PGA Tour launches membership route for collegiate talent

The PGA Tour has launched a fast-track programme to channel up and coming university-level talent into its ranks, coming up with a two-pronged approach that opens the door of the world’s largest and most lucrative golf tour for top collegiate talent.

Possibly prompted by LIV Golf recruiting top amateurs and varsity golfers directly into its ranks, the US-based tour earlier this week announced its PGA Tour University presented by Velocity Global programme that will provide two routes to membership, directly via rankings and the second through membership of its second level Korn Ferry Tour.

This comes on the heels of earlier attempts to play catch-up with LIV Golf’s initiatives like earnings guarantees, enhanced prize money, elite-field events, all of which the Saudi Arabia-backed league has already out in place since it launched in the summer.

But back to the latest chapter of this chase-the-hare scenario.

By the time it launched, the Greg Norman-driven league had either short-listed or signed up top-level young talent like Spain’s Eugenia Lopez-Chacarra, then the world’s second-ranked amateur, Thai teenager and superstar in the making Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat, Jordanian Shergo Al Kurdi, 2019 US Amateur champion Andy Ogletree and world number nine David Puig of Spain.

Of this class of rookies/amateurs, Chacarra was the most productive bet. In only his fifth professional start after joining the LIV Golf ranks, the two-time All American at Oklahoma State University star and finalist for both the Ben Hogan and Hoskins awards for best collegiate golfer won his first professional event, the LIV Golf Invitational in Bangkok.

That win alone earned the 22-year-old a cool four million dollars. By the time the launch season had ended at Miami in late October, Chacarra had pocketed $6.9 million – in just six professional starts.

Realising it was falling behind the curve in attracting fresh faces and new talent, the PGA Tour said its top-ranked university player will earn tour membership after the conclusion of the 2023 NCAA D-I National Championship. In addition, he will be eligible for all open, full-field events following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship.

The Velocity Global Ranking includes seniors who meet eligibility criteria while those a rung below and those achieving elevated benchmarks in college, amateur and professional golf can earn membership through the new University Accelerated programme.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said, “Success at the highest levels of college and amateur golf has proven to be a strong indicator of a player's potential as a professional golfer.

 “The first two classes of PGA Tour University alumni have shown us that these players are ready to compete and win immediately, and these two additions to the programme further strengthen our commitment to college golf and will provide future stars with direct access to the tour.”

In its statement, the tour added, “Players who earn membership via PGA Tour University will earn official FedExCup points and will also be exempt into the Final Stage of Qualifying School, which assures them Korn Ferry Tour membership along with the opportunity to earn a tour card.”

Had this programme been in place just two seasons ago, players who would have finished no. 1 include Jon Rahm (2016), Collin Morikawa (2019) and Indian-American Sahith Theegala (2020), who has family roots in Hyderabad.

“For the PGA Tour University Class of 2023, the Performance Benefits for the Nos. 2-20 players in the Velocity Global Ranking will remain the same, with Korn Ferry Tour serving as the path to the PGA Tour” the statement said.

“Players finishing Nos. 2-5 will be exempt members on Korn Ferry Tour, and Nos. 6-10 will earn conditional membership on the Korn Ferry Tour. Additionally, players finishing 6th through 20th will be exempt members on PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Furthermore, players finishing Nos. 1-5 remain exempt into Final Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School and Nos. 6-20 remain exempt into Second Stage.”

The player who finishes atop the Velocity Global Ranking will be the one with the best record over the final two years of his college career. In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), PGA Tour University will rank players based on their average performance in eligible tournaments, which include NCAA D-I men’s team competitions, official tour events and select DP World (European) Tour events.

This in effect means eligibility to approximately 14 tour events in 2023, beginning with the 2023 RBC Canadian Open (June 8 to 11).

The other push is the PGA Tour University Accelerated route via which junior collegiate golfers could earn tour membership and become eligible for all open, full-field events.

Players will earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf, and they will get membership on amassing at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility via a set of eligibility criteria.