Matt McCarty, the current Korn Ferry Tour points leader, is set to make his debut as a PGA TOUR member at the Sanderson Farms Championship after earning the prestigious Three-Victory Promotion. McCarty's breakthrough came in 2024, when he won three Korn Ferry Tour events, securing his automatic promotion to the PGA TOUR for the remainder of the season.
The 26-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, won the Albertsons Boise Open in August 2024, completing a stellar run that also saw victories at the Price Cutter Charity Championship and the Pinnacle Bank Championship. This achievement made McCarty the first player since Mito Pereira in 2021 to earn the Three-Victory Promotion, a rare accomplishment on the Korn Ferry Tour.
McCarty will begin his journey as a PGA TOUR member at the Sanderson Farms Championship, his second career PGA TOUR event and first outside of a major. His previous appearance came at the 2022 U.S. Open, where he missed the cut.
With a standout season in 2024, McCarty is already guaranteed to finish atop the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, earning him a one-year exemption on the PGA TOUR through 2025, along with invitations to THE PLAYERS Championship and the U.S. Open in 2025.
The Sanderson Farms Championship, part of the FedExCup Fall series, offers significant rewards, including 500 FedExCup points, Official World Golf Ranking points, and a two-year PGA TOUR exemption. McCarty will compete for these benefits as he embarks on the next chapter of his professional career.
Before turning professional in 2021, McCarty played five seasons at Santa Clara University, where he earned All-West Coast Conference honors three times. After a strong start on the Korn Ferry Tour, McCarty’s 2024 season marked a major breakthrough, positioning him as a rising star in professional golf.