Dubai-born golfer Rayhan Thomas has advanced to the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, presented by Korn Ferry, which is set to take place in Florida in mid-December.

Thomas, who hails from Dubai, demonstrated remarkable resilience by shooting a final round of four-under-par 68, resulting in an impressive total of 13-under-par 275. This performance secured his spot in the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School. Competing at the Landings Golf & Athletic Club in Georgia, Thomas faced challenging conditions, including blustery winds and chilly temperatures, but managed to finish tied for 12th place. This position comfortably placed him within the top 18 and ties, earning him a coveted spot in the upcoming Final Stage in Florida.

The journey to the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School is notoriously difficult, and Thomas had to navigate through howling winds and temperatures as low as eight degrees. Despite these challenges, he maintained his focus and delivered steady rounds of 68, 68, 71, and 68 throughout the week. "It was a tough week," Thomas remarked after his round. "The wind was really strong, and the cold made it even harder to stay sharp. But I kept my head in the game and focused on my strategy. I knew that if I stuck to my plan, I could make it through."

As the winds roared across Deer Creek, Thomas remained composed, leveraging his strong driving and solid iron play to maintain consistency. He refused to let a few errant shots derail his focus and, with his mental toughness, successfully navigated the challenging conditions to achieve his goal. "I played really solid golf in my final round," he said. "I hit my irons well and putted great on the back nine especially – and drove well all week. It was a tough day with the weather today, it was eight or nine degrees when we teed off and only got up to a high of around 13 degrees later in the day."

Thomas, who turned professional on June 1st, 2024, began his golfing journey as a youngster at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club through their JDP Junior Golf Programme. He later received further coaching at the CH3 Performance Institute at The Els Club, Dubai, under the guidance of Justin Parsons. Parsons, who has coached top golfers like US Open champion Brian Harman, has also worked with players such as Louis Oosthuizen, Harris English, Patton Kizzire, Michael Thompson, and Seamus Power.

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