The PGA Tour returns to Austin this week for the inaugural Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions at Omni Barton Creek, where Dallas resident Austin Smotherman arrives off back to back wins, 19 year old Blades Brown arrives off his first Tour victory, and the FedExCup Fall top 100 and Aon Next 10 races come down to their final two weeks.

Pre-Tournament Information – 2026 Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions

Player Interviews (all times CT and subject to change)

Tuesday, November 10

Christiaan Maas – TBD timing

Blades Brown – Between 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Wednesday, November 11

Tommy Morrison – 10:30 a.m.

Jackson Koivun – Before 2:43 p.m. (9-hole) pro-am

Austin Smotherman – After 9:45 a.m. (9-hole) pro-am

Doug Ghim – TBD timing

Visit pgatourmedia.com for the latest interview schedule.

Austin Smotherman

• Dallas, Texas resident is making his first start since earning his first two PGA Tour victories in back-to-back starts (Bank of Utah Championship, Butterfield Bermuda Championship)
• Looks to become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win in three consecutive starts (Genesis Invitational, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play)
• Enters the week at No. 51 in the FedExCup Fall standings; Nos. 51-60 in the final FedExCup Fall standings earn spots in the 2027 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 2027 Genesis Invitational
• Owns four top-10 finishes in 24 starts this season (Won/Bank of Utah Championship, Won/Butterfield Bermuda Championship, T2/Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, T8/The American Express)
• Earned 2026 membership after finishing No. 3 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, winning twice during the season

Blades Brown

• 19-year-old earned his first PGA Tour victory in his 22nd career start at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship. In his first playoff on the PGA Tour, defeated Ben James with a birdie on the second playoff hole (No. 18). Entered the final round seven strokes back, marking the largest come-from-behind victory on Tour since William Mouw (2025 ISCO Championship) and the largest at the event since John Huh (2012). Became the fourth youngest winner in PGA Tour history at the age of 19 years, 5 months, 18 days. Became the first teenager to win on Tour since Jordan Spieth at the 2013 John Deere Classic
• Looks to become the first player since Matt Fitzpatrick to win back-to-back tournaments on Tour (2026 RBC Heritage, 2026 Zurich Classic of New Orleans)
• In 13 starts this season, has three top-10 finishes (3rd/Puerto Rico Open, T9/Myrtle Beach Classic, 1st/World Wide Technology Championship)
• Finished No. 9 in the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2027 season; became the youngest player to graduate from the Korn Ferry Tour
• Earned PGA Tour Special Temporary Membership in June following his T14 at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
• Exempt on the PGA Tour through 2028 and will compete on the PGA Tour Championship Series in 2028
• Added to the FedExCup Fall standings with the victory (No. 59) and currently in position to earn two Signature Event starts in 2027 via the Aon Next 10

Doug Ghim

• Made 17 cuts in 22 starts in 2026, highlighted by four top-10 finishes
• Finished T17 or better in each of his four FedExCup Fall starts this season (T17/Biltmore Championship Asheville, 2nd/Bank of Utah Championship, T17/Baycurrent Classic, T6/VidantaWorld Mexico Open)
• Enters the week at No. 58 in the FedExCup Fall standings, his highest ranking on Tour (previous: No. 71/2024 FedExCup Fall)
• In search of his maiden Tour title in his 195th career start; best finish on Tour is runner-up twice (2024 Shriners Children’s Open, 2026 Bank of Utah Championship)
• Played four seasons at University of Texas (2014-18), earning the Ben Hogan Award his senior year in 2018 as the nation’s best collegiate golfer, three individual victories and four All-America honors (Honorable Mention in 2015, Second Team in 2016 and 2017, First Team in 2018)

Tommy Morrison

• Sponsor exemption is making his first PGA Tour start as a professional and third overall (T60/2024 Open Championship, MC/2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson)
• Finished No. 10 in the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn a PGA Tour card for the 2027 season
• Five top-10 finishes in 11 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, highlighted by a victory at the Evans Scholars Invitational; his five top-10 finishes occurred in his first five events on the Korn Ferry Tour
• Dallas, Texas resident played three and a half seasons at University of Texas (2023-26), earned one collegiate victory and garnered two All-America selections (Second Team in 2025, Third Team in 2026)
• Earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2026 season (beginning with the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank) after finishing No. 6 in the 2026 PGA TOUR University Ranking

Jackson Koivun

• In 10 starts this season, owns three top-10 finishes highlighted by a victory at the 3M Open (T10/ISCO Championship, T5/Biltmore Championship Asheville)
• 21-year-old won the 2026 3M Open by three strokes over Scottie Scheffler in his third start as a professional, becoming the youngest American player to win a PGA Tour event by multiple strokes since 1932 (Ralph Guldahl/WM Phoenix Open)
• Enters the week at No. 68 in the FedExCup Fall standings
• As a captain’s pick for the 2026 Presidents Cup, went 2-0-1, the only player on the American squad to go unbeaten
• Prior to turning professional this June, spent 56 consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Ranking, the third-longest reign in history, only behind Keita Nakajima (87 weeks) and Jon Rahm (60 weeks)

Christiaan Maas

• Sponsor exemption is making his first start on Tour
• Played four seasons at University of Texas (2022-26), earning three individual victories and four All-America honors (Second Team in 2023, Third Team in 2024 and 2025, First Team in 2026)
• Earned membership for the remainder of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season (beginning with the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank) and an exemption for Final Stage of 2026 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry after finishing No. 2 in the 2026 PGA TOUR University Ranking
• Owns one top-10 finish in 10 starts this season on the Korn Ferry Tour: T5/The Blue Championship
• Represented South Africa at the World Amateur Team Championship in 2022, 2023, and 2025, earning individual medalist honors and leading South Africa to the team title in 2025; teammates in 2022 were Aldrich Potgieter and Christo Lamprecht, while teammates in 2023 included Lamprecht

Austin Championship Notes

• The inaugural Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions will be contested at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa (Fazio Canyons Course), just four years after an extensive renovation led by architect Tom Fazio, who helped restore the course he originally designed in 1999
• The PGA Tour returns to Austin for the first time since the 2023 WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play, which was hosted by Austin Country Club since 2016
• The Fazio Canyons Course winds through limestone cliffs and the meandering Short Spring Branch, with scenic vistas framed by stately red oaks and sycamores. Its strategic design provides a championship-caliber test while highlighting the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country
• The 120-player field includes: Two major champions: Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open Championship). Five winners on Tour this season: Austin Smotherman (Bank of Utah Championship, Butterfield Bermuda Championship), Jackson Koivun (3M Open), Ricky Castillo (Puerto Rico Open), Andrew Novak (VidantaWorld Mexico Open), Blades Brown (World Wide Technology Championship). Two players ranked inside the top 50 in the FedExCup standings: Eric Cole (No. 49), Matt McCarty (No. 50). Four players earned PGA Tour membership for the 2027 season after finishing inside the top 20 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List: Alvaro Ortiz (No. 5), Cole Sherwood (No. 7), Blades Brown (No. 9), Tommy Morrison (No. 10). 15 players played in the 2023 WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club: Mackenzie Hughes (T5), Andrew Putnam (T9), Max Homa (T9), Billy Horschel (T9), Matt Kuchar (T9), Cam Davis (T17), Brian Harman (T17), Davis Riley (T28), Seamus Power (T31), Nick Taylor (T31), Aaron Wise (T31), Davis Thompson (T31), Adam Svensson (T52), Chris Kirk (T52), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (T59). Four University of Texas alums: Pierceson Coody, Doug Ghim, Christiaan Maas, Tommy Morrison. 14 Texas residents: Pierceson Coody (Plano), Zecheng Dou (Dallas), Mark Hubbard (The Woodlands), Johnny Keefer (San Antonio), Mac Meissner (Dallas), Taylor Moore (Dallas), Tommy Morrison (Dallas), Chandler Phillips (College Station), Thomas Rosenmueller (Frisco), Casey Russell (Fulshear), Cole Sherwood (Dallas), William Sides (Dallas), Austin Smotherman (Dallas), Hayden Springer (Trophy Club). Four sponsor exemptions: Christiaan Maas, Tommy Morrison, Miles Russell, Cole Sherwood. Open qualifiers: William Sides, Nick Hardy, Thomas Rosenmueller, Frankie Harris

FedExCup Fall Notes

• The 2026 Austin Championship presented by Compliance Solutions is the penultimate of the FedExCup Fall, a series of eight tournaments played after the Tour Championship that finalizes eligibility for the 2027 PGA Tour Season
• With two events left in the FedExCup Fall, players look to secure their position inside the top 100 in the standings and become exempt on the PGA Tour for the 2027 season. Players in the field around the top 100 following last week’s World Wide Technology Championship: David Lipsky (No. 95), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (No. 96), Max Greyserman (No. 97), Billy Horschel (No. 98), Kevin Yu (No. 99), Chandler Phillips (No. 100), Chris Kirk (No. 102), Mackenzie Hughes (No. 103), Taylor Pendrith (No. 104), A.J. Ewart (No. 106)
• The FedExCup Fall also determines eligibility for early-season Signature Events, with Nos. 51-60 in the final FedExCup Fall standings earning spots in the 2027 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational
• Two players in the field moved inside the top 60 following last week’s World Wide Technology Championship: Moved IN: Blades Brown (1st/No. 59), Ben James (P2; No. 62 → No. 53), Michael Kim (3rd; No. 65 → No. 55). Moved OUT: Corey Conners (DNP; No. 58 → No. 62), Jordan Spieth (DNP; No. 59 → No. 63)
• In addition to the event purse, winners of FedExCup Fall events receive: 500 FedExCup points and Official World Golf Ranking points; Two-year PGA Tour exemption, which will earn them their card for the PGA Tour Championship Series in 2028; Invitations to THE PLAYERS Championship and PGA Championship
• Key thresholds in the final FedExCup Fall standings (following The RSM Classic, Nov. 19-22): Top 100 are fully exempt for all Full-Field Events and The Players Championship in 2027; Nos. 51-60 gain access to the 2027 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational via Aon Next 10; Nos. 101-110 earn conditional status via the 101-110 category, not subject to reshuffle; Nos. 111-125 earn conditional status, subject to reshuffle; Nos. 126-150 earn conditional status, subject to reshuffle, with limited access; The top 40 available applicants below 100th position, to a floor of 200th, are exempt for Final Stage of Q-School in 2026

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