Doc Redman faces career-changing round at Sanderson Farms

The FedEx Cup Fall season is, for the most part, about guys fighting — fighting to keep their jobs, fighting for a spot in the first Signature Events of 2026, fighting for pride.

There’s plenty of that at this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship at The Country Club of Jackson. Max Homa and Tom Kim are trying to get things headed in the right direction as we approach 2026. Taylor Montgomery, Vince Whaley and others are looking to stay on the top circuit. Garrick Higgo is looking to position himself for what could be an ascendant year if he can get into the Signature Events.

Then, there’s Doc Redman.

The former Clemson star hasn’t made a PGA Tour start since a missed cut at the 2023 RSM Classic sent him to PGA Tour Q School. He spent 2024 on the Korn Ferry Tour and just narrowly missed out on punching his ticket back to the PGA Tour. Redman needed to win the 2024 Korn Ferry Championship to earn his card. He led with four holes to play but made a double bogey on No. 15 and a bogey on 17 to miss a playoff by one shot. This year, Redman didn’t make it past the second stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, meaning he’s slated to head back to the KFT in 2026.

But fate might have other plans for Doc Redman this week.

The 27-year-old got into the Sanderson Farms Championship by way of a Monday qualifier. Redman beat Fred Biondi and Rhein Gibson in a three-man playoff to get into the field. He opened with a three-over 75, but has fired back-to-back 65s to vault into the top 15 heading into Sunday in Mississippi.

Redman isn’t fighting for FedEx Cup points this week, but Sunday’s round could change the course of his career.

A win — Redman is currently five shots back as of this writing — would earn him a $1.08 million check, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a spot in the PGA Championship and the Players. It would mean that Redman wouldn’t have to go back to the Korn Ferry Tour to try to grind his way back for a third consecutive season. Even if he doesn’t win, a top-10 finish would get him into the Bank of Utah Championship.

Either way, there’s a lot on the line for a guy who finished the season 138th on the KFT points list and made just $47,366 in 15 events this season.

“I guess I haven’t thought about it too much,” Redman said after his Saturday 65. “It would definitely be huge to top 10 and get into the next one or however well you can do. There is a lot of factors out of my control for that to happen and that’s so far away, you know, 18 holes. So I think if I can just play really hard and confidently, then I’ll be happy with whatever happens.”

Redman has struggled on the Korn Ferry Tour. The courses are a little easier and the scores always low. In order to compete and claw your way back up the PGA Tour, you have to be able to hit the gas pedal and go low on repeat. Golf is a fickle game, and Redman has taken some heavy hits over the past few years since he lost his card.

But he took some time off in the spring to be around his family and ground himself. He has found a new appreciation for being able to chase his dream, no matter at what level he currently resides.

Redman will lean on that newfound perspective as he tees it up on Sunday with a chance to change everything.

“So I think if I can go in tomorrow not worried about what’s going to happen at the end of the day and just play hard, it’ll all work itself out,” Redman said.

“There is really no bad results unless I had a bad attitude or something like that. So you know, I think I’m good enough, so I just got to trust that.”