Gandon Grateful for Opportunity at K-State
Apr 09, 2025 | Men's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Jeremy Gandon, who once took the Big 12 Conference by storm by earning the 2018 individual co-championship during a remarkable four-year career at Kansas State, saw his six-year climb through the professional ranks take a promising turn as the France native captured his first-ever win on the Korn Ferry Tour with a win at the Club Car Championship at The Landing Golf & Athletic Club in Savannah, Georgia.
In a hotly contested, hold-onto-your-seat final round, the 28-year-old Gandon hit his birdie putt for the win in a sudden-death 18th hole playoff on Sunday, gaining traction in a sport that he has loved all his life, yet one that can often be unforgiving in the professional ranks, testing the commitment of those who cross through the proverbial ropes.
Gandon's victory, after a lengthy journey, seemingly arrived just in time.
"The timing of the win was pretty meaningful," Gandon said. "I graduated in 2019 and have been a pro for six years, so I was getting to a point where I needed something to happen. It was hard to justify going back to a satellite tour. That would be a decision I'd have to make if things didn't go well.
"I didn't have any guarantees that professional golf would keep going for me."
Instead, now Gandon carries momentum heading into the Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, on April 16-19 — the next of 19 remaining events on 2025 The Korn Ferry Tour.
"My goal is to try and get a PGA Tour card," Gandon said. "So far, we've played in six events — Bahamas, Latin America, and this was the first event of the U.S. swing. The rest of the way is going to be pretty intense with a tournament every other week. It's a process, practice and planning travel."
Gandon entered the Club Car Championship with two top-10 finishes in 14 previous Korn Ferry Tour starts, including a ninth-place finish in the Astara Chile Classic — a top-25 finish that gained him entry to the Club Car Championship. Gandon also had a sixth-place finish in the 2023 Utah Championship.
He's a long way from the days of chipping onto the green at Colbert Hills Golf Club.
A member of head coach Grant Robbins' first recruiting class, Gandon at the time of his graduation ranked first in school history with a 72.67 scoring average. He remains the program's only Big 12 medalist and second-ever conference medalist. He won four tournaments and ended his career with back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances as an individual. At the time, he was only the second Wildcat to do so.
"I came to the U.S. just for the opportunity to get a degree and play golf at the highest level," Gandon said. "It's either you go to the U.S. or turn pro. I wanted a degree and had an opportunity at Kansas State. Kansas State was the first school to contact me. Coach Robbins came to watch the British Boys Tournament (in Europe), and he reached out. Kansas State was serious about recruiting me and I signed there."
Gandon was regarded as the 23rd-best amateur in France, including No. 4 under the age of 18. Among his early exploits, he placed 11th at the 2013 French Amateur.
Meanwhile, K-State provided a foundation for Gandon's professional career.
"In college, I wasn't used to the team aspect of golf," he said. "It taught me to be competitive every day because you competed against the other guys. There was the workload where you dealt with school and workouts. It was up to you to do the work if you were serious about it. I played with great players and saw players going through the same path and that gave me confidence for the next level."
Gandon, believed to be the first international player in the history of the K-State men's golf program, graduated from K-State with a finance degree in May 2019 and began his professional career days later on the Mackenzie Tour — formerly known as PGA Tour Canada — at the Canada Life Open in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In the beginning, he had to play a qualifying event to get into the Mackenzie Tour. It cost him $2,750 to enter, with no prize money on the line and only the top 14 finishers earning spots on the PGA-sanctioned Canadian tour.
He left all his belongings in Manhattan during the Canadian tour, then moved in with friends in Fort Worth, Texas — men's golfers at TCU — where traveling was easier, and weather and golf options were favorable. Now Gandon and his wife reside in Dallas.
"I'm a long way from the college days," he said.
The professional golf days continue.
"The journey keeps going," he said. "In college, I used to be hot-headed and pretty emotional on the golf course. I had high expectations and wanted good results. Playing pro golf, I've realized that you can't get caught up too much on the expectation or result, but it's more about what it takes to get the result and the process."
Jeremy Gandon, who once took the Big 12 Conference by storm by earning the 2018 individual co-championship during a remarkable four-year career at Kansas State, saw his six-year climb through the professional ranks take a promising turn as the France native captured his first-ever win on the Korn Ferry Tour with a win at the Club Car Championship at The Landing Golf & Athletic Club in Savannah, Georgia.
In a hotly contested, hold-onto-your-seat final round, the 28-year-old Gandon hit his birdie putt for the win in a sudden-death 18th hole playoff on Sunday, gaining traction in a sport that he has loved all his life, yet one that can often be unforgiving in the professional ranks, testing the commitment of those who cross through the proverbial ropes.
Gandon's victory, after a lengthy journey, seemingly arrived just in time.
"The timing of the win was pretty meaningful," Gandon said. "I graduated in 2019 and have been a pro for six years, so I was getting to a point where I needed something to happen. It was hard to justify going back to a satellite tour. That would be a decision I'd have to make if things didn't go well.
"I didn't have any guarantees that professional golf would keep going for me."
Instead, now Gandon carries momentum heading into the Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, on April 16-19 — the next of 19 remaining events on 2025 The Korn Ferry Tour.
"My goal is to try and get a PGA Tour card," Gandon said. "So far, we've played in six events — Bahamas, Latin America, and this was the first event of the U.S. swing. The rest of the way is going to be pretty intense with a tournament every other week. It's a process, practice and planning travel."
Gandon entered the Club Car Championship with two top-10 finishes in 14 previous Korn Ferry Tour starts, including a ninth-place finish in the Astara Chile Classic — a top-25 finish that gained him entry to the Club Car Championship. Gandon also had a sixth-place finish in the 2023 Utah Championship.
He's a long way from the days of chipping onto the green at Colbert Hills Golf Club.
A member of head coach Grant Robbins' first recruiting class, Gandon at the time of his graduation ranked first in school history with a 72.67 scoring average. He remains the program's only Big 12 medalist and second-ever conference medalist. He won four tournaments and ended his career with back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances as an individual. At the time, he was only the second Wildcat to do so.
"I came to the U.S. just for the opportunity to get a degree and play golf at the highest level," Gandon said. "It's either you go to the U.S. or turn pro. I wanted a degree and had an opportunity at Kansas State. Kansas State was the first school to contact me. Coach Robbins came to watch the British Boys Tournament (in Europe), and he reached out. Kansas State was serious about recruiting me and I signed there."
Gandon was regarded as the 23rd-best amateur in France, including No. 4 under the age of 18. Among his early exploits, he placed 11th at the 2013 French Amateur.
Meanwhile, K-State provided a foundation for Gandon's professional career.
"In college, I wasn't used to the team aspect of golf," he said. "It taught me to be competitive every day because you competed against the other guys. There was the workload where you dealt with school and workouts. It was up to you to do the work if you were serious about it. I played with great players and saw players going through the same path and that gave me confidence for the next level."
Gandon, believed to be the first international player in the history of the K-State men's golf program, graduated from K-State with a finance degree in May 2019 and began his professional career days later on the Mackenzie Tour — formerly known as PGA Tour Canada — at the Canada Life Open in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In the beginning, he had to play a qualifying event to get into the Mackenzie Tour. It cost him $2,750 to enter, with no prize money on the line and only the top 14 finishers earning spots on the PGA-sanctioned Canadian tour.
He left all his belongings in Manhattan during the Canadian tour, then moved in with friends in Fort Worth, Texas — men's golfers at TCU — where traveling was easier, and weather and golf options were favorable. Now Gandon and his wife reside in Dallas.
"I'm a long way from the college days," he said.
The professional golf days continue.
"The journey keeps going," he said. "In college, I used to be hot-headed and pretty emotional on the golf course. I had high expectations and wanted good results. Playing pro golf, I've realized that you can't get caught up too much on the expectation or result, but it's more about what it takes to get the result and the process."
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