PANAMA CITY, Panama – Veteran American golfer Josh Teater pulled off a surprise victory on Sunday, winning the 2025 Panama Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. Entering the final round tied for 20th place and six strokes behind the leader, Teater delivered an outstanding 5-under-par 65, the best round of the day by two strokes on a sunny and windy day that made the Club de Golf de Panamá course play tough. His total score of 9-under-par 271 put him at the top of the leaderboard with an hour and a half of play remaining, and no one was able to catch him, securing the second title of his career on the circuit.
His winning margin was two strokes over fellow Americans Dylan Wu, Nick Gabrelcik, and Johnny Keefer. Keefer, who led after the first 54 holes, closed the tournament with bogeys on holes 15 and 16, ending his title hopes and settling for a tie for second place at 7-under-par 273.
Teater had only one previous victory in PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournaments, which he achieved in 2009 at a Korn Ferry Tour event in Utah. It took 402 tournaments for him to win again on Sunday.
The 45-year-old veteran started gaining ground early, making three birdies in the first five holes. He recovered from a bogey on the 9th with four birdies over a six-hole stretch (11, 12, 14, and 16). Those birdies allowed him to withstand a bogey on the 18th.
“I just tried to play conservatively aggressive. My main goal was to secure a top-25 finish to qualify for next week’s event in Bogotá, and I knew an even-par round would probably be enough. I started strong, making some nice birdies and saving key pars. The birdie on 11, where I hit an 8-iron from a fairway bunker and then sank a 50-foot putt, was huge. I didn’t want to bogey the 18th, but fortunately, it didn’t matter,” he said while reflecting on his final round.
The champion admitted that just a month ago, he had considered ending his professional career. However, he received an invitation to the first two events of the season in the Bahamas, and a top-10 finish in the second one earned him a spot in the Panama Championship.
“Maybe the odds weren’t in my favor, but the Lord is good, and I am in His hands. He can do anything, so I just try to keep going and do my best,” he said emotionally. “You live with whatever comes, whether good or bad.”
The good news for Teater now is that he will no longer have to rely on invitations or a limited veteran status. His opportunity to return to the PGA TOUR, where he has played 246 tournaments in his career, is back on track.
“This is why we come to the Korn Ferry Tour—to finish as high as possible. I’ve done it three times before, so let’s do it a fourth time. I still believe I can compete on the PGA TOUR and play at a high level,” said Teater, who is now second on the Points List that will determine the 20 players earning PGA TOUR cards for 2026.
González Finishes in Top 25 as Best Latin American in the Tournament
Despite closing with a 2-over-par 72 on a day of tough scoring conditions, Mexico’s Emilio González managed to move up the leaderboard, finishing the Panama Championship as the best of the 14 Latin American players who competed this week. With a total score of 1-under-par 279, the player from San Miguel de Allende improved from a tie for 30th to a tie for 23rd place.
His compatriot José de Jesús Rodríguez, who started the day tied for 20th place with Teater, closed with a 74 to finish in a tie for 29th.
Other Latin Americans who made the cut finished further back, with Argentina’s Augusto Núñez and Tano Goya tying for 44th place at 3-over-par. One stroke behind, Mexico’s Roberto Díaz and Argentina’s Fabián Gómez tied for 49th place.
The Panama Championship was the first of five Korn Ferry Tour events in Latin America. The next one, the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, will begin this Thursday, February 6, at the Country Club of Bogotá.
Additional Information on Champion Josh Teater (-9)
Won the tournament at age 45 years, 6 months, and 22 days.
Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, he has played professionally since 2001.
The 2025 Panama Championship was his 180th career Korn Ferry Tour event. His previous win was at the 2009 Utah Championship Presented by Utah Sports Commission.
15 years, 4 months, and 20 days passed between his first win in Utah and his second in Panama—the second-longest gap between victories in Korn Ferry Tour history.
His previous best finish in Panama was a tie for 13th in 2018.
On the PGA TOUR, he has played 246 tournaments, recording two runner-up finishes, one third-place finish, and three additional top-5 finishes.
His runner-up finishes came at the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open (where he finished at -10, tying Brandt Snedeker, four shots behind champion Tiger Woods) and the 2020 Puerto Rico Open (-19, one stroke behind Viktor Hovland).
In 2024, he played 25 PGA TOUR events but only made four cuts, finishing the season ranked 214th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
Began the 2025 season under veteran member status, but with this victory, he gains full exemption for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026.
Has graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour three times (2009, 2018, and 2023) and has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs four times (2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013).
Played four seasons at Morehead State University (1996-2000).