Fred Biondi’s journey through professional golf this year has been anything but smooth sailing-but if there’s one thing we’re learning about the former NCAA individual champ from Florida, it’s that he’s not going down without a fight.
After losing his Korn Ferry Tour status last season, Biondi found himself starting over in 2025, grinding through both PGA Tour and DP World Tour Q-Schools from the very first stage. That’s a long road for anyone, let alone a player who not long ago stood atop the college golf world. But Biondi’s been showing the kind of resilience that makes you believe he’s not just chasing a card-he’s chasing something bigger.
To keep his PGA Tour hopes alive, Biondi needed a clutch finish in the first stage. He delivered with a closing 66, punching his ticket to the second stage.
On the DP World Tour side, his path was even more unpredictable. He initially didn’t qualify for the final stage-but then came the call: he was in as an alternate.
No time to celebrate. He’d just landed back in the U.S. when he had to turn around and fly right back to Spain.
And it was worth it. Biondi earned his DPWT card by the slimmest of margins-right on the number.
Last week’s missed cut at the Australian PGA was a setback, sure, but with limited playing opportunities until the Mauritius Open later this month, Biondi is turning his focus back stateside. He’ll be teeing it up in the second stage of PGA Tour Q-School in Dothan, Alabama, hoping to keep the momentum going and earn a spot in the final stage, which wraps up just before the Mauritius event. It’s a tightrope act-balancing two tours, two continents, and a whole lot of travel-but that’s life on the edge of pro golf.
Biondi isn’t alone in this grind. He’s part of a deep and competitive field at one of five second-stage sites across the country, all running Tuesday through Friday. These fields are stacked with familiar names-former PGA Tour players, decorated amateurs, and seasoned journeymen all chasing the same dream: a shot at the big leagues.
Here’s a look at who’s teeing it up at each site:
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Highlands/Meadows), Dothan, Alabama
This is where Biondi will try to keep his PGA Tour dream alive.
He’ll be joined by names like MJ Daffue, Spencer Levin, Sung Kang, and Dylan Meyer-players with varying levels of Tour experience, all capable of going low when it counts. Also in the field: Blades Brown, Mickey DeMorat, Christian DiMarco, Jorge Garcia, Johnnie Greco, Ryan Grider, Anthony Paolucci, Chase Sienkiewicz, and Jacob Solomon.
Starr Pass (Gambler/Pioneer), Tucson, Arizona
This site boasts one of the most star-studded fields in second stage.
Sangmoon Bae, Sean O’Hair, Chez Reavie, Scott Piercy, and Nick Watney bring serious PGA Tour pedigree. Ryo Ishikawa, the Japanese phenom, is also in the mix, along with promising young players like Preston Summerhays and Caden Fioroni.
Others to watch include Jonas Baumgartner, Michael Feagles, Andrew Landry, K.K. Limbhasut, Ollie Osborne, Corey Pereira, Cameron Sisk, Kyle Stanley, Shawn Stefani, Martin Trainer, and Norman Xiong.
Hammock Beach CC (Conservatory), Palm Coast, Florida
Another strong field here, featuring Adam Long, Tyler Duncan, and Satoshi Kodaira-each with PGA Tour wins on their résumés. The field also includes Vince Covello, Mats Ege, Nick Gabrelcik, Luis Gagne, Luke Guthrie, Frank Kennedy, Philip Knowles, David Kocher, Andrew Kozan, Maxwell Moldovan, Omar Morales, Patrick Newcomb, Joe Pagdin, Turk Pettit, and Tim Widing.
The Landings Club (Deer Creek), Savannah, Georgia
[Note: The original article ends abruptly here without listing the field for this site.]
Looking ahead, the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School is set for December 12-15, split between the Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass and nearby Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The stakes?
Massive. The top five finishers will walk away with PGA Tour cards-life-changing stuff for any player grinding through Q-School.
For Biondi, it’s another chapter in a season defined by hustle, travel, and tenacity. He’s already shown he can rise to the occasion when the pressure’s on. Now, it’s about stringing together one more clutch performance-and maybe, just maybe, turning this rollercoaster year into the start of something big.