In two of the most compelling golf tournaments of the year in which storylines fluctuate based on almost every shot, the Korn Ferry Tour and Epson Tour will crown 30 and 15 graduates respectively.

A total of 17 players have already earned enough points to guarantee their elevation from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR, Vilips the next in line at No.18 for the 13 remaining cards to be handed out.

A winner in his fourth start on Tour having graduated from Stanford College in June, it would mark a meteoric rise for a young man who has been on a trajectory to the PGA TOUR from a very early age.

‘Koala Karl’ had won two US Kids World Championship titles before the age of 10 and now, at age 22, is almost assured of joining the PGA TOUR next season.

Top 30 into the final event of the season @tourchampulf 👀

Who will finish #TOURBound? pic.twitter.com/2ia2sqKBT7

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) September 30, 2024

Porter, too, has been predicted to play at the highest level from a young age.

Runner-up at the Masters of the Amateurs in a playoff in 2020, Porter turned professional in 2001 at the age of 18.

She edged good friend Kelsey Bennett to win the WPGA Melbourne International in January 2023 and in her second year on the Epson Tour in the US, won the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in June.

That, along with three top-10 finishes throughout the season, has her placed 11th in the Race For The Card standings, the top 15 after this week’s Tour Championship to earn status on the LPGA Tour in 2025.

This week also represents a wonderful opportunity for a host of Aussies teeing it up in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Along with Kiwi Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori, Daniel Gale, Brett Coletta, Matthew Griffin, David Micheluzzi, Jak Carter, Cameron John, Kade McBride, Lachlan Barker and Jordan Zunic are all playing one of the DP World Tour’s most iconic events by virtue of their performances on the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.

There are 13 Aussies – including 2013 champion Scott Hend – playing the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour and Kirsten Rudgeley and Kelsey Bennett will be out to continue their recent good form at the Aramco Team Series event in China.

Round 1 tee times AEST

PGA TOUR
Sanderson Farms Championship
The Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi
11:11pm          Tim Wilkinson (NZ)
2:50am            Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:07am*           Aaron Baddeley

Defending champion: Luke List
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US7.6m
TV times: Live 10pm-9am Thursday; Live 10pm-9:30am Friday; Live 7am-10am Sunday; Live 6:30am-9:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Old Course St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
St Andrews
6:44pm            Daniel Hillier (NZ), Matthew Griffin
7:06pm            Sam Jones (NZ)
8:01pm            Daniel Gale

Carnoustie
6:11pm            Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
6:55pm            Lachlan Barker
7:50pm            Jak Carter
7:50pm*          Matt Jones

Kingsbarns
6:55pm            Kade McBridge
7:06pm            Jordan Zunic
7:39pm*          David Micheluzzi
7:50pm*          Cameron John
8:01pm            Brett Coletta

Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US5m
TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 505; 9pm-3am Saturday; Live 9:30pm-3am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Asian Tour
Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei
9am*               Maverick Antcliff
9:10am*           Sam Brazel
9:20am*           Jed Morgan
9:45am            Aaron Wilkin
1:25pm*          Harrison Crowe
1:30pm            Andrew Dodt
1:35pm*          Todd Sinnott
1:45pm*          Kevin Yuan
2:05pm*          Zach Murray
2:15pm*          Jack Thompson
2:20pm            Brendan Jones
2:30pm            Scott Hend
2:40pm            Deyen Lawson
2:50pm            Justin Warren

Defending champion: Jaco Ahlers
Past Aussie winners: Scott Hend (2013)
Prize money: $US1m

Japan Golf Tour
ACN Championship Golf Tournament
Miki Golf Club, Hyogo
9:50am*           Michael Hendry (NZ)
10:20am          Brad Kennedy
10:40am          Anthony Quayle

Defending champion: Yuki Inamori
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1974, 1982), Brian Jones (1985, 1987, 1988)
Prize money: ¥100,000,000

Ladies European Tour
Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Shenzhen
Mission Hills Resort (World Cup Cse), China
Australasians in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Kelsey Bennett

Defending champion: Xiyu Lin
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1m
TV times: Live 3pm-7pm Friday on Fox Sports 505; Live 4pm-7pm Saturday; Live 5pm-8pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Korn Ferry Tour
Korn Ferry Tour Championship
French Lick Golf Resort (Pete Dye Cse), French Lick, Indiana
10:52pm          Karl Vilips

Defending champion: Paul Barjon
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1.5m
TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday; Live 3am-7am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 505; Live 3:30am-6:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503.

Epson Tour
Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells
Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players Cse), Indian Wells, California
12:37am          Cassie Porter
1:10am*           Amelia Garvey (NZ)
5:18am*           Fiona Xu (NZ)

Defending champion: Auston Kim
Past Aussie winners: Kristie Smith (2010)
Prize money: $US287,500

Challenge Tour
D+D REAL Czech Challenge
Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic
8:45pm            Hayden Hopewell
9:05pm*          Connor McKinney

Defending champion: Andrea Pavan
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €270,000

LET Access Series
Iberdrola Calatayud Ladies Open
Gambito Golf Calatayud, Spain
Australasians in the field: Laura Hoskin (NZ)

Defending champion: Hannah Screen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000

PGA TOUR Champions
Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS
Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker, Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Defending champion: Brett Quigley
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.1m
TV times: Live 4am-6am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 5am-7am Sunday, 9:30am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Sunshine Tour
SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya
Umhlali Country Club, Ballito, South Africa
4:10pm            Astin Arthur (a, NZ)
8:20pm*          Austin Bautista

Defending champion: Martin Rohwer
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2m