'Bear' Seungtaek Lee Secures PGA Tour Card for Next Season

Ranked 13th in Korn Ferry Tour Points, Earns PGA Tour Card
"My heart is racing beyond words"
"I will show my best on the PGA Tour"

'Bear' Seungtaek Lee has earned his PGA Tour card.

On October 12 (local time), at the French Lick Resort Pete Dye Course (par 72, 7,791 yards) in French Lick, Indiana, USA, Lee played the final round of the PGA Korn Ferry (second division) Tour Finals Tour Championship, recording eight birdies and two bogeys for a 6-under-par 66. With a total score of 2-under-par 286, he finished tied for 24th place. Seungtaek Lee ranked 13th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings, securing one of the PGA Tour cards awarded to the top 20 players.

Seungtaek Lee ranked 13th in the Korn Ferry Tour points, securing his PGA Tour card for next year. Photo by PGA Tour

After confirming his advancement to the PGA Tour, Lee said, "I am truly delighted to have achieved my long-held dream of joining the PGA Tour. My heart is racing beyond words. Since childhood, I have overcome many hardships with the goal of playing on the PGA Tour." He added, "I believe this is just the beginning. I will do my best to prepare so I can perform well in the next PGA Tour season."

Lee's entry into the PGA Tour marks the first time a player has advanced through the Genesis Points privilege system of the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour. Last year, he finished fifth in the KPGA Tour Genesis Points standings, which allowed him to skip directly to the second stage of the PGA Tour Q-School. There, he finished tied for 14th, earning a spot in the final stage of Q-School, which is granted to the top 15 players. In the final stage, he again finished tied for 14th, securing eligibility to compete in the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, which is awarded to the top 40 players. This season, Lee achieved six top-10 finishes, including one runner-up, on the Korn Ferry Tour, ultimately earning his place on the PGA Tour.

Born in 1995, Seungtaek Lee was a member of the national reserve team in 2010 and the national team in 2012 as an amateur. He debuted on the regular tour in 2015 through the KPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. At the end of 2017, he also topped the Asian Tour Q-School, allowing him to compete on both tours from 2018. He served in the military starting in 2020 and was discharged in June 2022. He returned to the KPGA Tour in 2023 and claimed his first career victory at the Lexus Masters in 2024.