DORAL, Fla. – With a tournament win and three additional Top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, Elon University men's golf alum John Somers has received his membership card and qualified for the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour.

Beginning in 2013, the Korn Ferry Tour became The Path to the PGA Tour by awarding all 50 membership cards to Korn Ferry Tour players for the following PGA Tour season. Players can initially qualify through the Qualifying Tournament and by securing a Top-5 Order of Merit finish on PGA Tour Latinoamérica, PGA Tour Series-China and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada.

Somers finished fifth on the final PGA Tour Latinoamérica Order of Merit Top 10 as he won the Abierto de Chile 2019, was second at the Diners Club Peru Open, and added two more Top-10 finishes at the 88 Abierto OSDE del Centro and the Bupa Match Play.
 
After failing to make the cut in the first two tournaments on the tour, Somers sank a 50-foot putt to eagle the final hole and win the Abierto de Chile with a 19-under par 265 back on April 18-21. With a birdy on hole 15 to get back to even, he took a one-stroke lead when his competition bogeyed 16. On a long par-three 17, Somers drove to the front edge of the green to set up a 66-foot left-to-right two-putt up and over a ridge. With his first shot getting past the pin, he sank an eight-foot try to remain at even.

On the decisive par-five 18, Somers went with his three wood to clear 200-plus yards into the wind and over a water hazard. Even though his drive went right down the alley, he received no applause from the crowd. Walking up to what he thought was his ball, he discovered the other golfer had set up for an eight-foot eagle attempt while his shot actually placed him 50 feet away on the back side of the green.

"So there was a couple of different scenarios that were running through my head," said Somers. "I was trying to focus on just making sure that if I didn't make this long putt that I was going to have an easy birdie attempt to make him make that last putt just to tie. I don't know what to say, it was downhill, a little bit left to right. I lined it up perfectly, I hit it with speed, and halfway down the hill I just started walking after it because I knew it was in. On the very last rotation, it dropped in for eagle and everybody went crazy, and that sealed the deal for my first Latin America win."

The 2014 graduate followed that performance by shooting a nine-under 275 to place sixth at the 88 Abierto OSDE del Centro on April 25-28 in Cordoba, Argentina. Somers continued his strong play as he tied for ninth at the Bupa Match Play in Playa del Carmen, Mexico on May 30 – June 2 and was runner-up at the Diners Club Peru Open in Lima on Oct. 17-20.

The 2020 Korn Ferry Tour will begin in mid-January with back-to-back tournaments in the Bahamas.