NASSAU, The Bahamas – A pair of Kentuckians – Matt Adkins (Owensboro) and J.M. Butler (Louisville) – remain in contention at the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2026 season-opening event, the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, following the completion of second-round play Tuesday morning.

Third-round play begins Tuesday morning at 9:53 p.m. ET from the Ocean Club Golf Course. The Golf Channel airs live coverage from 2-5 p.m. Live scoring of the event is available on the Korn Ferry Tour website at https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/leaderboard.

Darkness Monday evening suspended second-round action until Tuesday morning.

Adkins surged up the leaderboard on Monday, posting a bogie-free, 7-under 65 that included seven birdies. Coupled with his 5-under 67 on Sunday, Adkins enters the third round tied with 12 other golfers for eighth place at 12-under 132.

Butler, who entered Monday tied for the lead following his 10-under 62 on Sunday, registered a 1-over 73 to slip into a tie for 44th place at 9-under 135. His round was suspended due to darkness on Monday, three holes shy of completion.

Lexington native and former Morehead State star Josh Teater did not make the 7-under par cut. He finished at 1-under 143.

A trio of golfers are atop the leaderboard at 15-under 129 after two rounds, including Taylor Dickson, who recorded three eagles and a 10-under 62 on Monday.

Adkins tied for 53rd in the event here last year at 5-under 275. He has played in nearly 200 tournaments on the KFT during his career, with one win and two runner-up finishes. He won the 2017 El Bosque Mexico Championship; took second at the 2024 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation and tied for second at the 2016 Club Colombia Championship. A 2009 graduate of Apollo High School in Owensboro, Atkins attended USC Aiken (2011-13) where he was a two-time All-American and the PBC Golfer of the Year as a senior. He began his pro career in 2013.

A former Louisville Trinity High School alum and Auburn star, Butler turned pro in 2024 after helping lead the Tigers to the NCAA golf championship. He earned exemption status on the Korn Ferry Tour after finishing among the top 10 points scorers on the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas List. Last season on the PGA TOUR Americas, Butler posted six top-25 finishes, highlighted by winning the Bupa Championship in Mexico City, Mexico.

The four-day opening event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season features a field of 132 players competing for a $1 million purse. The top-20 players on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn 2027 PGA TOUR membership, with the season-long standings finalized after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia’s Richmond Region in mid-October.

The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island is one of 10 featured events on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season televised by the Golf Channel. The network will provide three hours of live coverage during each round with daily replays in prime-time windows. The remaining television schedule follows: Tuesday, Jan. 13 (2-5 p.m.) and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (1-4 p.m.).

This week’s event features a competitive field including 12 PGA TOUR winners, collecting 26 total wins and 53 Korn Ferry Tour winners, achieving 79 total KFT wins. The last three winners of the opening event of the Korn Ferry Tour season have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR Card at the conclusion of the season.