PGA Tour University has been nothing short of successful, and the program is expanding its benefits to continue that momentum.
Five more Division-I collegiate golfers and the top player in Division II will be eligible to earn PGA Tour Americas membership through PGA Tour U starting in 2024, it was announced Tuesday.
Beginning with the Class of 2024, five more players – now 25 total – will earn performance benefits based on their finish in the PGA Tour U Ranking. Players who finish 11th-25th (previously 11th-20th) will earn exempt membership on PGA Tour Americas for the remainder of the current season, and they will be exempt into Second Stage of PGA Tour Q-School.
Additionally, starting in 2024, a junior or senior who wins the D-II Jack Nicklaus Award (National Player of the Year) will earn the same benefits as players who finish 11th-25th in the PGA Tour U. Such player may accept his performance benefits upon the conclusion of his collegiate career, meaning a junior who wins the D-II Jack Nicklaus Award may accept his performance benefits after his senior season.
“As PGA Tour University continues to grow, the pipeline from collegiate golf to the PGA Tour gets stronger,” PGA Tour University executive director Brendan von Doehren said. “The best collegiate players have shown they are ready to compete against the best in the world, and these enhancements to PGA Tour University ensure that at least five more deserving players will start their careers as members of PGA Tour Americas each year.”
Last year, Ludvig Aberg became the first player to earn a PGA Tour card as a result of finishing first in the PGA Tour U rankings. He won the RSM Classic to conclude the FedEx Cup Fall last month.
Now, more players are going to have opportunities to earn their cards other ways.