Gordon Sargent, a 20-year-old junior at Vanderbilt University, is the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated, as he teed off for the United States team Wednesday at the World Amateur Team Championships in Abu Dhabi and achieved the 20-point threshold in PGA TOUR University Accelerated.
Following the conclusion of stroke play at the 2024 NCAA D-I National Championship (May 24-27), Sargent will become eligible to accept PGA TOUR membership upon turning professional. If he turns pro after the conclusion of his junior season, Sargent would be eligible for open, full-field events for the remainder of the 2024 season, including the FedExCup Fall, and he also would be a PGA TOUR member for the 2025 season (subject to reshuffles).
“Since winning the NCAA Championship as a freshman, Gordon has consistently proven himself as one of the top amateurs in the game, and he’s very deserving of becoming the first underclassman to earn PGA TOUR membership through PGA TOUR University Accelerated,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We look forward to welcoming him to the PGA TOUR after he concludes his collegiate career at Vanderbilt.”
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.
Currently No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Sargent entered this week’s World Amateur Team Championships with 19 points, and he earned the 20th once he officially began competition as a member of the U.S. team.
- October 18, 2023 – Competes for United States at World Amateur Team Championships (1 Point)
- September 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)
- February 15, 2023 – Reaches No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Ranking (5 Points)
- August 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)
To learn more about Sargent and his journey to the PGA TOUR, follow this link to an April 2023 feature story published on PGATOUR.com.
PGA TOUR University Accelerated complements the PGA TOUR University Ranking, which annually provides the top-20 seniors with membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. Sargent’s PGA TOUR University Accelerated performance benefits closely resemble those earned by the No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking.
In May 2023, Texas Tech’s Ludvig Åberg finished atop the PGA TOUR University Ranking and became the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University. Åberg debuted as a TOUR member at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open and posted four top-five finishes in his first 10 starts as a pro, including a win at the DP World Tour’s Omega European Masters.
Åberg, who represented Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup last month, finished 135th in the 2022-23 FedExCup and rose to No. 96 on the FedExCup Fall Points List after a runner-up finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship, as well as a T13 this past weekend at the Shriners Children’s Open.
About PGA TOUR University
Introduced in 2020, PGA TOUR University identifies the best players in Division-I college golf and provides membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. PGA TOUR University alumni have won 15 professional events, and five alumni earned their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season: Ludvig Åberg, Austin Eckroat, Davis Thompson, Trevor Werbylo and Kevin Yu.
PGA TOUR University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. The No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will earn PGA TOUR membership, while players Nos. 1-5 (fully exempt) and Nos. 6-10 (conditional) will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership. Additionally, players finishing 6th through 20th will earn fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas.
PGA TOUR University will be featured on GOLF Channel each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. For more information, visit pgatour.com/university and follow PGA TOUR University on Twitter and Instagram (@PGATOURU).
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