I Watched Korn Ferry Pros for Four Days. Here Are Four Things They Do That You Don’t

When the Korn Ferry Tour comes to my home course for the Club Car Championship, it’s one of my favorite weeks of the year. Beyond the great golf, I’m always looking to learn how these pros think, how they manage the course and how small adjustments in their game lead to lower scores. Every year, I pick up something new. Here are a few things the Korn Ferry guys do that you probably aren’t.

They open the clubface to add spin, not height

As good as these guys are, they miss a lot of greens. Watching them try to get up and down is interesting. They open the face on their wedges much more than you might think.

Even with this open clubface, they aren’t playing a high flop shot. They’re letting the grooves and the extra loft grab the ball, nip it cleanly and make it check. They mostly hit lower-lofted greenside shots with a lot of spin.

The ball launches low‑to‑mid, skips once or twice and then stops like it has brakes. An open face exposes more loft so friction between the face and the ball increases.

They adjust their strategy based on the day

On Thursday, the first day of the tournament, most players laid up on the par-5s. There wasn’t a wait on the tee and the approach was conservative. They hit the fairway, got close and then tried to get up and down.

Friday was different.

The cut was looming and more players needed birdies. Suddenly, more were going for it in two and there was a noticeable backup on those same holes. It was a clear reminder that strategy changes depending on the situation.

Pros know course strategy isn’t set in stone. It shifts with the round, the leaderboard and even the weather. They’re not just playing the course. They’re playing the situation.

Amateurs often show up with one plan and stick to it, regardless of how they’re swinging, how the course is playing or what they need (or want) to shoot. Smart course management means asking, “What’s the best way to score today?”

They expect to make every putt, even the 30‑footers

These pros walk up to the green and think they can make everything. Their routines are the same each time. They don’t second-guess; they develop a plan and execute. Most importantly, they expect that it will result in a putt that goes in.

How many times have you stood over a 20- or 30-foot putt thinking, “Just get it close and avoid a three-putt”? It happens to all of us. That mindset shows a lack of commitment.

Professionals don’t think that way. They have learned to commit to every putt and that’s a big reason they make more of them than the rest of us.

Try it in your next round. One thing that helps me is focusing on holding the finish. When I hold my putting stroke finish until the ball stops, it’s a signal that I stayed committed from start to finish.

They get creative when they need to

Getting creative on the golf course is often a sign of a better player. I watched one pro who was short-sided fire a chip shot into a bank, pop the ball straight up and stop it about three feet from the pin. Another putted from 10 yards off the green from a spot I would never think to use anything but a wedge.

The point here is that your game likely doesn’t have as much variety as it should.

When you practice (especially your short game), put golf balls in ugly spots. Try some creative shots. Break away from relying solely on the wedge. Consider the slope and how it comes into play and realize that sometimes the stock shots aren’t the best play.

Final thoughts

If you have the chance to attend a Korn Ferry event, I highly recommend it. You can find a group with no crowds and get a front row seat on how to play great golf.