Tag: PGA Tour University Accelerated

This college golfer could have his PGA Tour card by summer’s end — here’s how

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

Jackson Koivun had one of the best freshman seasons in college golf history.

He won the Fred Haskins Award, the Heisman Trophy of college golf, while also taking home the Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus Awards as Player of the Year. Then he helped Auburn win its first men’s golf national championship in school history. As if that wasn’t enough, he also took home the Phil Mickelson Award for Freshman of the Year.

Hopefully he has some room in the trophy case to put all of his honors.

Thanks to Koivun’s stellar season, he’s got a chance to earn a PGA Tour card by the end of the summer thanks to PGA Tour University Accelerated.

Through PGA Tour University Accelerated, a high-achieving junior, sophomore or freshman can earn Tour membership and become eligible for all open, full-field Tour events. Players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf, and they will earn PGA Tour membership if they amass at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility.

After one season, Koivun sits at 16 points, and 17th is on the way in a couple weeks once he competes in the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup in Ireland.

Here’s how it breaks down: Koivun received three points each for winning the Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus Awards. He got two for the Mickelson. There’s 11.

Then, he reached No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, which gave him four more points and got him to 15. If he gets to No. 1, which is something that could happen if his strong form continues, he would gain another point.

He got another point a couple weeks ago when he made the cut at the Memorial Tournament, which he got into when he won the Nicklaus Award. It was his first PGA Tour start.

That’s 16 points, and as mentioned, a 17th is on the way, leaving him three shy of a PGA Tour card before he starts his sophomore year of college.

Not bad.

Gordon Sargent, who’s set to begin his senior year at Vanderbilt in the fall, earned his PGA Tour card in the fall via the University Accelerated rankings, though he’s going to wait until after his senior year to accept Tour membership. Koivun is looking to become the second to earn his card via Accelerated, and he can do it before the end of the summer.

There are numerous ways players can earn points, including some of the top amateur events. If Koivun were to win the Western Amateur, that would be worth two points. The U.S. Amateur, which he was a quarterfinalist at in 2023, is worth three.

Although it’s not likely he will play in the Open Championship, making a start in a major is worth one point, making the cut is another and a top-20 finish is worth two. He could earn points with PGA Tour starts, as well. Players get one point for making the cut at a Tour event and another for finishing inside the top 10.

Even if it doesn’t happen this summer, it’s a matter of if, not when, for Koivun on when he’ll join Sargent in earning his Tour card. Perhaps next summer, there will be three new faces joining the Tour fresh out of college in Sargent, Koivun and the winner of the 2025 PGA Tour University standings.

Gordon Sargent will defer his PGA Tour card, return to Vanderbilt for senior season

Big news in the college golf realm.

Professional golf is going to have to wait a bit longer to see one of the game’s premier amateur players take his next step.

Gordon Sargent announced Thursday he was returning to Vanderbilt for his senior year. The news may come as a surprise to some, considering Sargent has a PGA Tour card secured thanks to PGA Tour University Accelerated, but he’ll defer his status until next summer, meaning the amateur game gets another year with one of its best players.

“It’s been an honor to represent this university alongside my teammates and coaches, and I look forward to continuing to compete – and further my education – at this amazing place that has given so much to me,” Sargent said in a release. “I would like to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey, and I’m excited for this final chapter at Vanderbilt.”

Sargent, from Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the game’s longest hitters with his astounding speed. He earned the final of 20 points in the PGA Tour U Accelerated program in the fall when he was on the United States team at the World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi.

As of now, Sargent is the only player who has earned 20 points via PGA Tour U Accelerated since the program was introduced two years ago.

Sargent, No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, won the NCAA individual championship as a freshman and went 4-0 at the Walker Cup last fall at St. Andrews. He also earned low amateur honors at the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

This year, Sargent has one win, coming in his latest start at the Mason Rudolph Championship. The 2023-23 Golfweek Player of the Year has posted four top-five finishes during the 2023-24 season and holds a scoring average of 69.92 through eight collegiate tournaments.

By deferring his PGA Tour card, Sargent will be able to take it following the 2025 NCAA Championship. He will have full status through 2026 once he turns professional.

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Gordon Sargent earned his PGA Tour card Wednesday, making history doing so

The kids can play.

Gordon Sargent made history Wednesday.

The 20-year-old junior at Vanderbilt became the first player to earn PGA Tour membership via PGA Tour University Accelerated. He earned his 20th and final point needed when he teed off in the Men’s World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Sargent will be able to accept PGA Tour membership after the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA National Championship in Carlsbad, California, upon turning professional. If he chooses this path, he would be eligible for open-full-field events for the remainder of the 2024 season, including the FedEx Cup Fall, and he would be a Tour member for the 2025 season.

The PGA Tour University Accelerated program was announced in November 2022 as a way for high-achieving underclassmen – juniors, sophomores or freshmen – to earn PGA Tour membership. Players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf. If a player earns at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility, they become eligible for Tour membership.

Sargent is currently second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Here’s how he earned his 20 points.

  • Oct. 18, 2023 – Competes for United States at World Amateur Team Championships (1 point)
  • Sep. 2, 2023 – Competes for United States at Walker Cup (2 points)
  • July 7, 2023 – Makes cut in PGA TOUR event at John Deere Classic (1 point)
  • June 16, 2023 – Makes cut at major championship at U.S. Open (1 point)
  • June 15, 2023 – Makes major championship start at U.S. Open (1 point)
  • June 8, 2023 – Competes for United States at Arnold Palmer Cup (1 point)
  • April 6, 2023 – Makes major championship start at Masters Tournament (1 point)
  • Feb. 15, 2023 – Reaches No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Ranking (5 points)
  • Aug. 31, 2022 – Competes for United States at World Amateur Team Championships (1 point)
  • July 1, 2022 – Competes for United States at Arnold Palmer Cup (1 point)
  • June 1, 2022 – Wins 2022 NCAA Division I Outstanding Freshman Award (2 points)
  • May 30, 2022 – Wins individual medalist honors at NCAA Championship (3 points)

In May, Ludvig Aberg became the first to earn a Tour card via PGA Tour University. He has since won on the DP World Tour, lost in a playoff two weeks ago at the Sanderson Farms Championship and was a part of the victorious European Ryder Cup team in Rome last month.

Why amateur Gordon Sargent has a pivotal weekend ahead at 2023 U.S. Open

There’s a chance Gordon Sargent could be on the doorstep of securing a PGA Tour card.

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Gordon Sargent has a big weekend ahead of him in Los Angeles.

There’s a chance he could be on the doorstep of securing a PGA Tour card.

Sargent, the top-ranked amateur in the world who’s set to begin his junior season at Vanderbilt in the fall, is sitting at 16 points in the PGA Tour University Accelerated standings. He has earned two points this week, one for making a start in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club and another Friday after making the cut, moving closer to the 20-point threshold.

If Sargent gets to 20 points by the end of his junior year, he will earn PGA Tour membership. And there’s a chance he could do that before officially hitting a shot representing the Commodores this fall.

Sargent sits at even-par 140 after two rounds of the U.S. Open, tied for 30th. If he were to place in the top 20 come Sunday night, he would earn two more points. Then he’s only two points away, but barring something unforeseen, Sargent will earn those two points later this summer representing the United States on the 2023 Walker Cup team.

PGA Tour U Accelerated was created so high-achieving juniors, sophomores or freshmen could earn PGA Tour membership and become eligible for all open, full-field Tour events. Last month, Ludvig Aberg became the first golfer to earn a PGA Tour card through PGA Tour U, making his professional debut last week at the RBC Canadian Open.

And Sargent, the 2022 NCAA individual champion, is well on his way to becoming the first to earn a Tour card because of Accelerated.

Even if he didn’t finish in the top 20 this weekend, he could earn the remaining four points in numerous ways. He’s essentially a lock to make the Walker Cup team, so that leaves two points left to earn PGA Tour membership.

He could earn a point representing the U.S. in the 2023 World Amateur Team Championship, set for Oct. 18–21 in Abu Dhabi. He was a member of the team last year in France. There’s also three points available at the U.S. Amateur and two at the Western Amateur. Additionally, if he were to make a start in another major, that’s one point. Make the cut in a major or a PGA Tour event, another point.

And he’s going to tee it up in the Rocket Mortgage Classic in two weeks in Detroit, meaning he could get two points for making the cut and a top-10 finish.

It seems unlikely that Sargent wouldn’t get to 20 points before the end of his junior season. Nevertheless, it’s a big weekend for him chasing a PGA Tour card.

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