LAKEWOOD RANCH – The Korn Ferry Tour returns to Lakewood National Golf Club on Wednesday when 156 professional golfers searching for the security of 20 PGA Tour Cards tee it up at the LECOM Suncoast Classic.
The tournament, which has become a regular stop on the Korn Ferry Tour since its inception in 2019, offers a $1 million purse, $240,000 of which will go to the champion crowned on Saturday. The tournament ends on Saturday to avoid a conflict with Easter Sunday.
In years past, the top 30 golfers from the PGA’s developmental league were awarded the valued cards when the season concluded in the fall based on a points system. That number was trimmed to 20 for the 2025 season. More than 400 volunteers will be on hand to help players and spectators enjoy the tournament.
Keep an eye on the following golfers
Hank Lebioda
The top-ranked golfer on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, the Orlando resident and former standout at Florida State, won his first tournament earlier this season at The Bahamas Golf Classic.
Jeremy Grandon
Ranked No. 3 in Korn Ferry points, the former Kansas State Wildcat won the tour’s most recent tournament at Savannah by grabbing a birdie on the first playoff hole on April 6.
S.H. Kim
Ranked fifth, the native of Korea has yet to break into the winners circle, but he has recorded four runner-up finishes on the tour among his seven top 10 finishes.
Davis Crutchfield
Coming in at No. 6, the former Notre Dame golfer has collected six top 10 finishes on the tour since joining in 2022.
Logan McAllister
Ranked No. 7, the former star at the University of Oklahoma won his first Korn Ferry title earlier this season in Chile.
Past LECOM Suncoast Classic Champions
2019 – Mark Hubbard, the inaugural tournament champion, has gone on to seven top-five finishes on the PGA Tour and has nearly $11 million in tournament winnings.
2020 – Andrew Novak has collected 5.3 million in prize money and is still a member of the PGA Tour.
2021 – Hayden Buckley of the University of Missouri remains on the PGA Tour, but has missed five cuts this season.
2022 – Byeong Hun An, a PGA fixture these days, has gone on to earn nearly $20 million over his career.
2023 – Scott Gutschewski played his college golf at the University of Nebraska and won his LECOM title in a playoff over McAllister.
2024 – Tim Wilding, a native of Sweden, won a 2-hole playoff over Patrick Cover and Steven Fisk. Cover and Fisk are also in the field of this year’s tournament.
How much are tickets?
Daily grounds tickets for general admission are $20. A weekly grounds ticket will cost $60. VIP tickets that include access to the hospitality tent and its amenities near the 18th green are $175 daily and $650 for the week. Members of the military, first responders, and teachers along with one guest, can attend free of charge with valid identification. Children below the age of 17 also qualify for free admission. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at lecomsuncoastclassic.com.
Where can I park?
Parking is free and located at Premier Sports Campus at 5895 Post Boulevard. Spectators can then take a five-minute trolley ride to the main entrance of Lakewood National. The trolleys will return people to their vehicles up until 30 minutes following the day’s conclusion of play. Parking is not available at the golf course.
What about the course?
Lakewood National Golf Club is an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course that opened in 2016. The yardage for the par-71 course during the tournament will be set at 7,133 for all four rounds. Hubbard set the course record for four rounds of tournament play with a blistering 26-under par total of 262 in 2019.
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