Only an extraordinary chain of events stands between Karl Vilips and promotion to the PGA TOUR in 2025 as Cassie Porter enters the Epson Tour Championship with one hand on an LPGA Tour card.

In two of the most compelling golf tournaments of the year in which storylines fluctuate based on almost every shot, the Korn Ferry Tour and Epson Tour will crown 30 and 15 graduates respectively.

A total of 17 players have already earned enough points to guarantee their elevation from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR, Vilips the next in line at No.18 for the 13 remaining cards to be handed out.

A winner in his fourth start on Tour having graduated from Stanford College in June, it would mark a meteoric rise for a young man who has been on a trajectory to the PGA TOUR from a very early age.

‘Koala Karl’ had won two US Kids World Championship titles before the age of 10 and now, at age 22, is almost assured of joining the PGA TOUR next season.

Porter, too, has been predicted to play at the highest level from a young age.

Runner-up at the Masters of the Amateurs in a playoff in 2020, Porter turned professional in 2001 at the age of 18.

She edged good friend Kelsey Bennett to win the WPGA Melbourne International in January 2023 and in her second year on the Epson Tour in the US, won the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in June.

That, along with three top-10 finishes throughout the season, has her placed 11th in the Race For The Card standings, the top 15 after this week’s Tour Championship to earn status on the LPGA Tour in 2025.

This week also represents a wonderful opportunity for a host of Aussies teeing it up in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Along with Kiwi Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori, Daniel Gale, Brett Coletta, Matthew Griffin, David Micheluzzi, Jak Carter, Cameron John, Kade McBride, Lachlan Barker and Jordan Zunic are all playing one of the DP World Tour’s most iconic events by virtue of their performances on the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.

There are 13 Aussies – including 2013 champion Scott Hend – playing the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on the Asian Tour and Kirsten Rudgeley and Kelsey Bennett will be out to continue their recent good form at the Aramco Team Series event in China.

Round 1 tee times AEST

PGA TOUR Sanderson Farms Championship The Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi 11:11pm Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 2:50am Ryan Fox (NZ) 4:07am* Aaron Baddeley

Defending champion: Luke List Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US7.6m TV times: Live 10pm-9am Thursday; Live 10pm-9:30am Friday; Live 7am-10am Sunday; Live 6:30am-9:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Old Course St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland St Andrews 6:44pm Daniel Hillier (NZ), Matthew Griffin 7:06pm Sam Jones (NZ) 8:01pm Daniel Gale

Carnoustie 6:11pm Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 6:55pm Lachlan Barker 7:50pm Jak Carter 7:50pm* Matt Jones

Kingsbarns 6:55pm Kade McBridge 7:06pm Jordan Zunic 7:39pm* David Micheluzzi 7:50pm* Cameron John 8:01pm Brett Coletta

Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US5m TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 505; 9pm-3am Saturday; Live 9:30pm-3am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Asian Tour Mercuries Taiwan Masters Taiwan Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei 9am* Maverick Antcliff 9:10am* Sam Brazel 9:20am* Jed Morgan 9:45am Aaron Wilkin 1:25pm* Harrison Crowe 1:30pm Andrew Dodt 1:35pm* Todd Sinnott 1:45pm* Kevin Yuan 2:05pm* Zach Murray 2:15pm* Jack Thompson 2:20pm Brendan Jones 2:30pm Scott Hend 2:40pm Deyen Lawson 2:50pm Justin Warren

Defending champion: Jaco Ahlers Past Aussie winners: Scott Hend (2013) Prize money: $US1m

Japan Golf Tour ACN Championship Golf Tournament Miki Golf Club, Hyogo 9:50am* Michael Hendry (NZ) 10:20am Brad Kennedy 10:40am Anthony Quayle

Defending champion: Yuki Inamori Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1974, 1982), Brian Jones (1985, 1987, 1988) Prize money: ¥100,000,000

Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF - Shenzhen Mission Hills Resort (World Cup Cse), China Australasians in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Kelsey Bennett

Defending champion: Xiyu Lin Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US1m TV times: Live 3pm-7pm Friday on Fox Sports 505; Live 4pm-7pm Saturday; Live 5pm-8pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Korn Ferry Tour Korn Ferry Tour Championship French Lick Golf Resort (Pete Dye Cse), French Lick, Indiana 10:52pm Karl Vilips

Defending champion: Paul Barjon Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US1.5m TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday; Live 3am-7am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 505; Live 3:30am-6:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503.

Epson Tour Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players Cse), Indian Wells, California 12:37am Cassie Porter 1:10am* Amelia Garvey (NZ) 5:18am* Fiona Xu (NZ)

Defending champion: Auston Kim Past Aussie winners: Kristie Smith (2010) Prize money: $US287,500

Challenge Tour D+D REAL Czech Challenge Royal Beroun Golf Club, Beroun, Czech Republic 8:45pm Hayden Hopewell 9:05pm* Connor McKinney

Defending champion: Andrea Pavan Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €270,000

LET Access Series Iberdrola Calatayud Ladies Open Gambito Golf Calatayud, Spain Australasians in the field: Laura Hoskin (NZ)

Defending champion: Hannah Screen Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €45,000

PGA TOUR Champions Constellation FURYK & FRIENDS Timuquana Country Club, Jacksonville, Florida Australasians in the field: Steven Alker, Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Defending champion: Brett Quigley Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US2.1m TV times: Live 4am-6am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 5am-7am Sunday, 9:30am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Sunshine Tour SunBet Challenge hosted by Sun Sibaya Umhlali Country Club, Ballito, South Africa 4:10pm Astin Arthur (a, NZ) 8:20pm* Austin Bautista

Defending champion: Martin Rohwer Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: R2m