Attleboro's Davis Chatfield earns spot on PGA's 2023 Korn Ferry Tour

With the final stage remaining, Chatfield’s finish earns him a guaranteed spot in the full 2023 Korn Ferry Tour, the stepping stone to the PGA Tour, with notable golfers like Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler coming through the tour over the last few years. While his spot on the tour, which starts in the Bahamas in January, is guaranteed, the number of starts he will play will be determined based on his results in this weekend’s final stage at the Landings Club in Savannah, Ga.

Nonetheless, the finish is a weight lifted off his shoulders after years of work.

“Qualifying School is something I looked to my whole life, but this year especially,” Chatfield said. “You’re always thinking about it and it started for me down in Texas back in August. It’s been a stressful couple months, but it was worth the wait in the end.”

For Chatfield, after a weekend of celebration, he said his longtime dream of is starting to set in.

“It does happen so fast,” he said. “A week ago I had nothing. Now, I’m a member of the Korn Ferry Tour.”

Chatfield opening the four-round event that earned him a spot on the tour with a 6-under par to put him in the top-5 entering the second day. In the second round, he struggled, finishing the day 2-over par to put him well off the pace tied for 58th. He had four bogeys and two birdies, totaling out to a 4-under score across both days.

“It was tough, that second round,” he said. “It was cold, windy and rainy. I just never really got comfortable. … I pressed a little bit and ended up making some easy bogeys. I didn’t shoot myself out of it, … luckily I had a cushion from the first round.

“I knew my game was in a really good spot. I played too well in the first round to not play well the next three. I tried to forget about it. It wasn’t really telling of how I thought I was playing.”

A blistering third round where he picked up six strokes to enter the final round at 10-under par put him in good shape, needing to stay the course to earn a spot. His last round was a 5-under day, carding no bogeys and five birdies to put him in a comfortable spot ahead of the cut line.

Chatfield said he needed to pick up strokes with the projected cut being close to where he was sitting on the last day, and once he knew he was safely in a qualifying position, it was cruise control the rest of the way.

“Anything can happen in the last round, especially at Q-school,” he said. “You can kind of predict what the score’s going to be in the first three rounds because there’s less nerves, but the last round is the last shot you’ve got.

“I figured if I got to 13 or 14-under I’d be safe. The cut ended up being 13, so once I got to 15-under it was kind of just cruise control. It was try to limit the mistakes, try to make it easier on myself.”

Having his older brother Patrick, who he has played countless rounds with, to caddie for him and keep him level headed through the week was key, Chatfield said, crediting his presence as playing a role in his success.

“That was huge. For me, I want a caddie I can just talk to and not talk too much to,” Chatfield said. “I play so much golf that I don’t need to be talking about every shot out there because you can get into this pit of thinking way too much into it. I like someone that keeps my mind off of everything that’s going on. That’s huge, especially through Q-school. You get get guys who overthink so much. ... Patrick was huge that whole week, he kept me even keel that whole week. I wouldn’t have made it without him.”

Chatfield has a chance to secure a more regular role on the Korn Ferry Tour with a strong finish in the 72-hole stroke play final stage on the Marshwood Course at the Landings Club. He and the other 148 Q-school golfers teed off on Friday in the first of four rounds at the 6,904-yard, par 72 course. Whoever wins the final stage receives full Korn Ferry Tour status next year, while the others in the top-10 receive 16 starts next year. Players finishing 11th through 40th, receive eight starts. Outside of the top-45, players are seeded in a reshuffle list for alternates in tournaments.

“The guys outside the top-40 get conditional status, which is basically what I have now,” Chatfield said. “There’s no guaranteed spots, but you’re bound to get some throughout the season. If you get top-40 you’re guaranteed a lot of starts.”

Even though the spot is guaranteed, Chatfield’s final stage will see him give his all to make his status on the tour more frequent.

“I’ve just got to keep reminding myself that I’ve put in all the work even though I don’t give myself enough credit, and I’m never going to,” Chatfield said. “I’ve got to realize the sacrifices I’ve made since I was a little kid. Even before high school. I’d always just want to practice. It’s easy forget all the time you’ve put into it, and it’s hard to forget the bad rounds, but that’s the name of this game. You’ve got to be able to move on from everything good and bad.”

But, he’ll be happy with his result knowing he has a seat on the tour with his name on it.

“I’d definitely like to finish strong,” Chatfield said. “I’m going to go out there and play as well as I can next week and whatever that is, I’ll take it.

“I know if I keep doing the right things, it should pan out the way I want it to.”