2026 is going to be the year of change for golf. LIV Golf has changed the format of its events to increase the holes from 54 to 72. They also increased the number of qualifying spots from the LIV Golf Promotions Event. While Scott O’Neil is focusing on growth, it seems that the PGA Tour is going backwards as they will reduce the competition on the field next season. Next year, only 100 PGA Tour players will receive memberships instead of 125. And Kris Ventura is fighting to stay within the top 100.

The 30-year-old just completed an excellent round of golf at the El Cardonal Golf Course. He finished T3 in the first round of the 2025 World Wide Technology Championship. After completing the 18 holes, the Norwegian was asked about keeping his status in the top 100 of the FedEx Cup Fall rankings. And Ventura had a lot to share about it.

He told the reporter, “Honestly, in the past I’ve been the guy that has thought about results and thought about what I need, how many points, and this and that. I know that doesn’t work. Like, even if you’re playing OK, you’re kind of suffering through it. I’ve just gotten tired of playing, thinking about what if or what if I don’t make it, what if I make it. These last few events, I think it’s super important to just play free and do your best. As long as I do that, I’m going to be happy regardless of what happens.”

Sitting at 119th on the FedEx Cup Fall table, Ventura is not that far away from booking his place on the PGA Tour for another season. But as he mentioned, he is not as worried about missing out as he may have been in the past. The 30-year-old missed the 2023 & 2024 seasons of the PGA Tour after he lost his membership in 2022. But he was still able to fight his way back in to regain his status in 2025. After spending half a decade in the Tour, he now understands that he would only put himself at a disadvantage if he stresses about the result instead of enjoying his game.

Interestingly, it seems that Kris Ventura’s approach is working as it reflects on the leaderboard. Let’s see how he has been performing in Los Cabos, Baja California, Mexico, so far.

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Has letting go of the stress helped Kris Ventura perform better in Mexico?

A stress-free Kris Ventura seems to be a dangerous Kris Ventura on the field. The Norwegian did state that there is no point for him to worry about the points. Ironically, not worrying about them has helped him rack up a lot of points. After the end of 18 holes, he finished at T3, just three strokes off the top of the leaderboard. While it may seem like a daunting deficit, the leaders were just too good in the first round for anyone else to compete.

Both Sami Valimaki & Nick Dunlap managed to score 11-under 61. Hence, even Ventura’s outstanding 8-under 64 ended up looking not that impressive. Nevertheless, the 2025 World Wide Technology Championship still has three more rounds to go. And if Kris Ventura continues to play stress-free and enjoy his game, then he might be able to overcome the 3-stroke deficit. Who knows, the Norwegian might also end up winning the title. That will surely help him make it into the top 100 of the FedEx Cup Fall rankings.