Hank Lebioda Wins Season Opening Event
Hank Lebioda earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title Wednesday at The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, outlasting S.H. Kim with a birdie on the first playoff hole at The Ocean Course at Atlantis in the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season opener.
Lebioda, 31, earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title in his 62nd start. The Florida State alum played the PGA TOUR full-time from 2019 to 2023; he made 120 starts before losing his card and returning to the Korn Ferry Tour, from which he first graduated in 2018.
Lebioda carded a four-round total of 18-under 262 in the Bahamas, including a final-round, 4-under 66 to overcome a four-stroke deficit to 54-hole leader John VanDerLaan, who closed in 6-over 76 for a T9 finish. Kim, who played the last two seasons on the PGA TOUR, shot a final-round 63 to make up a seven-stroke deficit and earn his spot in the playoff. Lebioda stuffed a pitching wedge to a foot for a kick-in winning birdie on the first playoff hole, the 483-yard, par-4 18th, while Kim missed a 30-foot birdie try from the green’s back-right portion.
Hank Lebioda’s interview after winning The Bahamas Golf Classic
Last season, Lebioda finished No. 75 on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour Points List to narrowly retain full status for this season. He won’t have to sweat that bubble in 2025; he can turn his attention to a PGA TOUR return via the top 20 on the season-long standings (down from 30 cards a year ago).
“It’s exciting,” said an emotional Lebioda afterward. “It will sink in in a couple days, but happy to talk to my family.”
Lebioda, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease as a college freshman in 2012, has always demonstrated a fighting spirit in his professional golf pursuits. He did the same in the Bahamas.
Charting the champion (stats updated through tournament)
| Category | Hank Lebioda |
| Age | 31 years, 0 months, 1 day |
| 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List | No. 1 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s on Korn Ferry Tour in 2025 | 1-1-1 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s in Korn Ferry Tour career | 62-1-6 |
| 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List | No. 75 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s on Korn Ferry Tour in 2024 | 24-0-1 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s at The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island | 3-1-2 |
Hank Lebioda (first/-18)
- Claims his first Korn Ferry Tour victory in what was his 62nd career start on Tour
- Entered the final round four strokes behind 54-hole leader John VanDerLaan, closes in 4-under 66 to overcome the deficit and defeat S.H. Kim with a birdie on the first hole in a sudden-death playoff (par-4 18th)
- Matches the best come-from-behind win at The Bahamas Golf Classic (four strokes/Chandler Phillips/2023)
- At 18-under 262, breaks the 72-hole tournament scoring record previously established by Zecheng Dou (270/2019)
- Marks his second top-10 in three career appearances at The Bahamas Golf Classic (T9/2018)
- Matched his career-low round on Tour with an 8-under 62 in the second round (previous: 2018 UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH/Round 2)
- Finished No. 75 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn fully exempt membership for the 2025 season; he played the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season with conditional status from his Nos. 151-200 finish (No. 182) in the 2023 FedExCup Fall standings
- Previously maintained PGA TOUR membership from the 2018-19 season through the end of the 2022-23 season, and qualified for the 2021 FedExCup Playoffs
- Secured his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season via the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour standings
- Winner of the 2017 Quebec Open powered by Videotron Business on PGA TOUR Canada
- Played collegiately at Florida State University (2012-16), where he was a four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year and 2016 ACC Player of the Year
