Class in session: Tour opens more access to college golfers under PGA Tour University ranking
Garry Smits
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — The PGA Tour is opening more avenues for the top college players in the nation.
The Tour announced on Monday that NCAA Division I golfers will have two opportunities to earn membership through Velocity Global PGA Tour University ranking.
Beginning next season, the No. 1-ranked player will earn Tour membership after the stroke-play phase of the 2023 NCAA tournament is concluded. That player will be eligible for all open, full-field events.
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The Velocity Global Ranking is for seniors who reach certain criteria.
In addition, underclassmen who also achieve elevated benchmarks in college, amateur and professional golf can earn Tour membership through the PGA Tour University Accelerated.
Once the benchmarks are met, the player would become a Tour member and eligible for open, full-field events after the NCAA Championship.
The changes were approved by the Tour Policy Board this week.
Players who earn membership via PGA Tour University will earn official FedExCup points and will also be exempt into the Final Stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, which assures them Korn Ferry Tour membership along with the opportunity to earn a PGA Tour card.
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.
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.
Players finishing sixth through 20th will be exempt members on PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica and Those finishing Nos. 1-5 remain exempt into the Final Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School and Nos. 6-20 remain exempt into the Second Stage.
If PGA Tour University was in place prior to 2020, players who would have finished No. 1 include Jon Rahm (2016), Collin Morikawa (2019) and Sahith Theegala (2020). Pierceson Coody finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour University Class of 2022, and he won his third start on the Korn Ferry Tour in June.
Accelerated Points can be earned through the following achievements:
• Win a major college golf award: Haskins Award (3 points), Hogan Award (3 points), D-I Nicklaus Award (3 points), D-I Outstanding Freshman Award (2 points)
• Career-best rank in World Amateur Rankings (No. 1, 5 points, No. 2, 4 points, No. 3, 3 points, No. 4, 2 points, No. 5, 1 point).
• Tournament wins: D-I NCAA individual (3 points), U.S. Amateur (3 points), The Amateur (3 points), Western Amateur (2 points), European Amateur (2 points), Latin America Amateur (2 points), Asia-Pacific Amateur (2 points)
• Participate in a national team competition: Walker Cup (2 points), Palmer Cup (1 point), World Amateur Team Championship (1 point)
• Performance in official PGA Tour events and Major Championships. Points are accumulated for each of the following achievements: 1 point, made cut in Tour event, top-10 finish in Tour event, compete in a major, make the cut in a major and 2 points for a top-20 finish in a major.
Finau withdraws
Tony Finau, who won last week in Houston for his fifth PGA Tour title, was to have been the highest-ranked player in the world in the field (12th) for this week's RSM Classic at the Sea Island Club.
However, Finau withdrew on Tuesday, citing an undisclosed injury. He was replaced in the field by Kevin Chappell, who finished solo second in the tournament in 2015.
Brian Harman is now the top-ranked player in the field at 26th.
Also withdrawing was William McGirt. He was replaced by Sung Kang.
The medalist at the Monday qualifier was Akshay Bhatia with a 62 at the Brunswick Country Club. Bryson Nimmer had a 63 and Brett Drewitt and Connor Godsey tied for the last two spots with 65s.
Early Holiday surprises
The Players Championship Red Coats made a series of surprise visits to area non-profits this week to present donations from proceeds raised from the 2022 tournament.
Red Coat Grants went to the Greenwood School and the Jewish Family and Community Services on Tuesday and the Jacksonville School for Autism on Wednesday. Another trip is planned to the Five Star Veterans Center on Friday.
The charities are four of 75 total recipients of Red Coat Grants this year.
• The donation to the Greenwood School coincided with students and volunteers participating in a putting and chipping golf clinic.
The $7,500 grant will be used for equipment for the school's new ADA-accessible fitness center. Greenwood School provides supportive education to middle and high school students with learning differences.
• The Jewish Family and Community Services received a $10,000 grant to support its tutoring services for at-risk youth in Duval County’s foster programs.
• The Jacksonville School for Autism received a $10,000 grant to help its gardening program, which will provide vocational training to students through agro-business.
• The Five Star Veterans Center will receive a grant to support its mission of supporting veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Depression, Anxiety and other related mental health issues.
Policy Board addition
Jimmy Dunne, vice-chairman and senior managing principal of Piper Sandler, has joined the PGA Tour Policy Board as an Independent Director.
Dunne will replace Vic Ganzi, who will retire Jan. 1, 2023. One of five Policy Board Independent Directors, Dunne will join chairman Edward Herlihy, Mark Flaherty, Mary Meeker and Randall Stephenson. The five player-directors for 2023 include new additions Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson, along with Charley Hoffman and Rory McIlroy.
United, Tour re-up
United Airlines and the PGA Tlur announced a multi-year extension of their official marketing relationship that designates United as the “Official Airline of the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and Korn Ferry Tour” through 2025.
The renewal also extends United's annual commitment to award 55 golf teams at Historically Black Colleges and Universities with more than half a million dollars in grants, divided equally among the schools, to fund travel for golf tournaments and recruiting efforts. Over the multi-year extension, United will award a total of $1.5 million in grants to these institutions.
PGA TOUR
Event: RSM Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Sea Island Club, St. Simons Island, Ga.
At stake: $8.1 million purse ($1,458,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Talor Gooch.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 12-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.).
Area players entered: Jonathan Byrd, Harris English, Brian Harman, Zach Johnson, Patton Kizzire, Philip Knowles, Russell Knox, David Lingmerth, Davis Love III, Keith Mitchell, Trey Mullinax, J.T. Poston, Doc Redman, Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Davis Thompson, Michael Thompson, Carl Yuan.
Notable: Gooch, who shot 64 in the final round to beat MacKenzie Hughes by three shots, jumped to LIV Golf and won’t play because of his PGA Tour suspension. … Leading the field is last week’s winner in Houston, Tony Finau, plus Kevin Kisner, Jason Day, Si Woo Kim, Francesco Molinaro, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson and Danny Willett. … The Tour goes on a break until the Sentry Tournament of Champions Jan. 5-8 in Kapalua, Hawaii.
LPGA TOUR
Event: CME Group Tour Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples.
At stake: $7 million purse ($1.5 million to the winner).
Defending champion: Jin Young Ko.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-5 p.m.; Saturday, 4-7 p.m.); NBC (Sunday, 1-4 p.m.).
Area players entered: Chella Choi.
Notable: Ko fired a 63 in the final round and beat Nasa Hataoka by one shot.
Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter