ELKHORN, Neb. – Pierceson Coody knows what’s at stake this week. The PGA TOUR University No. 1 has made a quick impact on the Korn Ferry Tour with three top-10s in seven starts, including a victory at the Live and Work and Maine Open. He’s No. 29 on the Points List into the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season-ending Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, and a strong week could bring his first PGA TOUR card.

He just needed to make it to Omaha first.

After polishing off a final-round 68 at last week’s Utah Championship, the University of Texas alum embarked on his journey to Middle America to begin his #TOURBound chase.

Professional golf can often pose a litany of travel obstacles, and Coody was not immune en route from Utah to Nebraska. This is how his Monday journey unfolded …

Coody played in Sunday’s final group in Utah, and despite a final-round, 3-under 68, he fell from second to 10th place, meaning this week in Omaha would prove critical in earning his first TOUR card.

He was far from discouraged with the outcome in Utah. He felt he played well, just couldn’t get the putts to drop.

And he knows a strong week at The Club at Indian Creek could bring the Korn Ferry Tour’s ultimate prize. The 22-year-old enters the week with 716.5 Korn Ferry Tour points this season, 38.122 points back of No. 25 Michael Kim. Coody needs at minimum a solo 26th finish to earn a spot in the top 25 on the Regular Season Eligibility Points List and a PGA TOUR card. He could need more, based on how scenarios unfold around the bubble, but he knows he’s very much within striking distance.

“Starting the summer, if you had told me I’d have a chance to get my PGA TOUR card at this event, I would’ve signed up for that,” Coody said. “I’m just looking forward to however things fall this week and chasing down the dream. Being on the bubble, it’s exciting. It’s everything I’ve dreamt about, and however things fall, I can accept.”

Coody feels he has played his best golf on the weekends in his early pro career, and the results back that up. He has missed three cuts in seven starts, but of his four weekend appearances, he has finished top-10 three times – including a statement five-stroke victory in Maine.

Coody comes from golf lineage. His grandpa Charles won the 1971 Masters, and his dad Kyle competed on the Korn Ferry Tour in the 1990s.

Although the first step in securing a TOUR card this week involves surviving the cut line, Coody intends not to think along those lines.

“My dad has always told me, ‘If you play to make the cut, you’ll probably miss the cut,’” Coody said. “So I think just keep the mindset that I’ve had the last seven weeks; just playing to win is the best way to try to get things done.”

As the adage goes, winning takes care of everything. In addition to the Pinnacle Bank Championship trophy, 25 additional trophies will be waiting Sunday afternoon.

Coody figures: Why not both?