Who is John Pak? Meet the PGA Tour rookie leading the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025

John Pak is on top of the leaderboard after the first round at the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025. The PGA Tour event is being held at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 26-year-old posted a score of a bogey-free 7-under 63 in the first round with five birdies and an eagle. He is three shots ahead of nine players who are tied for second at 4-under. Assessing his round, he said (via ASAP Sports):

"Yeah, like a solid 8 out of 10. Yeah, I hit the ball well. I judged it really well when I did miss the fairway and kind of just made sure to leave myself in the right spots. The putting was the best I've had all year. So, yeah, I'm pretty happy about it."

John Pak was born on December 18, 1998, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey and has Korean-American descent. He started playing golf at an early age at Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey.

Pak graduated from Florida State University and had a remarkable collegiate career, winning eight tournaments. He was awarded the 2021 Jack Nicklaus Award, Ben Hogan Award, and Fred Haskins Award. He also represented the US Team at the Walker Cup in 2019 and 2021 and at the Arnold Palmer Cup.

The 26-year-old turned professional in 2021. He played six tournaments on the PGA Tour in 2021 and failed to make the cut in five of them. In 2022, he played on the Korn Ferry Tour and played in 16 events and made the cut in eight of them. He had only one top-25 finish and finished 145th in the Korn Ferry Tour points list.

In 2023, he played on the PGA Tour Canada and achieved his first professional win at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open. He won by four strokes over Connor Howe and Chris Korte. He finished eighth in the standings.

In 2024, John Pak had a splendid season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He secured his PGA Tour card for the 2025 season by finishing 23rd on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He won his first Korn Ferry Tour tournament at the Compliance Solutions Championship.

A look at John Pak's performance in 2025

John Pak has had a poor start in the 2025 season. He has competed in 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour and made the cut in seven of them. However, he has managed only one top-25 finish in 12 starts.

Pak's best performance came at the Mexico Open in Vidanta Vallarta, where he tied for 17th. He is positioned 168th in the FedEx Cup standings with 69 points.

Let's take a look at John Pak's performance in the 2025 PGA TOUR Tournaments:

Sony Open in Hawaii: Missed Cut (144, +4)
The American Express: Missed Cut (210, -6)
Farmers Insurance Open: T56 (294, +6)
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld: T17 (272, -12)
Puerto Rico Open: Missed Cut (141, -3)
Valspar Championship: T64 (288, +4)
Texas Children's Houston Open: 69 (280, E)
Valero Texas Open: T52 (292, +4)
Corales Puntacana Championship: T63 (289, +1)
Zurich Classic of New Orleans: 136 (-8)
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: 70 (286, +2)
ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic: Missed Cut (143, +1)

About the author

Rohit is a Golf writer at Sportskeeda who specializes in PGA Tour coverage. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Delhi University and a Master's degree in Global Studies from Ambedkar University, he has always been passionate about writing on varied topics.

Rohit has over 4 years of prior work experience under his belt. He prioritizes thorough fact-checking of every article he pens with the aim of providing readers with the most accurate and insightful content.

Rohit's favorite celebrity sportsperson is Novak Djokovic; he admires his determination in the face of challenges and fighting spirit. Rohit is an avid reader and when he's not busy reading and writing about the latest developments in the vast world of pop culture and sports, he can be seen absorbed by a book. He also loves playing chess.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua