels, with five players tied for second at 17-under, three tied for seventh at 16-under and three tied for 10th at 15-under. 'It's quite different as an ammie playing in a big event,' Potgieter said. 'The leaderboard's so stacked. When you're looking at amateur golf, a lot of guys are up there but there might be two or three guys within two or three shots. Here there's six or seven. The guys are just really good out here. So it's going to play different tomorrow with that wind so we'll have to go and do the best we can and hit the golf shot in front of us.' Jake Knapp, who took over Potgieter's course record on Friday with an 11-under 61, grabbed a spot in the second-place logjam with a 6-under 66 Saturday, dropping in seven birdies (and a bogey on 11) to stay close. Knapp on No. 15 came inches away from sinking a 42-foot putt for a deuce. He settled for par on the tap-in. There were a few other near-misses; the most notable came on the par-4 No. 12, where his second shot, a wedge from 126 yards, rolled to about 4 inches from the stick. He tapped in for the birdie. Turning a few of those birdies into eagles on a mostly friendly course could shoot Knapp into the lead. Meanwhile, Max Greyserman returned to his hot ways on Saturday. He opened with a a 9-under 63 Thursday before shooting just par on Friday. During his third round, Greyserman was on point, hitting six birdies and an eagle — on No. 7 after burying an 11-foot putt — for a 66 to get to 17-under. Greyserman turned pro in 2017 but has yet to win on Tour. He has, however, come in second five times. He's hoping to avoid that outcome on Sunday. 'I don't think I need to do too much differently,' Greyserman said. 'Obviously I had three seconds last year. I haven't played well this year, but doing a lot of things well, just kind of haven't been at the top of the board. You can finish second different ways, right? You could be ahead, lose the lead. You could finish second in a distant and have no chance. I've done all those seconds and I had that experience. I have that experience going into tomorrow, so rely on that, knowing that I'm playing well, got a good team around me, so I'm excited for tomorrow.' CARLOS MONARREZ: Enjoy Rocket Classic drama but make sure you appreciate Collin Morikawa's authenticity Collin Morikawa heating up Morikawa, who started the Rocket with some media-relations drama and a first-round 69, followed his Round 2 64 with a 4-under 68, putting him at 15-under, well within striking range. Still, the World No. 5 (entering the tournament) squandered several opportunities to take the lead and heads into the final round tied for tenth. Putting on the back nine was a particular issue for Morikawa. One particularly notable moment came on No. 12. A solid drive and wedge shot put Morikawa on the green with the opportunity to take the lead at 16-under. It was a downhill shot about 14 feet from the hole, but makeable. Instead, Morikawa missed it wide left by a good margin, leaving himself a 2-foot putt for par and prompting one commentator to call it the 'worst putt he's hit today.' Just after Morikawa's miss, Potgieter took the lead at 16-under; Morikawa had a chance to keep pace with him on 13, following a wedge shot that put him about 5½ feet from the hole. But his putt again slid wide left and he settled for a par. On 14, his missed a birdie putt from 15 feet out. He then bogeyed No. 15 despite getting on the green in one shot, 35 feet out; he triple-putted, leaving the first shot about 4 feet off and then missing wide to set up a 3-footer for the bogey. His putting improved after that, but the damage was done, as Morikawa ended the day four shots back.
