Tommy Gainey has withdrawn from the Korn Ferry Tour opening event for selfless reasons.
The 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season opener will proceed without a former champion. Tommy Gainey will not participate in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Bahama Golf Classic, choosing to give younger players a chance to break through. The 50-year-old won the event in 2020 and was eligible to compete until this year.
Tommy Gainey: \”It’s Ten Times Harder Than in My Day\”
Gainey joined the Korn Ferry Tour in 2007 (then known as the Nationwide Tour) and earned his full PGA Tour card in 2010 after winning two tournaments. He quickly found success on the PGA Tour, peaking in 2012 when he won the McGladrey Classic with a final-round 60, his only PGA Tour victory.
After years of struggles on the course and controversies off it, Gainey returned to the winner’s circle at the 2020 Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. This third tour win granted him an exemption to compete in this tournament through 2026.
However, Gainey declined the invitation to the tournament director Josh Franklin, wishing instead to give young players the opportunity to prove themselves and earn their way to the PGA Tour. He expressed his love for the event and desire to play but acknowledged the difficulty of qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour today. Given the changes in both tours, Gainey believes it is more important that players who have worked their way up benefit from playing privileges.
He was quoted saying, \”It’s ten times harder than in my day. I didn’t want to take anyone’s spot. These young players are so good that any one of them can win, even the last player in the field.\”
Champions Tour Victory Opens New Door
Upon turning 50 in August, Gainey gained another opportunity beyond the Korn Ferry Tour — the Champions Tour. He competed in nine senior tour events last year, winning the Constellation Furyk & Friends tournament in October. His results earned him a full tour card for the Champions Tour this year, so he no longer relies on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Nonetheless, it is commendable that Gainey forgoes his chance at a $1,000,000 prize purse to provide other players a chance to establish themselves in the professional golf field.
Tommy Gainey was in the @BahamasKFTour next week as a past champion of the event. It’s his last year for his past champion exemption.
A friend of his called me and said he WD, so a young guy could get a start. So I called him.
Of course Tommy picked up. Said he loves the…