Corey Shaun was reminded by his father Norman that anything can be positive when he narrowly missed the cut at the DP World Tour’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open 2 weeks ago.
At the 72-hole tournament in northeast Florida, which gives 2025 PGA TOUR membership to the top 5 finishers (and ties), Shaun took a 5-stroke lead after opening the Final Stage of the PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry in 9-under 61, setting a competitive course record at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course. With 4 players at 3-under 67, Shaun is 5 strokes ahead of Richy Werenski (Dye’s Valley). For the first 2 rounds, players alternate between Dye’s Valley and Sawgrass Country Club; the top half of the field after 36 holes competes in the 3rd round at Sawgrass Country Club and the 4th round at Dye’s Valley (and vice versa).
Shaun’s opening-round 61 beat Thursday’s field scoring average at Dye’s Valley by about 10.5 strokes, and he now holds the biggest opening-round lead in Q-School’s modern history (going back to 1992). And to think that he wouldn’t even be here if his 25-foot eagle on his 36th hole in Australia had gone through.
Less than three weeks after passing the First Stage of the PGA TOUR Q-School, Shaun gained 2025 DP World Tour credentials via Q-School in early November. With the goal of playing the whole DP World Tour schedule in 2025, he subsequently participated in the first two tournaments of the DP World Tour season in Australia.
His next move became clear when he discovered that he was an alternate for the DP World Tour’s next two events, which coincided with the PGA TOUR Q-School’s Second Stage and Final Stage. He had a weekend to travel and recover. He would pursue a PGA TOUR card and carry on the Q-School frenzy.
“I informed everyone that I would be heading to WD from the Second Stage of Q-School if I made that cut (in Australia). I got the opportunity to play the Second Stage and Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School for two weeks in a row, and so I thought, I suppose I should play since there are 5 PGA TOUR cards. I was thinking, I should just relax ; I’ve been playing way too much golf already, so I wasn’t really giving it much thought. All I wanted to do was find a place to unwind. Although I’m happy to be here and this is undoubtedly a dream start, there has been a lot of golf going on at the same time.” he said.
Shaun hasn’t gotten much sleep in recent weeks. When asked on Thursday how he managed to play top-tier golf in several time zones with little rest, he acknowledged he wasn’t really sure. However, Shaun, a lifelong golf enthusiast and ardent tinkerer, has used simplicity to fuel a two-month run of excellent form after an idea connected at the First Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School in October. The UCLA graduate advanced to the Final Stage and, at the very least, secured conditional Korn Ferry Tour eligibility for 2025 after finishing solo second at his Second Stage venue, seven strokes inside the cut line. He flew cross-country to Florida for the Final Stage of the PGA TOUR Q-School after spending a restful weekend at home with his fiancée, making sure to buy her lunch and dinner after feeling awful about being gone from home for so many weeks. He was able to pursue a PGA TOUR card this week by finishing in the top 5 and tying for a spot on the DP World Tour now that his membership was confirmed.
Shaun has taken about as excellent a position as one could hope for, but there are still fifty-four holes left at Final Stage, and windy conditions are predicted for the Jacksonville, Florida, metroplex this weekend. He has been gaining ground over the last two months, and it all came together on Thursday at a historic Dye’s Valley location, which is the sister layout to TPC Sawgrass’ THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, the site of THE PLAYERS Championship every spring.
“I was playing quite poorly at the beginning of the year, so I was constantly trying to figure out how I could improve. I was attempting to do something different every day because I’m a really analytical golfer. Sometimes it’s acceptable, but when competing against top professionals in a tournament, it’s probably not the best way to think. I believe I’ve had a somewhat similar swing thinking ever since (PGA TOUR Q-School’s First Stage), just attempting to fine-tune it a bit. After I sort of figured that out, I don’t have to worry about what position I’m aiming to hit at the moment with every stroke.” Shaun said on Thursday.
Shaun was a member of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour, however he lost his card after missing 10 consecutive cuts in the latter part of the season. Although he made just one of 6 cuts on the PGA TOUR Americas in early 2024, he played full-time on the PGA TOUR Canada in 2023 and finished No. 37 in the season-long Fortinet Cup. He’s currently on a Q-School heater for eternity.
In life and golf, timing can be crucial at times. Shaun is in his seventh season as a professional, and his timing this autumn may be perfect.
