Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas began his 2026 season at The Bahamas Golf Classic, held at Atlantis Paradise Island, with a commendable performance. He shot rounds of 64, 70, 66, and 72, culminating in a 72-hole total of 272, 16 under par, which earned him a tie for 33rd place.
At 26 years old, Thomas is in his second season with the Korn Ferry Tour. He secured his tour card after a successful outing at the PGA Tour Qualifying School in Florida last month.
His tournament started impressively with a remarkable first round of 64, which had to be finalized on the second day due to dwindling light. During that round, Thomas reached eight under par after 15 holes, marking the score with eight birdies before battling through three pars.
Throughout the event, Thomas made a total of 23 birdies, supplemented by five bogeys and one double bogey, while he managed to complete the remaining holes in par. The Korn Ferry Tour showcased its competitiveness this week, highlighted by a 36-hole cut that fell at seven under. Remarkably, only four players, alongside two withdrawals, failed to match par or better, with the average score for the field resting just over 68.6 on the 7,159-yard course.
The tournament concluded with 33-year-old Taylor Dickson from the U.S. emerging victorious. He finished with a total of 27 under par, having posted rounds of 67, 62, 67, and 65, winning by a three-shot margin. Noteworthy was Dickson’s outstanding second round, where he started on tee 10 and recorded a back nine of 29, including three eagles across crucial holes.
The first two events of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour in the Bahamas took place from Sunday to Wednesday, with the next stop in Panama scheduled from January 29 to February 1, marking a return to the typical Thursday to Sunday timeline.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Thomas reflected on his performance: “I played pretty solid all week in this first event of the season for both myself and the tour. I was a little nervous at the start, which is never a bad thing – but overall I was pretty happy with how I played.” He added that despite some challenges in the final round, including a trip into the water and an out-of-bounds hit, he found a way to secure five birdies and finished with a par-72.
Looking ahead, Thomas expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament: “It is great to get the season off the ground. I have fond memories of the golf course from last year; we are playing again next week, so I am really excited to have started the year so positively.” His next challenge will be The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, taking place from January 18 to January 21, 2026, with a $1 million purse up for grabs.
For more updates, visit www.PGATour.com.