Nicholas Qualifies for Golf Tour

James Nicholas '19 (above) continues his golf career beyond his success at Yale (Yale Athletics photos)

In his bid to launch a professional golf career, Scarsdale native James Nicholas '19 in early June qualified for a Korn Ferry tour event.  The event permits golfers like Nicholas to qualify over time for the PGA Tour.  During a period of quarantine this spring, Nicholas spent his time in Florida preparing for the Korn Ferry events and practicing in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

The Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops young golfers to prepare them for the PGA Tour. About 75% of current PGA professionals graduated from the tour, established in 1990. The top 25 finishers in the Korn Ferry Tour each year qualify to play at the PGA level the following year. Like the PGA tour, after a period of CoViD-19 hiatus, the tour resumes this summer.

Nicholas is best known in Westchester athletics circles has having been the area's top high school golfer while attending Scarsdale High School.  He played three sports in high school, excelled in all, and had a difficult decision about which to participate in at college. He won the New York state golf title as a Scarsdale senior. But he was also an All-State football player and scored over 100 goals in ice hockey, also earning All-Sate honors.

At Yale, he started out in football and golf, but eventually settled on a storied four-year golf career in New Haven. He accumulated bundles of titles, trophies and honors. He earned Ivy League player-of-the-year honors in his junior and senior season and competed for NCAA titles. After receiving his Yale diploma in ecology and evolutionary biology, he has attempted to explore opportunities to become a professional.