Braden Thornberry’s first Korn Ferry Tour victory got here on the excellent time.
The 27-year-old professional birdied the 72nd gap on the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Golf Resort to shoot a final-round six-under 66 and win the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship earlier this month. Extra importantly, that victory — his 104th profession Korn Ferry begin — helped him safe his PGA Tour card for the primary time in his profession.
Thornberry entered that week 51st on the Korn Ferry Tour Factors Record, and along with his win he turned the one professional from outdoors the highest 30 to maneuver inside it (the highest 30 have been awarded PGA Tour playing cards for 2025), knocking out Sam Bennett.
The previous top-ranked novice on this planet, 2017 NCAA champion and Fred Haskins Award winner will now lastly have the ability to check his recreation on the high stage. And he’ll achieve this with a barely completely different method than a few of his friends.
Thornberry performs quick — like, actually quick — and is extra of a throwback, feel-first participant, one who tries to not get too slowed down in analytics or swing ideas. He joined this week’s GOLF Subpar podcast to debate his mentality.
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“Plenty of occasions persons are gradual and I don’t even understand it till just like the again 9 or one thing,” Thornberry stated. “However the stuff that actually will get me is just like the AimPoint on the 2-footers and stuff — that all the time burns me up a bit bit. I’m simply very a lot a really feel participant, a reactive participant. Everyone is completely different however I really feel like that’s type of what golf is, and sadly I believe during the last 10 years it’s turned a bit away from that into like a robotic recreation, math recreation, which works for some folks, however I believe some folks may even be higher on the PGA Tour in the event that they have been extra feel-based as an alternative of being extra computer-minded.”
Thornberry works with teacher Scott Hamilton, however even their relationship isn’t as hands-on as another gamers and lecturers on Tour. Thornberry says he doesn’t favor to work with lecturers on match weeks however would fairly give attention to a path or key space a couple of month prematurely, then use the time up till his subsequent begin to put all the things in place.
“[Teachers are] on the tournaments and everyone is so technical; it simply turns the sport into probably not a recreation anymore, nearly like you are attempting to do all the things so excellent and it’s by no means very enjoyable,” Thornberry stated. “I’ve observed I play my greatest golf after I’m feeling good and having enjoyable, and even enjoying quick. I really feel like after I’m enjoying nicely I learn putts much less and fewer and might get rolling a bit bit. … I’ve seen guys with like wind charts on how far it’s going to go and stuff. And it’s not like I don’t imagine in it — I do assume it really works for sure folks — but it surely’s simply not my model.”
