Coloradan Zahkai Brown joins Jake Staiano in earning Korn Ferry Tour status for 2023; final stage of Q-school awaits
By Gary Baines – 10/21/2022
A second golfer who grew up in Colorado, played his college golf at Colorado State and once earned the CGA Player of the Year honor has locked up status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2023 through Q-school.
A week after Jake Staiano of Englewood made the grade by advancing to the final stage of qualifying, Zahkai Brown of Golden did the same on Friday.
The 2013 Inspirato Colorado Open champion landed status on the KFT by finishing fifth out of 76 players at a second-stage tournament held in Plantation, Fla. The top 18 finishers and ties at that site advance to the final stage of Q-school — set for Nov. 4-7 in Savannah, Ga. — and everyone who starts that event will receive no worse than conditional status on the KFT for 2023, with the top 40 and ties getting at least some exempt standing.
For Brown, earning that status will likely give him more starts in a Korn Ferry season than he’s ever had before. The 32-year-old has competed in 13 KFT events in his career, but never more than the three he played in this year. He’s made three cuts in those 13 Korn Ferry tournaments, including a 67th-place finish at this year’s Ascendant Presented by Blue at TPC Colorado, and a 59th at TPC Colorado in 2019.
This week, Brown carded scores of 67-66-64-70 for a 17-under-par total, which left him two strokes behind the co-medalists, Floridians Curtis Luck and Julian Etulain. Over four rounds, Brown chalked up an eagle, 19 birdies and four bogeys.
Here’s how local golfers fared this week in their stage 2 of KFT Q-school tournaments:
At Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
ADVANCES TO FINAL STAGE OF Q-SCHOOL
5. Zahkai Brown, Golden 69-67-64-70—267
At Murrieta, Calif. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
FAILED TO ADVANCE
38. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 69-74-76-67—286
75. Former UNC golfer Joshua Matz 73-76-78-76—303
For all the results from Korn Ferry Tour Q-school in 2022, CLICK HERE.
Colorado Golf Journal 