Randall Hudson was grouped with Easton Paxton and Jake Peacock in the final round of First Stage of Q-School at Bermuda Run Country Club in Bermuda Run, N.C. It was a favorable grouping: Hudson and Paxton are good friends, and both got along well with Peacock, a former University of South Florida standout. Through three rounds, the three pros were five-under and T-14 at a site where the top 17 and ties advanced to Second Stage. It’s one of those positions that causes a restless night.

The 25-year-old Hudson had been playing conservatively off the tee all week to minimize mistakes. Survive and advance. The First Stage way. The North Carolinian planned on sticking to his game plan until the risk-reward 17th. If the leaderboard called for it, he could play more aggressively on the par-5. But when you’re starting the final round of a Q-School stage, the 71st hole might as well be a week away.

Hudson, who made his PGA Tour debut last year at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, shook off the nerves with a birdie at the first. The 27-year-old Paxton built on the group’s momentum, adding birdies at 2, 3 and 4. Hudson eagled the fourth and rolled in a birdie at the fifth. Everyone in the group was under par early on a course that hadn’t given up many low scores.

“Everyone was grinding pretty hard but it helps when everyone’s playing well. Can kinda feed off each other,” Hudson says. “It’s never easy in a final round but a good start helps.”

At four-under through five, Hudson knew he was in control of his fate. No reason to press. He focused on playing solid shots and hitting greens.

The trio played steadily, avoiding bogeys. The difficult 15th posed the last major challenge: a dogleg par-4 with water protecting the left side of the hole. Hudson could feel the intensity mounting as they approached the tee. When all three players hit their targets, the tension eased.

On the 203-yard 16th, each member of the group was scrambling after his tee shot. All three grinded out pars and exchanged fist bumps leaving the green.

“We were definitely cheering for each other,” Hudson says.

Paxton birdied 17 to move to seven-under, and the three closed with pars on 18. Paxton signed for 64 to finish T-3, Hudson posted 67 to finish T-9, and Peacock’s 69 got him one shot inside the qualifying number. An enviable bogey-free group in the final round of a stage of Q-School. Each man is headed to Second Stage.

What a day.

University of Tennessee alumnus Jake Hall made just over half his cuts on PGA Tour Americas this season, but the experience seemed to prepare him well for First Stage of Q-School. The 26-year-old earned medalist honors at Bermuda Run by five shots, posting 65-65-71-65 for 18-under. Australian Harrison Endycott won Final Stage of Q-School in 2023 by four shots. The 30-year-old Korn Ferry Tour winner shot nine-under over four days to advance to Second Stage. Brandon Berry, 27, finished 110th on the KFT points list this season and birdied two of his final three holes at Bermuda Run to finish two shots inside the number.

Noah Connor, 25, who lives about an hour away from the Bermuda Run, made bogey on the final hole of the tournament to miss by a shot. That’s about as sickening a feeling as golf can inflict. Notables who failed to advance include 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up John Augenstein, two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Sebastian Cappelen, two-time KFT winner Jared Wolfe and former Korn Ferry Tour member J.T. Griffin.

Full Results from Bermuda Run.

Results from the other three First Stage sites

The Preserve at Ironhorse – West Palm Beach, Florida

Medalist: George Kneiser, 17-under

Qualifying score: 11-under

Number of players to advance: 17

Notables to advance

Brett Stegmaier: The 43-year-old has 83 PGA Tour starts and 155 on the KFT.

Will Grimmer: The 29-year-old former Buckeye owns Loft 59 in his hometown of Cincinnati, where he gives lessons when he’s not competing.

Cristian DiMarco: Son of three-time PGA Tour winner Chris DiMarco. Closed with a flawless 7-under 65 to advance on the number.

David Kocher: The 30-year-old former Maryland Terp has two KFT wins.

Kieron van Wyk: Van Wyk finished fourth in his first PGA Tour event at the 2025 Puerto Rico Open. Before that, he became the first amateur to win an APGA event.

Notables to miss

Willie Mack III: The 38-year-old from Flint, Mich., has dominated the APGA and made 11 PGA Tour starts, including last week in Bermuda, where he made the cut.

Jovan Rebula: Nephew of four-time major champion Ernie Els. Rebula became the second South African in history to capture The Amateur Championship in 2018.

Austin Lemieux: Son of NHL legend Mario Lemieux who recently qualified for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Abilene Country Club (South) – Abilene, Texas

Medalist: Jake Holbrook, 20-under

Qualifying score: 11-under

Number of players to advance: 22

Notables to advance

Jinichiro Kozuma: Former LIV golfer from Japan who played for Kevin Na’s Iron Heads and lost in a playoff to Patrick Reed at LIV Golf Dallas in 2025.

Josh Creel: The 36-year-old former PGA Tour player has a KFT win on his resume.

Aman Gupta: The 27-year-old former Oklahoma State Cowboy reached the semifinals of the 2020 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Sebastian Szirmak: The Canadian opened with 73-75 before rallying in Round 3 with the round of the tournament, a 10-under 62. He closed with 67 to punch his ticket to Second Stage.

Notables to miss

John Sand: The 27-year-old is an Asher Tour winner and frequent mini tour contender. Sand needed to save just one more shot to advance.

Chris Naegel: Three-time U.S. Open participant who was under par in every round at Abilene.

Augusto Nunez: Former PGA Tour and KFT member from Argentina.

Calum Scott: The 23-year-old Scot was the low amateur at the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Seth Bearden: The Texan opened with 67-68 and entered Round 3 T-2. But he posted 73-76 to miss by seven shots.

Sand Creek Station Golf Course – Newton, Kansas

Co-medalists: Brendon Jelley and Wil Gibson, 18-under

Qualifying score: 6-under

Number of players to advance: 18

Notables to advance

Raul Pereda: The 30-year-old earned his way onto the PGA Tour in 2023 by finishing fourth at Final Stage of Q-School.

Gunnar Broin: The former Jayhawk qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Broin posted a final-round 7-under 65 to finish two shots clear of the qualifying number.

Nick Carlson: The 29-year-old from Michigan has been grinding on the HotelPlanner Tour in recent years and won on the NEXT Golf Tour last year, helping fund his season.

Alex Schaake: The 28-year-old was a standout at the University of Iowa.

Gray Mitchum: The North Carolinian’s blistering final-round 64 included a double bogey on the par-3 seventh.

Notables to miss

Charlie Hillier: The 29-year-old Kiwi and former Jayhawk came up one shot short.

Chase Johnson: The KFT veteran is a John Shippen Award winner, made the cut at the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera and qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open. Johnson made bogey on his 71st hole and failed to advance. Heartbreaking.

Easton Johnson: Johnson entered the final round inside the qualifying number but shot 73 to miss by one.