Overview
- Gainey, 50, called tournament director Josh Franklin to voluntarily relinquish his past-champion entry for next week’s Korn Ferry Tour opener in the Bahamas.
- He explained his decision by saying he did not want to take a place from a younger competitor, noting, “It’s 10 times harder than when I came up.”
- The vacated berth was reported to go to 25-year-old James Song, and the tournament carries a $1 million purse with about $180,000 to the winner.
- Eligible through his 2020 Bahamas win, Gainey now holds full PGA Tour Champions status after winning October’s Furyk & Friends as a Monday qualifier.
- He is slated to begin his Champions season on Jan. 22 at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, as fans and commentators praised the gesture and highlighted tighter pathways for rising players, including fewer PGA Tour cards for KFT graduates this year.