Class of ’26: The new faces to look out for from Qualifying School
A big sigh of relief was heard on Sunday, December 21, at Lakeview Resort & Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand – when the final round of the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School was concluded.
Thirty-five players secured their Tour cards for the 2026 season, with the deep sense of relief quickly followed by excitement about what lies ahead.
A total of 621 players, representing 51 nationalities, competed in the School – inclusive of the six First Stage Qualifiers.
Earning a card was, as ever, an extraordinary feat, with the scramble for cards on that final day producing some of the most gripping golf of the year.
Shergo Al Kurdi made a crucial 10-foot putt for par on the last to finish in a tie for 19th. He missed the ensuing play-off by one to become the first player from Saudi Arabia to make it through Final Stage.
Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka started the day in second but tumbled down the leaderboard spectacularly after shooting an 81 and found himself in the play-off. Eight cards were on the line in extra time between 12 players and he was one of the lucky ones to survive.
As always, an exciting crop of new faces made it through, and we have selected the ones to look out for this year. Virtually all of the graduates are playing in this week’s season-opening Philippine Golf Championship presented by Philippine Sports Commission. Story by the Asian Tour’s Simon Wilson.
Lin Yuxin (China)
Lin [main picture], a lefthander, impressively finished top of the class at the school and was one of four Chinese players to make it through, along with Zihao Jin, Bowen Xiao, and Andi Xu. Hong Kong’s Jason Hak also graduated – to help fly the flag for the mainland.
Lin arrived with impressive credentials having won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in 2017 and 2019 before playing college golf at the University of Florida.
After turning professional in 2023 the Florida-based golfer did not live up to his potential playing the PGA Tour Americas and some Korn Ferry Tour events. After winning Qualifying School he explained the issue was mainly putting – the result of a “mental block”. There were no such issues at the School, as he shot rounds of 68, 67, 70, 67 and 67, to win by one from India’s Shaurya Bhattacharya.
Lin, playing in the penultimate group, was tied with Bhattacharya playing the difficult par-four 18th. The Chinese golfer made par while Bhattacharya, in the last group, finished with a bogey.
Aged just 25 and brimming with the confidence after winning the School, he will attempt to become the first Chinese winner on the Asian Tour since Xiao claimed the Asian Golf Championship in 2017.
Lin Yuxin.
Shaurya Bhattacharya (India)
Shaurya nearly won the Qualifying School and was disappointed not to. He was the leader by one at the start of the day and let Lin in by dropping a shot on the 72nd hole. He was also undone by bogeys on 12 and 13.
At the time he said: “I play a tournament to win, that’s my goal. Even if it’s Q-School, I want to win.”
Like Lin he looks like a class act in terms of personality and performance, clearly with the right attitude. He was 23 when he made it through School, which followed a fine year on the Professional Golf Tour of India that saw him win twice and finish third on the Merit list. He only turned professional the year before.
A former Indian amateur number one he represented his country at the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy and the Nomura Cup the year before.
He was one of four Indian players to earn cards. The others were Rashid Khan, Ajeetesh Sandhu, and Shubham Jaglan.
Shaurya Bhattacharya.
Will Florimo (Australia)
Will came mighty close to earning his Asian Tour card at the 2025 Qualifying School, also played at Lake View, finishing one shot behind the player who ended 35th, Filipino Sean Ramos.
The 27-year-old from Brisbane redeemed himself 12 months later by clinching the fifth card. He led after the first round and played steady golf throughout to seal the deal.
He’d arrived at the School playing some of the best golf of his career, in fourth place on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
He lost in a play-off at the New South Wales Open a month before the School and enjoyed three other top three finishes.
Another lefthander, he started the season Down Under finishing T2 at the PNG Open, and is clearly trending as he approaches his first season on the Asian Tour.
His fine form in Australia earned him an exemption into Final Stage. He eventually finished the season sixth on their Merit list.
Will Florimo.
Minchan Kim (Korea)
One of the surprise packages of the week Korean Minchan ‘Eddy’ Kim claimed card number 14 – aged just 16 and still an amateur.
Remarkably, the week after the School he won the Final Stage of the All Thailand Golf Tour Qualifying School by five shots.
With so many playing opportunities now available Kim recently made the decision to turn professional and will make his debut on the Asian Tour this week in the Philippines.
He lived in Canada until the age of seven before moving to Korea and was a member of the Korea Golf Association amateur squad. He did not represent Korea or win any of their amateur events but has clearly saved his best for Qualifying Schools and, hopefully, the pro game.
He is fluent in English and likes to play aggressive golf so all eyes will be on him this week.
Minchan Kim.
Khavish Varadan (Malaysia)
Khavish first caught the eye when he shared the lead at the halfway mark of the Malaysian Open in 2024. In what was his first event as a professional he tied for 13th, and at the Qualifying School last year his talent was once again on display.
The 25-year-old secured the 22nd card, following a season that saw him claim two top fives on the Asian Development Tour, in Pakistan and at the season-ending Aramco Invitational.
Prior to his debut appearance in the Malaysian Open he’d recently returned to Malaysia having lived in the United States for nearly nine years. He opted not to complete the final year of his degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to try and make a name for himself in Asia – something that looks like is going according to plan.
He also bears a resemblance to Indian Arjun Atwal, an eight-time winner on the Asian Tour. Khavish will no doubt like to mirror that career.
Khavish Varadan.
Carson Herron (United States)
Carson is the son of Tim Herron, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, and last year followed in his Dad’s footsteps, by finishing a college golf career at the University of New Mexico. In 2024 he claimed the Minnesota State Open.
Herron junior claimed the 29th card at the School having turned professional mid-way through last year.
He made two starts on the PGA Tour soon after joining the play for pay game and debuted on the PGA TOUR Americas at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center, impressively tying for 11th.
Another youngster he was just 23 at Qualifying School.
Carson Herron.
Zihao Jin (China)
Zihao turned professional in 2022 and two years later took the China Tour by storm winning five times on his way to claiming their Order of Merit.
The following year, after trying his hand on Europe’s Challenge Tour, he turned his attention to the Asian Tour and made the cut in the three tournaments he entered before securing the 32nd card at Qualifying School, at the age of 26.
Zihao is from Lanzhou in China but moved to the United States in 2011 and later played college golf at San Diego State University.
Zihao Jin.
Shubham Jaglan (India)
Shubham had only been a professional golfer for less than half a year before entering Qualifying School but despite his lack of experience he led after the second-round.
An unexpected 76 on the final day made the week an even steeper learning curve than expected as he fell back into the play-off. The 21-year-old was one of the last two players to fight it out for the final card. It went to five extra holes with Shubham the last to get in at the expense of Kelvin Si from Macau.
Shubham had turned professional in July after graduating from the University of South Florida. He made his professional debut that month surviving the cut at the Bromont Open on the PGA TOUR Americas in Canada. He continued to build on that and finished second at the Trident Open, after losing in a play-off, on the Professional Golf Tour of India, the month before Qualifying School.
He has enjoyed a remarkable rise from humble origins.
Shubham would practice in his backyard which his father, a milkman by profession, converted into a mini three-hole golf course. A self-taught golfer, thanks to YouTube, he was later spotted and won a scholarship with The Golf Foundation while he was also made a member of the distinguished Delhi Golf Club. In 2015 he won the Junior World Championships.
Shubham Jaglan (right).
Pictures by Jason Butler/Asian Tour.
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