Julian Suri contends for PGA Tour card in 2026
Indian-American golfer Julian Suri from Florida took a big step towards getting full playing rights on the 2026 PGA Tour by winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s US$1 million Utah Championship.
Suri’s sporting lineage is rich. His great-grandfather, M.V. Buchi Babu Nayudu is regarded as the father of Tamil Nadu cricket. His father, Jagan Suri, represented India in tennis before moving to the U.S. on a scholarship to San Diego City College. His younger brother, Devin, is also a golfer and competed in PGTI Q-School in India.
Indian fans may recall his near-win at the 2019 Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf Club, Gurgaon, where he held a three-shot lead on the final day before a cruel quadruple-bogey 8 on the treacherous 14th derailed his title hopes and he finished tied-4th.
It was Suri’s first professional win since 2017, and a crucial breakthrough after years of injury setbacks and near misses. The closing stretch saw Suri make five birdies in his final eight holes. The 34-year-old Duke University alum fired a flawless final round 7-under 63 to overturn a five-shot deficit, finishing at 22-under 262 (69-66-64-63) and winning by two shots.
The win vaulted Suri from 56th to 16th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings. With five events remaining and the top 20 earning 2026 PGA Tour cards, he’s firmly in contention for a return to the big stage.
Fellow Indian-origin player Rayhan Thomas, a native of Dubai and a rookie on the Korn Ferry Tour, missed the cut in Utah with rounds of 71-69.
Photo – Korn Ferry Tour