Jorge Fernández Valdés was the top Latin American, recording his second top-10 finish of the year (T7)
PANAMA CITY, Panama – American Ian Holt is enjoying a dreamlike and historic start to the Korn Ferry Tour season. After winning the second tournament of the season in the Bahamas just 11 days ago, he claimed victory today at the Panama Championship to secure back-to-back wins. By capturing two of the first three tournaments of the 2026 season, Holt became the player to reach multiple victories the fastest in the history of the Tour.
To win at Club de Golf de Panamá, where he began the final round two strokes off the lead, Holt carded a final-round 3-under-par 67. At 1-under for the day through seven holes, Holt took control with birdies on holes 9, 10, and 14. His lone bogey over the final 11 holes came at the par-5 12th. He finished with a winning total of 8-under-par 272.
Finishing two shots back, and as the only player in the field to shoot four rounds of 69 or better, veteran Canadian Adam Hadwin made birdie on the 72nd hole to end the week in solo second. One stroke further back, American Trevor Cone posted a final-round 71 to finish solo third.
The top Latin American player in the tournament was Argentina’s Jorge Fernández Valdés, who tied for seventh place at 2-under par. Although a bogey-bogey finish cost him a better result, the 33-year-old from Córdoba continues his strong form with two top-10 finishes in three events this season.
After remaining inside the top 15 through the first three rounds, Venezuelan Jorge García struggled on Sunday and ultimately settled for a tie for 49th place. His hopes for a stronger finish faded between holes 7 and 11, where he made four consecutive bogeys and one double bogey. He signed for a final-round 77 and finished the week at 5-over par.
The Panama Championship was the first of five Korn Ferry Tour events to be held in Latin America this season. The next stop will be the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, which begins this Thursday, February 5, at Country Club of Bogotá.
About the Champion
Ian Holt
His victory at the Panama Championship is the second of his Korn Ferry Tour career and came just 11 days after winning The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club (the previous event on Tour).
He became the first player in Korn Ferry Tour history to record multiple victories within the first three events of a season. Previously, the fastest was Jimmy Walker, who won two of the first four tournaments of the 2004 season (the inaugural Panama Championship and the Chitimacha Louisiana Open).
This marks the 16th time a player has won two consecutive Korn Ferry Tour events—10 times between 1990 and April 2021, and six times since May 2021.
The most recent player to win back-to-back events before Holt was Harry Higgs, who captured the 2024 AdventHealth Championship and Visit Knoxville Open.
He began the final round in a three-way tie for fifth place at 5-under par, two shots behind 54-hole leader Taylor Duncan at 7-under.
He secured the two-shot victory with a final-round 3-under-par 67, recording six birdies and three bogeys.
He solidifies his position as the early No. 1 on the Points List, totaling 1,036.50 points after just three tournaments.
With one more win this season, he would earn an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR, awarded to any player who wins three tournaments in a single Korn Ferry Tour season (Three-Victory Promotion).
He finished No. 42 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, securing full status for the 2026 season.
He previously tied for 54th in his only prior appearance at the Panama Championship in 2025.
This is his fourth season as a Korn Ferry Tour member (2019, 2023, 2025). In his first full season on Tour in 2023, he finished No. 150 on the Points List and lost his card.
He finished No. 10 on the PGA TOUR Americas Points List in 2024 to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2025.
He began the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season with conditional status, entered his first event through open qualifying, posted two consecutive top-25 finishes, and won his third start at the 2024 Explore NB Open. That victory vaulted him into the top 10 of the PGA TOUR Americas Points List.
He turned professional in 2018 and competed in four seasons on PGA TOUR Canada (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022).
He played four seasons at Kent State University (2014–18), earning three collegiate victories, including the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship. He was named Conference Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
He is 30 years old and hails from Stow, Ohio, USA.
Sourse and Photo by PGA/Korn Ferry