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Peter Kuest's ultimate goal of contending for a John Deere Classic title was dashed Sunday with a final-round 71.
But he struck a bigger moment for his emerging professional golf career.
The BYU alum from Fresno, California, shot 67-67-65-71 to finish tied for 17th, seven shots back of winner Sepp Straka at TPC Deere Run.
The finish, when combined with the T4 he carded in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, guarantees Kuest the chance for a paycheck every week via a special temporary membership on the PGA Tour.
"We came here this week to win a golf tournament. We weren't worried about locking up special temporary membership," Kuest said after making the cut Friday. "We knew if we played well, that would take care of itself, so we were just focused on winning a golf tournament and playing well."
Still, it's been a remarkable two-week stretch for Kuest, who on Monday qualified for the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit and playing in three-straight events.
A conditional member of the PGA's developmental Korn Ferry Tour, Kuest needed just 2.328 points in the FedEx Cup standings to claim his conditional status. He earned it quickly, guaranteeing the needed T76 finish by making the cut of top 69 golfers and then finishing 72 holes of play.
The special temporary membership status means Kuest — who finished T126 at the final stage of Q-School last fall — has earned a spot in a conditional category on the Tour priority rankings, and he'll be able to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions to play in tournaments through the FedEx Cup fall season.
Kuest, who lives and trains out of American Fork since winning the Utah Open in 2020, is the sixth player to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour this year, joining Akshay Bhatia, Ryan Gerard, Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Hojgaard. Special temporary members who earn the equivalent of non-member FedEx Cup points as high as No. 125 in the season-long standings will earn full PGA Tour membership in 2024.
For context, fellow Utah golf product Zac Blair rose to No. 93 in the FedEx Cup rankings after a series of results led by a runner-up finish at the Travelers Championship. The former Fremont High and BYU star coming off medical rehabilitation after a pair of surgeries has missed the cut in each of his last two tournaments, including the John Deere Classic.
