Johnny Keefer wins Veritex Bank Championship for maiden Korn Ferry Tour victory

Johnny Keefer carded a bogey-free 7-under 64 in the final round of the Veritex Bank Championship to convert a one-stroke, 54-hole lead into a three-stroke victory.

Charting the champion (stats updated through tournament)

Johnny Keefer (first/-30)

• Earns first career Korn Ferry Tour win at the age of 24 years, 3 months, 16 days of age
• Totals 30-under 254, tying Norman Xiong (2022 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open) for the third-lowest 72-hole score in Korn Ferry Tour history, only behind Stephan Jaeger (250/2016 Ellie Mae Classic) and Tim Widing (253/2024 Veritex Bank Championship)
• At 30-under par, ties Daniel Chopra (258/2004 Henrico County Open) and Stephan Jaeger (250/2016 Ellie Mae Classic) for the second-lowest 72-hole score relative to par in Korn Ferry Tour history, only behind Tim Widing’s 31-under 253 from the 2024 Veritex Bank Championship
• Previously broke the Korn Ferry Tour record for lowest 36-hole score (any consecutive rounds) at the 2025 Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, where he totaled 19-under 122 (61-61) in Rounds 2 and 3
• Finishes the 2025 Veritex Bank Championship with 31 birdies across 72 holes, becoming the eighth player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make at least 31 birdies in a 72-hole event
• Also records two eagles, with his 33 total birdies and eagles tying Norman Xiong (2022 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open) for the second-most total birdies and eagles in a 72-hole event in Korn Ferry Tour history, only behind Tim Widing’s 34 total birdies and eagles from the 2024 Veritex Bank Championship
• Improves to 1-for-2 converting 54-hole lead/co-lead into victory (previous: first/2025 Panama Championship/finished T2)
• Previously earned fully exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2025 season by finishing No. 1 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Americas; he posted nine top-10s in 10 starts last season, highlighted by four runner-up finishes and a victory at the 2024 Manitoba Open
• Claimed the final spot in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking and finished No. 25, which earned him exempt membership for the remainder of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season
• Played five seasons (2019-24) at Baylor University where he recorded seven top-three finishes, highlighted by two victories (2021 Rice Intercollegiate, 2023 Valero Texas Collegiate); he also broke six-time PGA TOUR winner Jimmy Walker’s school record for career scoring average (71.45)

Additional notes

• Co-runner-up finishers Tyson Alexander, Blades Brown, Joshua Creel, Zach James, and Julian Suri all total 27-under 257 to tie the eighth-lowest 72-hole score in Korn Ferry Tour history; equal the ninth-lowest 72-hole score relative to par in Korn Ferry Tour history, match the lowest 72-hole score by a runner-up finisher in Korn Ferry Tour history (Rhein Gibson/2016 Ellie Mae Classic; Myles Creighton/2024 Veritex Bank Championship); and tie the lowest 72-hole score relative to par by a runner-up finisher in Korn Ferry Tour history (Creighton/2024 Veritex Bank Championship).
• Blades Brown (T2/-27), a 17-year-old professional in his third career start on the Korn Ferry Tour, records the lowest finish by a player under the age of 18 in Korn Ferry Tour history (previous: Si Woo Kim, 17 years old/2013 Mid-Atlantic Championship/T11); he is eligible to compete in next week’s Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya via his top-25 finish, though he is currently committed to next week’s PGA TOUR event, THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, via a sponsor exemption.
  • Brown earned 167 points this week, bringing his season total to 185.167; he must earn a total of 237.718 points (equivalent to the No. 100 player from the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List) to earn Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season.
• Tyson Alexander (T2/-27), winner of the 2021 and 2022 Veritex Bank Championships, records his second career runner-up finish on Tour (T2/2020 Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse); he was bidding to become the second player in Korn Ferry Tour history to win the same event three times (Kyle Thompson/UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH/2007, 2011, 2015).
• Korn Ferry Tour winner Joshua Creel (T2/-27) records his third career runner-up finish on Tour and his highest finish on Tour since winning the 2021 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health.
• Rookie Zach James (T2/-27), a native of Denton, Texas who plays from Frisco, Texas, posts his second top-10 in his ninth career start on Tour (T7/2025 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club).
• Julian Suri (T2/-27), who finished No. 83 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie, posts a career-high finish in his 29th career start on Tour; his only top-10 on Tour prior to this week was a T4 at the 2024 UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH.
• Veritex Bank ambassador Mitchell Meissner (T7/-26) records his third top-10 of the season; he entered 2025 with two top-10s in 48 career starts on Tour, with both coming in 2024.
• Class of 2022 Korn Ferry Tour graduate S.H. Kim (T7/-26) posts his third top-10 in seven starts this season, projects to rise to No. 4 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
• University of Texas-Arlington alum Tanner Gore (T18/-23), who finished No. 66 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie, records his second consecutive top-25 finish (T13/LECOM Suncoast Classic); he entered the 2025 season with two top-25s in 28 career starts on Tour.
• Rookie and conditional member Tanner Napier (T25/-22), competing this week via a sponsor exemption, cards a bogey-free 4-under 32 on the back nine to record his first top-25 finish on Tour, which earns him a spot in next week’s Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya.
• This week’s 72-hole tournament scoring average of 66.922 marks the lowest 72-hole tournament scoring average in Korn Ferry Tour history, usurping the 2023 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open (67.703).