2025 Fortinet Cup Week 3: Card charges into second spot

LIMA, Peru – With a dramatic one-shot victory at the Kia Open on Sunday in Quito, Jay Card III has climbed to second place on the Fortinet Cup Points List. The 30-year-old from Shelter Island, New York, is now just three points behind leader Ryan Grider, who has held the top spot since his season-opening win in Argentina. Maxwell Moldovan, winner of the ECP Brazil Open, is only 10 points behind Card—setting up a tightly contested race at the halfway mark of the Latin America Swing.

“Coming into the Kia Open after finishing eighth in Brazil, I was thinking about how many points I needed to lock up a spot for the North America Swing,” said Card, following his first professional win. “I knew I was close to the number last year, so it’s a big relief knowing I’ll be OK.”

After finishing 80th in last season’s Fortinet Cup eligibility ranking—just enough to secure the final exempt spot into the 2025 Latin America Swing—Card knows how crucial every point can be. “Every point matters because you never know how close it’s going to be,” said the High Point University alum, who turned pro in 2018. “You can’t take those opportunities for granted.”

Here’s a look at the top 10 players in the Fortinet Cup standings through three events in the 16-tournament season:

1. Ryan Grider – 586 points

Despite his lead shrinking to only three points, Grider remains atop the standings for a third straight week. A second-round 73 hurt his chances at the Kia Open, where he finished T35 at 7-under. With a win and two top-10 finishes, he also leads the Tour in total birdies (61).

2. Jay Card III – 583 points

After seeing his four-shot lead disappear early in the Kia Open final round, Card battled back with three birdies on the back nine to clinch the win. It marked his second top-10 finish of the season, following a T8 in Brazil.

3. Maxwell Moldovan – 573 points

The Brazil Open champion faced a long Sunday in Quito, playing 30.5 holes in one day. He made the most of it, firing a final-round-low 64 to finish T9. His 72.5-point haul puts him just 13 points off the Fortinet Cup lead.

4. Ricardo Celia – 354 points

With a T20 in Argentina and a T10 in Brazil, Celia continued his strong play with a runner-up finish in Quito. A bogey on the final hole kept him out of a playoff, but the 245 points vaulted him to No. 4 and made him the highest-ranked Latin American player this season.

5. Joey Vrzich – 352 points

After a T3 in Argentina and a T14 in Brazil—both highlighted by strong Sunday rounds—the Pepperdine alum stumbled in Quito. Rounds of 72-73 left him two shots short of the cut.

6. Michael Brennan – 304 points

In contention after two front-nine eagles in the second round, the Wake Forest product carded a 70 that ended a streak of nine consecutive rounds in the 60s. He finished T26 and remains one of the Tour’s most consistent performers.

7. George Markham – 300 points

The runner-up in Brazil struggled in Quito, posting rounds of 73-74 to miss the cut by six shots.

8. Jake Staiano – 280 points

At 7-under through 10 holes in the final round, this 28-year-old from Colorado held a three-shot lead and appeared poised for victory. Two costly double-bogeys on 12 and 16 derailed his run, but he still finished T2 and jumped from 46th to 8th in the standings.

9. Chris Francoeur – 190 points

After a solo third in Brazil, Francoeur was unable to carry that momentum to Quito. An illness forced him to withdraw before starting the event.

10. Conner Godsey – 186 points

A slow start at the Kia Open—3-over through 13 holes—kept the 2020 champion from contending. Though he played the next 23 holes bogey-free, his four birdies weren’t enough to make it into the final round.

Next Stop:

The Fortinet Cup continues at the Diners Club Peru Open, May 1–4 at Los Inkas Golf Club in Lima, Peru.