DOTHAN, Ala. — Thomas Ponder finished No. 1 on the 2026 PGA Tour Americas points list Sunday, capping a season that will send the Dothan golfer to the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time in 2027.
The 25-year-old tied for 13th at the season-ending Dominican Republic Tour Championship presented by Scotiabank, according to PGA Tour Americas. He closed with a 5-under-par 67 at PGA Ocean’s 4 in Playa Nueva Romana to finish at 10-under 278.
Ponder had already secured a place among the final top 10 and a Korn Ferry Tour card before the tournament began.
He first moved into the No. 1 position with a victory at the Explore NB Open in July and remained atop the standings for the rest of the season. He also posted third-place finishes at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open and Osprey Valley Open.
A former Providence Christian School golfer, Ponder won three consecutive Alabama High School Athletic Association individual state championships from 2017 through 2019, according to his Alabama Athletics biography. He also won the 2017 Press Thornton Future Masters.
He played at the University of Alabama from 2019 through 2024 before turning professional in 2024.
The top 10 players on the final PGA Tour Americas points list receive full Korn Ferry Tour status for 2027. They also earn exemptions into the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School in December.
