### Clerical Error Allows Ineligible Players Into PGA Tour Qualifier

A significant clerical oversight allowed four ineligible golfers to participate in a Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour, causing an unexpected controversy. According to Monday Q Info's Ryan French, the four players - Chris Korte, John Sand, Riley Lewis, and RJ Manke - should have been required to play in a pre-qualifier before getting the chance to compete at Sand Hollow in Hurricane, Utah. The tournament director cited a "clerical error" as the reason these players bypassed the pre-qualifying stage.

Despite initially being removed from the Monday qualifier, Korte, Sand, Lewis, and Manke were later permitted to re-enter the competition. According to the PGA Tour's open-qualifying guidelines for 2024, exemptions from the pre-qualifier are granted to players such as PGA Tour members, Korn Ferry Tour members, and those ranked in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking, among others. None of the four players, whose standing is limited to PGA Tour Americas, are eligible under these criteria.

The situation took a dramatic turn when both Korte and Sand secured their places for Thursday's event at Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, by shooting 8-under 64. They were joined by Chandler Blanchet with the same score, and David Bradshaw, who shot a 65. Riley Lewis narrowly missed qualifying with a 6-under score, which tied with Kevin Stadler, Stuart Macdonald, and Jim Knous. RJ Manke finished with a score of 68.

Jim Knous, one of the players who missed out on qualifying, voiced his frustration on social media. "Yikes," Knous tweeted, sharing French's article. "Shot -6 today, got beat by 2 of these players. And had a flat tire this morning. What a weird day. How about a spot in the field @PGATOUR?!"

One player who finished with a 5-under score was unaware of the eligibility breach when contacted by the Golf Channel, underscoring the surprise and confusion surrounding the incident. The PGA Tour has officially confirmed the details reported by French, adding legitimacy to the controversy.