pga tour top 10 finishes 2023

• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School
• Horse Racing Northeast
• Shop Northeast
• PBR Northeast
• 3ICE Northeast
• Stubhub Northeast
• Play Golf Northeast

Golf 2024 Top-10 Finishes Leaders

Top-10 finishes.

Search Golf Compendium

Golf compendium, 2023 world golf rankings: no. 1, top 50 at end of year, men's world golf rankings, end of 2023, popular posts from this blog, 2024 masters tournament winner and final scores.

24 Famous Golfers Who Were Photographed in the Nude

2025 masters tournament dates and schedule.

Who Finished Top Of The Men's Golf Majors Leaderboard For 2023?

Only 12 players managed to make the cut of all four men's Majors in 2023, and the player with the best overall score did not actually win one.

• Sign up to Golf Monthly Newsletter Newsletter

Whatever's happening in the world of golf, the four men's Majors remain the blue riband events, the pinnacle of the sport and the events that build legacies and create legends, and 2023 has been another eventful year in golf's biggest tournaments.

Jon Rahm claimed his second Major at the Masters by edging out Brooks Koepka - who would not be denied as he lifted his fifth Major at the following PGA Championship.

Wyndham Clark then won his maiden Major title with a superb US Open victory, and he was followed by another first-timer as Brian Harman was a dominant Open champion at Hoylake.

But none of them managed to claim top spot in the overall Major championship leaderboard for 2023.

Who made the cut in all four Majors in 2023?

Firstly, Clark and Harman failed to make the cut in all four Majors, which is something that is a lot harder than you may think at first - with only 12 players managing it this year.

So our final 12 on the 2023 Major leaderboard include some of the big names you'd expect, and a couple that may surprise you - most notably New Zealander Ryan Fox.

Rahm and Koepka did manage to make the cut and claim a Major victory, and they'd obviously not swap that just to finish top of the cumulative Major leaderboard, but it is a good indicator of consistent players who can keep performing in the different challenges the four big ones provide.

Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.

And it's also no surprise to see that the form players of the year top the leaderboard, with Scottie Scheffler , Viktor Hovland , Xander Schauffele , Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Cantlay all in there

Previous Major winners Cam Smith, Hideki Matsuyama and Patrick Reed showed they've got that big-game mentality, while Tyrrell Hatton showed that he could be a Major champion in waiting if he keeps performing well.

Who had the best overall record in 2023 Majors?

So then, our Major leaderboard champion is Scottie Scheffler, who finished the Major schedule in 18-under and really should have pocketed one - but for those well publicized putting woes.

Viktor Hovland was also brilliant in the Majors, and comes in just behind Scheffler on 16-under as the only two men to complete all four Majors without finishing a single one over par.

And but for that bunker on the 16th on Sunday at the PGA the Norwegian could well have pipped Koepka down the stretch to claim his maiden Major.

Rahm is third due to his seven-over finish at the PGA Championship, showing just how tough it is to keep on challenging in the biggest competitions.

There's a five-shot gap then to Brooks Koepka at 10-under as the fourth and final man to finish double digits under par for the four Majors.

Xander Schauffele finished just two shots better than his good friend Patrick Cantlay, with Tommy Fleetwood playing the US Open and Open in nine under after going five over for the Masters and PGA Championship.

Cameron Smith had a good run at the US Open, Hideki Matsuyama was pretty consistent and Patrick Reed had a fine Masters but struggled at the US Open.

Tyrrell Hatton was over par for three of four Majors, as was Ryan Fox but at least they made the cut and hung around for every weekend - which in itself puts them in a pretty exclusive club.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

Matteo Manassero takes a three-shot lead into the final round at Wentworth, with Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel in pursuit

By Mike Hall Published 21 September 24

The trio were grouped together for the third round of the BMW PGA Championship, where they produced a masterclass of low scoring - here are the details

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility statement
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Top 10 PGA Tour golfers of 2023, including FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland

As the year winds down, the 2023 PGA Tour calendar year was unpredictable, both on and off the course.

From unexpected holes-in-one to players popping off to secure victories.

Whether it was the Canadian, Nick Taylor, winning the RBC Canadian Open with a 72-foot eagle putt or a player like Brian Harman or Wyndham Clark claiming a major championship this year, it was definitely a year to remember.

From PGA professional Michaael Block stealing the show at the PGA Championship, while securing his spot in the next year’s second major, to Rickie Fowler and Jason Day finding their way back to the winner’s circle, it proved that anything was possible this year.

Throughout all the moments, both good and bad, the play on the course was as competitive as ever with the newly implemented designated events that had higher purses.

Here are the top 10 PGA golfers for 2023.

10. Ludvig Aberg

This year, Ludvig Aberg became the first player to earn PGA Tour status through the PGA Tour University for collegiate athletes.

Not only did Aberg earn his PGA Tour card, but he also did it in style, missing only one cut in his first 11 events as a PGA Tour professional, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the John Deere Classic, showing that he can compete among the game’s best.

He went 2-2 during his four matches at the Ryder Cup to help Team Europe secure victory in Rome, which included going a perfect 2-0 in foursomes. He then turned it on to another level for his final five events of the year, finishing no worse than tied for 13 th .

During the fall swing, Aberg played in five events, which included securing his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic that featured back-to-back 61s on Saturday and Sunday to win by four.

Aberg is one of four nominees for the Arnold Palmer Award for the 2023 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, along with Eric Cole, Nico Echavarria, and Vincent Norrman.  

9. Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay had a solid 2023. Despite a couple of controversies throughout the year, Cantlay was able to settle those down and have a couple of runners-up, including at the FedEx St. Jude Championship to begin the FedEx Cup, in addition to a third-place finish at The Genesis Invitational, one of the PGA Tour designated events.

Add in a fifth place at the Tour Championship and it puts another strong note to a season, two years removed from winning the FedEx Cup in 2021.

Although Cantlay did not record a victory in 2023, he only missed two cuts in 21 events and maintained his top-5 position among the world golf rankings going into 2024.

8. Wyndham Clark

The signature moment for Wyndham Clark in 2023 was his U.S. Open victory for his first major victory. The challenging part of accomplishing the victory was fending off the field and holding the lead without faltering.

Despite bogeys on 15 and 16, Clark made clutch pars on the final two holes, including a big approach shot on 18 to claim the major win at Los Angeles Country Club in June.

Clark, who also won the Wells Fargo Championship a month before the U.S. Open win, also went on to place third at the Tour Championship, compete in his first Ryder Cup team for Team USA and participate in the Hero World Challenge, a tournament for the top 20 PGA Tour players, hosted by 82-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods.

Related: Controversial golf analyst and former PGA Tour winner Paul Azinger let go from NBC after five years

Despite turning 21 years old in 2023, Tom Kim was still putting up strong numbers. After winning the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open, he returned to TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas in October and won again which was fueled by a third-round 62.

With the victory, Kim became the second-youngest player since World War II to record three PGA Tour wins. Only Woods was younger.  

Another couple of highlights for the South Korean this year were placing eighth at the U.S. Open and being a runner-up at the Open Championship among the four majors.

Kim also made his first career Tour Championship for the 30 best players during the season-long race.

6. Xander Schauffele

Although Xander Schauffele did not go into the winner’s circle, he once again had another strong season. Schauffele recorded 11 top-10 finishes, which was fourth-most this year and the most without a victory.

A couple of Schauffele’s biggest shots came with a little risk in 2023. During the final round of The American Express in January, Schauffele holed out from 225 yards , over water, for an albatross on a par-5, which highlighted a 10-under 61 to finish tied for third.

A few weeks later, the San Diego State alum holed out once again during the second round of The Genesis Invitational from 173 yards for eagle, which also saved his made-cut streak that currently stands at 34 consecutive cuts heading into the new year.  

To end the year, Schauffele once again gave a strong performance at the Tour Championship, recording his third runner-up finish in five years.

5. Max Homa

Max Homa kicked off his 2023 with a Farmers Insurance win before a runner-up finish at The Genesis Invitational.

Related: How Max Homa transformed golf in 2023 with Kobe Bryant’s ‘Mamba Mentality’

Homa also put together his best performance at a major tournament, with a 10th-place finish at the Open Championship in July. That began a run of four consecutive top-10 finishes to end the season, capped off by placing ninth at the Tour Championship.

In September, before the Ryder Cup, Homa came up just short of trying to win his third straight Fortinet Championship, placing seventh.

Homa will go into 2024 at No. 7 in the world golf rankings, which is 10 spots better from the end of 2022.  

4. Rory McIlroy

On the course, Rory McIlroy had a memorable 2023, winning two events – the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour and the Genesis Scottish Open. With the victory in Scotland, McIlroy became the first player to win the Irish Open, Scottish Open, and the Open Championship.

After placing 47 th at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, McIlroy turned things around, finishing each of his final 10 events ninth or better, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, in addition to his win in Scotland.

McIlroy tied for fourth at the Tour Championship before being part of Team Europe’s Ryder Cup win. The Northern Irishman registered the most points for the Europeans with four, going 4-1 in his five events, which included going 2-0 in foursomes and getting a singles win over Sam Burns.

3. Jon Rahm

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates take up the next two spots, with Jon Rahm at No. 3.

Before his move to LIV Golf in December, Rahm had an unforgettable start to his 2023 campaign. The Spaniard won three of his first five events at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express, and The Genesis Invitational. He also placed third at the WM Phoenix Open during that stretch.

Despite a withdrawal at the Players Championship and a T31 finish during the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event in March, major season brought the best out of Rahm, securing his first green jacket at the Masters , over Brooks Koepka in a back-and-forth affair during the final round.

After winning the Mexico Open in 2022, Rahm followed that performance with a runner-up this year, losing to Tony Finau by three strokes.

Although he tied for 50 th at the PGA Championship, the Arizona State alum capped off his final two majors in better fashion, tying for 10 th at the U.S. Open and second at the U.S. Open.

2. PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner: Viktor Hovland

Viktor Hovland was able to get hot late, securing the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to secure his first FedEx Cup .

Overall, Hovland recorded three wins and nine top-10s. In addition to his two wins to close out the 2022-23 season, he was victorious at the Memorial Tournament, winning in a playoff over Denny McCarthy at Muirfield Village in June.

After starting 2023 at No. 10 in the world rankings, he ended the year at No. 4 as he recorded two top-5 finishes on the DP World Tour at the BMW PGA Championship and the DP World Tour Championship.

Hovland finished 19 th or better in all four majors, highlighted by placing seventh at the Masters and second at the PGA Championship. His runner-up at the PGA Championship marked his best finish at a major.  

1. Scottie Scheffler

The battle for the top two spots came down to splitting hairs, with Scottie Scheffler getting the nod over Hovland.

Although Hovland won the Tour Championship, Scheffler had one of the best seasons in PGA Tour history.

Scheffler, who was able to emerge as the world’s best player in the rankings after going back and forth with Rahm and McIlroy, recorded two wins and 17 top 10s. His 17 top 10s tied Woods’ 2000 season for third-best in PGA Tour history, dating back to 1980, only trailing Vijay Singh’s 18 top-10s from 2003-05 and Tom Kite’s 21 top 10s in 1981.

The University of Texas alum also recorded a 68.629 scoring average this year, which was the seventh-best mark on the PGA Tour since 1980. The six better scoring averages all belong to Woods.

Scheffler recorded wins at two of the season’s designated events at the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale and the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, in addition to a victory at the Hero World Challenge to close out his year. Like McIlroy, Scheffler finished his season strong, recording nine top-six finishes in his final 11 events, a streak that also began in May but at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Scheffler is one of five nominees for the Jack Nicklaus Award for the 2023 Player of the Year, along with Clark, Hovland, McIlory, and Rahm. The Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer awards will be announced at The Sentry in January to begin the 2024 season as the PGA Tour returns to a calendar-year schedule.

World Golf Rankings: Breaking down the planet’s best golfers as 2023 draws to a close

BMW PGA Championship: DP World Tour Fantasy ones to watch 

Feel closer to the action on the DP World Tour by competing against golf fans from around the world in our official Fantasy game as the Back 9 continues with the return of the Rolex Series at the BMW PGA Championship .

To play Fantasy DP World Tour, click here .

One of the founding events on the inaugural DP World Tour schedule in 1972, its list of champions features some of the most recognisable figures of the game.

Ryan Fox won the biggest title of his career at the West Course 12 months ago, with a closing birdie helping him to a one-shot victory over English duo Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton.

Among those also teeing it up are 2023 Ryder Cup-winning team-mates Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Højgaard, while Adam Scott, Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim bring international interest as they warm up for next week's Presidents Cup in Canada.

Billy Horschel, who won this event in 2021, looks to continue his resurgence in form which included a tied second finish at The Open earlier this summer, while he is joined in the field by fellow Americans Peter Malnati and Mark Hubbard.

If you have not done so already, you can sign up to play the official 2024 DP World Tour Fantasy game here and submit your six-man team before round one gets under way on Thursday.

The 2024 season-long winner will win a trip to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next year, enjoy a lesson with a DP World Tour professional and a round of golf on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. For more information on this amazing prize and others, read here .

Fantasy Insight : In the early stages of players picking their teams, Adam Scott, who will represent the International Team at the Presidents Cup next week, is currently most chosen, featuring in almost 70% of squads.

Robert MacIntyre, who won his first Rolex Series title at the Genesis Scottish Open in July, is the next most-selected at just under 66%, while his fellow Ryder Cup-winning team-mate Tommy Fleetwood is third in just over 63% of teams.

Former champions Billy Horschel and Shane Lowry round off the top five, with 60% and just over 50%.

Here, we pick out three players in action this week who are worth considering for your Fantasy team selections.

Favourite - Rory McIlroy

Beware the wounded animal. After the disappointment of missing out on winning his national Open in his home County, this could well be the week that McIlroy puts the memories of some near misses this year behind him and claims a second BMW PGA Championship title. The champion of 2014 arrives as the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex leader, and as the favourite among the bookies. A winner in both Dubai and the United States this year, the 35-year-old has finished in the top ten at Wentworth in each of the last four editions.

Form Horse - Rasmus Højgaard

To pick a man who won last time out as a Form Hose may seem a little on the nose but there are more reasons to go for Højgaard than his sensational victory at the Amgen Irish Open. The Dane now sits second on the Race to Dubai Rankings, the same position in which brother Nicolai finished last season and sibling rivalry could well provide inspiration for Rasmus to keep his foot down. After missing out on Dual Membership with the PGA TOUR last season, he started 2024 with five consecutive top 12s and since then has added two further top fives along with his fifth career victory.

Wild Card - Laurie Canter

It shows just how strong the field is this week at Wentworth Club that a player with a win in 2024 can be a Wild Card but less than 4% of players have Canter in their team. A long-time nearly man on the DP World Tour, Canter came through the Qualifying School in 2015, 16 and 17 before breaking out in the Covid-affected 2020 season with a top 20 finish on the Race to Dubai. He finished in the top 25 on the Rankings the following season, largely thanks to a runner-up finish at this event and while he missed the cut in 2022, he is clearly comfortable on the West Course. He has a second and two further top tens this season and a tie for 17th in Ireland last week was his best finish since his victory at the European Open.

Looking Back - Amgen Irish Open

With his victory at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, Rasmus Højgaard amassed 176 points for the 1,283 (3.89%) players who picked him, with 42 making inroads on their competition by making him their captain.

Our Favourite Rory Mcllroy finished runner-up to Højgaard, while our Form Horse Robert MacIntyre finished tied fifth and Wild Card Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen - making his first DP World Tour start since gaining automatic promotion from the Challenge Tour - missed the cut.

Season so far - 2024 DP World Tour Fantasy Top 10 player rankings

Rolex Series

Ryan Fox hoping to rediscover 'calm' he felt during Wentworth win

Ryan Fox is hoping to rediscover the sense of calm he felt on his way to winning last year's BMW PGA Championship as he returns to Wentworth Club to defend his title.

DP World Tour Partners

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

Advertise • Subscribe • Contact

The Golf Wire

Covering the business of golf!

#TOURBOUND: PAUL PETERSON, THOMAS ROSENMUELLER AND ISAIAH SALINDA SECURE FIRST PGA TOUR CARDS

September 21, 2024

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Korn Ferry Tour winners Paul Peterson, Thomas Rosenmueller and Isaiah Salinda are headed to the PGA TOUR for the first time next year, as all three achieved #TOURBound status and earned TOUR membership for the 2025 season following Sunday’s Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation.

Through 24 of this season’s 26 scheduled events, the trio stands at No. 15 (Peterson), No. 16 (Rosenmueller), and No. 17 (Salinda) on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, with each having earned more than 1,040 points. There were 16 players who finished with more than 1,040 points on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.

Peterson earned his first Korn Ferry Tour victory at last week’s Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, climbing from No. 51 to No. 15 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points to secure a TOUR card.

A 36-year-old resident of St. Simons Island, Georgia, Peterson turned professional out of Oregon State University in 2012 and played predominantly on international tours prior to the 2023 season. Peterson boasts two international victories, as he won the 2016 D+D Real Czech Masters on the DP World Tour, and the 2018 Myanmar Open, an event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

Peterson earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time via a T8 finish at Final Stage of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament (now known as PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry). As a rookie in 2023, Peterson finished No. 61 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, which earned him fully exempt status for 2024.

In two career starts on the PGA TOUR, Peterson has finishes of T29 (2015 CIMB Classic) and T36 (2019 Wyndham Championship).

Rosenmueller earned his first TOUR card in what was his third consecutive season on the Korn Ferry Tour; he becomes the fourth player from Germany to earn TOUR membership via the Korn Ferry Tour, joining Alex Cejka (2014, 2017), Stephan Jaeger (2017, 2018, 2020-21), and Matti Schmid (2022).

Playing from Ismaning, Germany, Rosenmueller turned professional in 2019 after four seasons at University of North Texas. Rosenmueller won three times on the Pro Golf Tour and finished No. 1 on its 2020 Order of Merit, earning Challenge Tour membership for 2021.

Rosenmueller earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time via a T11 finish at Final Stage of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. After a No. 158 finish on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie, Rosenmueller returned to Q-School and regained membership with a solo-fifth finish. Rosenmueller finished No. 67 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, earning him fully exempt status for the 2024 season.

Rosenmueller’s win at the 2024 NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank, which he followed with back-to-back T5 finishes, propelled him to a PGA TOUR card. He has yet to make his first start on TOUR.

Salinda earned his first PGA TOUR card in what was his second season on the Korn Ferry Tour.

A native of San Francisco, California, Salinda played four seasons at Stanford University, where he helped the Cardinal win the team national title at the 2019 NCAA Championship, marking the program’s first national title since 2007. Salinda turned professional in 2019 and played two seasons on PGA TOUR Canada (2021, 2022) before he earned Korn Ferry Tour membership.

With only conditional status, Salinda finished No. 80 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie. Salinda’s T21 finish at Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry last December earned him guaranteed starts for the first 12 events of the 2024 season, though he missed the first two as he recovered from an appendectomy.

Salinda won his first start of 2024, rolling to an eight-stroke victory at The Panama Championship, the third event of the Korn Ferry Tour season. Salinda’s win tied the fourth-largest margin of victory in Korn Ferry Tour history, and it marked the first win of eight-plus strokes on Tour since 2017.

Salinda has 11 career starts on the PGA TOUR, with his career-high finish being a T7 at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open as an open qualifier.

There are 17 players declared #TOURBound, including 12 players who will be PGA TOUR rookies in 2025: No. 1 Matt McCarty, No. 3 Tim Widing, No. 4 Steven Fisk, No. 5 Taylor Dickson, No. 9 Quade Cummins, No. 10 Cristobal Del Solar, No. 12 Kevin Velo, No. 13 William Mouw, No. 14 Frankie Capan III, No. 15 Paul Peterson, No. 16 Thomas Rosenmueller, No. 17 Isaiah Salinda.

The top 30 players on the final 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2025 season, while the player who finishes No. 1 earns fully exempt membership and exemptions for the 2025 PLAYERS Championship and 2025 U.S. Open.

The finalization of the points list and awarding of 30 PGA TOUR cards will take place upon conclusion of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, scheduled for October 3-6 at French Lick Golf Resort in French Lick, Indiana.

The 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season continues this week with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, the 25th of 26 scheduled tournaments, and the third of four season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.

Related Posts

BEST CITIES IN AMERICA FOR A GOLF VACATION

BOOYAA GOLF UNVEILS NEW RANGE OF GOLF JOGGERS

MILES OF GOLF JOINS NATIONAL GOLF BUYING ASSOCIATION, EXP...

The golf wire.

Sign Up For Free

Join us to receive the Wire with the latest golf industry  news, product announcements, media interactions, golf travel deals and fashion releases.

Frankie Capan III leads Korn Ferry's Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship

Frankie Capan III shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship at Ohio State's Scarlet Course.

Capan is at 12-under after three rounds, one stroke ahead of Kevin Roy and two ahead of Thomas Rosenmueller and Pontus Nyholm.

Capan, who played at Florida Gulf Coast University, earned his 2025 PGA Tour card last week with a 12th-place finish at the Simmons Bank Open in Franklin, Tennessee.

A native of Stillwater, Minnesota, Capan started his collegiate career at Alabama. He transferred to FGCU for his final two seasons. His career scoring average of 72.35 ranks among the top-five in FGCU history. Capan opted to forgo an extra season of eligibility at FGCU and began his professional golf career.

He entered this week's tournament ranked 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour's points list. In 23 starts this year, he has five top-10 and two runner-up finishes,  losing in a playoff to Harry Higgs at the Visit Knoxville Open  in May and  finishing three shots behind overall Points Leader Max McGreevy at last month's Magnit Championships .

Capan also made some Korn Ferry history in the opening round of the Veritex Bank Championships in May by  shooting a 13-under 58, breaking Scottie Scheffler's course record by one shot . It was matched the second-lowest score in the tour's history.

Capan has earned nearly $350,000 this season on the Korn Ferry Tour and more than $580,000 in his two years on the circuit.

The Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship is the third of four Finals events on the Korn Ferry Tour, and the field was cut to the top 76 players on Friday.

After Sunday's final round, only 75 will get a chance to play next week in the tour’s championship in French Lick, Indiana, after which the top 30 on the season-ending points list will receive PGA Tour cards for 2025.

Fourteen players already wrapped up their cards, leaving 16 more to be had. 

The Finals also locks in the top-75 players for exempt Korn Ferry status next season and the top-100 for conditional Korn Ferry status. 

The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship field includes the top 25 on the Korn Ferry points list. The purse is $1.5 million with the winner collecting $270,000 and 600 points toward his season total.

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters

Rory Mcllroy hails ‘unbelievable’ Matteo Manassero as Italian continues career resurgence at BMW PGA Championship

• Niall McGrath , Digital Journalist
• Published : 18:43, 21 Sep 2024
• Updated : 18:50, 21 Sep 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

RORY McIlroy hailed the character of Matteo Mannasero after his third round at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The resurgent star once again showed his stunning return to form as his remarkable career comeback continue after he carded a superb 63 during the penultimate round at Wentworth.

The Italian holds a three shot lead over playing partners Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel heading into tomorrow's final round at Virgina Water in Surrey.

His tournament total hit -18 as he looks to claim another BMW PGA Championship title.

Manassero won the 2013 edition of the event but by 2018 he no longer had his European Tour card as dropped to the Alps Tour by 2020, which is the third-tier of European golf.

He won his first professional event in seven years at the 2020 Toscana Open before finishing ninth on the Challenge Tour rankings a year later as he secured his return to the European Tour in 2024.

read more on golf

Manassero tops BMW PGA Championship leaderboard as McIlroy stays in the hunt

McIlroy flabbergasted after major equipment malfunction at BMW PGA Championship

In March 2024, Manassero claimed his first European Tour victory in over 10 years at the Jonsson Work wear Open in South Africa as he re-birth continued.

And it's been all positive for the 31-year-old since, nobody has more top ten finishes on the European Tour than the Verona native this season.

Speaking after his round of 66, McIlroy hailed the Italian at The DP World Tour’s flagship event.

He said: “It’s unbelievable. I don’t think you would find one player on tour that isn’t so happy for him.

Most read in Golf

Golfer airlifted to hospital and risks losing eyesight after hit by ball

PGA Champ leader in frame for £1.15m payday was £15-an-hour Amazon driver

“To be a young phenom and then lose your game, and go play the Alps Tour - the character that you need to do that.

“It’s amazing to see. I was really impressed when I played with him in Scotland in July and the final round together last week; again, this week. It’s really great to see.

"He’s such a nice guy, level-headed and good to see him back to where he belongs.”

The pair will play alongside one another again tomorrow in the final round of the tournament as they both look to land a second BMW trophy.

Elsewhere, Shane Lowry signed-off for a third round 71 after failing to ignite at the course he won on in 2022.

He lies T24 on the leaderboard with a tournament total of seven under par heading into tomorrow's final round of the DP World Tour's flagship event.

The final group will tee off at 11:05am (TBC) with all the action live on Sky Sports.

• Championship
• Rory McIlroy

NEW! Find where to watch all of your favorite sports!

PGA Championship 2023: Ranking the favorites, contenders and hopefuls

• Senior college football writer
• Author of seven books on college football
• Graduate of the University of Georgia

The 105th PGA Championship is returning to Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, for the fourth time.

The East Course will play much different this week than it did the last time Oak Hill hosted a PGA Championship in 2013. The Donald Ross-designed course underwent an extensive restoration by architect Andrew Green in 2019.

The project included rebuilding and reshaping each of the 18 greens and every bunker on the course. The greens are now pure bentgrass. Green's crews also removed many trees and added back tees, lengthening the course to 7,394 yards, which is 231 yards longer than it was a decade ago.

Long hitters might have an advantage in Rochester, where the weather is unpredictable this time of year. Forecasts for tournament days call for high temperatures from 60 to 70 degrees with a chance of rain.

Here's a look at who can and can't win this week's PGA Championship:

Jump to a section: Guys who can win | If everything goes right Miracles happen | Happy to make the cut | Past champions | PGA professionals

Tier I: The guys who can win

Here are the legitimate contenders to win the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. They have the games, guts and nerves to handle four pressure-packed rounds.

The world No. 1 should be the favorite in every major championship until he cools down. He has six worldwide victories since October, including his second major championship win at the Masters. Picking up the Wanamaker Trophy would give him three legs of the career grand slam at age 28.

Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler might not be ranked No. 1 in the world, but he is still a threat to win each time he tees it up at a major. He tied for 10th at the Masters, his seventh top-10 finish in 14 starts in majors. Scheffler leads the tour in shots gained: tee to green (2.309) and par-4 scoring (3.90), which should help at Oak Hill.

Brooks Koepka

"Big-game Brooks" was back at the Masters, where he was in contention on Sunday and tied for second. The two-time PGA Championship winner said he is healthy and is confident again, which might not be good for the rest of the field.

At this point, it wouldn't be too shocking to see Finau put up a 67 then take his kids to nearby Niagara Falls. He has won four times since late July and is seeking his first major championship victory.

Rory McIlroy

Oak Hill's long and soft conditions would seem to fit McIlroy's game perfectly. Where is he mentally after missing the cut at the Masters and tying for 47th at the Wells Fargo Championship? He leads the tour in driving distance (328.2 yards) but is 172nd in strokes gained: putting (-.356).

Jordan Spieth

Spieth can complete the career grand slam by hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy at Oak Hill on Sunday. He pulled out of last week's AT&T Byron Nelson because of a left wrist injury. Spieth is still listed in the field of entries.

Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay hasn't performed great in the majors in recent seasons, which is probably why he lured caddie Joe LaCava off Tiger Woods' bag. Cantlay has just one top-five finish in 21 starts in majors as a pro. He is the highest-ranked player in the world (No. 4) without a major championship win.

Viktor Hovland

Hovland, 25, is getting more and more comfortable on the big stage. He tied for fourth at The Open at St. Andrews and for seventh at the Masters. His work on and around the greens remains a concern.

Cameron Young

Young, from Scarborough, New York, ranks third on tour in driving distance (318.2 yards). He is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory, but he had three top-10 finishes in his past four starts in majors, including a tie for seventh at the Masters.

Collin Morikawa

The two-time major champion's form hasn't been great lately; he tied for 31st at the RBC Heritage and missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship. He ranks 169th in strokes gained: putting (-.325) and recently changed his putting grip again.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele spends as much time on a major championship leaderboard as the LIV Golf League's lawyers do in court. He tied for 10th at the Masters, his 16th top 25 in 23 starts in majors. He is going to finish the deal at some point.

Matt Fitzpatrick

The reigning U.S. Open champion won the RBC Heritage, and he seems to be fully recovered from a bulging disk in his neck. He tied for 10th at the Masters, his third top-10 finish in his past four starts in majors.

Justin Thomas

The two-time PGA Championship winner has looked out of sorts for a while, especially on the greens. He ranks 138th in strokes gained: putting (-.166) and 118th in driving accuracy (57.9%). If Thomas' putter gets hot, he'll be in contention again.

Homa is another player with world-class talent who hasn't yet contended in a major. He has just one top 25 in 13 starts in majors as a pro. Homa is going to turn it around sooner rather than later.

Hideki Matsuyama

The 2021 Masters winner hasn't finished in the top 10 at the PGA Championship since tying for fifth in 2017. After battling neck and back injuries, he has had a good stretch lately, finishing fifth at the Players Championship and tying for 16th at the Masters.

Burns, who picked up his fifth PGA Tour win at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, is still searching for a breakthrough at a major. He has one top 25 in nine starts as a pro.

The 2015 PGA Championship winner has been healthy and is playing well this year, including claiming his first victory in five years at last week's Byron Nelson . He is T-7 in shots gained: total (1.975) and 15th in total driving.

Cameron Smith

The reigning Open Championship winner didn't have a great showing at the Masters, tying for 34th. The Australian golfer has yet to record a top-10 finish in seven PGA Championship starts.

Tommy Fleetwood

The English golfer is still searching for his first victory in the United States. He tied for fifth at the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was in the mix at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Scott missed the cut in his past two starts in the PGA Championship, but he has six top-10 finishes in 22 starts in the event. He tied for fifth at the Wells Fargo Championship and played well at the AT&T Byron Nelson. He is heating up again.

Dustin Johnson

After finishing runner-up in two straight PGA Championships, in 2019 and 2020, DJ missed the cut in the past two. He tied for 48th at the Masters and claimed his first LIV Golf 2023 victory in last week's Tulsa event.

Tier II: If everything goes right

Here are the sleeper candidates to win the PGA Championship. This tier includes a few previous major champions and a handful of players who have made comebacks this season.

Abraham Ancer

The LIV Golf League member has two straight top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship, tying for eighth in 2021 and for ninth in 2022.

Im might not hit it far enough to contend at Oak Hill; he is averaging less than 300 yards off the tee. But the South Korean golfer hits a lot of fairways and greens, and he finds ways to score well.

Talor Gooch

Gooch finished first in back-to-back LIV Golf League events, in Australia and Singapore, collecting $8 million before taxes. He tied for 20th at Southern Hills.

Oak Hill might be too long for Hoge, who ranks 136th in driving distance (294.8 yards). He tied for ninth at Southern Hills, his best finish in a major.

Kim, 20, already has won twice on tour. He tied for 16th at the Masters, his best finish in a major.

Rickie Fowler

Fowler's steady play has helped him climb back into the top 50 in the world for the first time since November 2020. He made the cut in 38 of 46 starts in majors.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson became the oldest man to capture a major championship when he won the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, at age 50. His tie for second at the Masters proved he has something left in the tank at 52. Don't expect the PGA of America to roll out the welcome mat.

Justin Rose

Rose posted three straight top 15 finishes at the PGA Championship, placing ninth in 2020 and tying for eighth in 2021 and for 13th in 2022.

Keith Mitchell

If driving the ball well is a prerequisite for winning at Oak Hill, then Mitchell should be in good shape. He leads the tour in total driving and is fifth in shots gained: off the tee (.799).

Tyrrell Hatton

The English golfer was second at the Players, so he is more than capable of showing up on the big stage. He tied for 13th at Southern Hills.

Shane Lowry

The 2019 Open Championship winner finished in the top 10 in two of his past four starts in the PGA Championship: a tie for eighth at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York, in 2019 and tie for fourth at Kiawah Island in 2021.

Kirk tied for fifth at Southern Hills, his best finish in a major. He picked up his fifth tour victory at the Honda Classic, a tough track, in February.

Wyndham Clark

Clark earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks ago. He has been one of the longest hitters off the tee on tour, and the rest of his game is coming around, too.

Keegan Bradley

Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, has cooled off a bit over the past two months. But his driving efficiency and strong wedge play could put him in the mix.

Séamus Power

Power, from Ireland, tied for ninth at the PGA Championship and tied for 12th at the U.S. Open last season. He tied for 18th at the Wells Fargo Championship after a mini-slump in March.

Adrian Meronk

The first man from Poland to play on the DP World Tour, Meronk picked up his third victory on the circuit by winning the Italian Open two weeks ago. His latest victory came at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club outside Rome, which will host the Ryder Cup in September. He is probably going to be back there while playing for Europe.

Joaquin Niemann

Niemann, who was among the highest-rated players to leave for LIV Golf, tied for 16th at the Masters, his best finish in a major championship.

Sahith Theegala

Theegala finished ninth in his first Masters start in April. He'll be making his first start at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Patrick Reed

Outside of a tie for second at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, Reed hasn't had much success in the event.

Gary Woodland

The 2019 U.S. Open winner had been struggling for a while, but he turned things around with a tie for 14th at both the Masters and the Wells Fargo Championship. He is among the longest hitters off the tee on tour.

Mito Pereira

Pereira had the lead going to the 72nd hole at Southern Hill and knocked his tee shot into the water. He tied for third. He'll be asked about it more than a few times this week.

Harris English

After missing much of last season with a hip injury, English tied for second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and for third at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Billy Horschel

Horschel is another talented player trying to break the ceiling at a major. He has one top-10 finish -- a tie for fourth at the 2013 U.S. Open -- in 37 such starts.

Taylor Montgomery

Montgomery cooled off after a sizzling start to his rookie season. He drives the ball well enough and is one of the best putters in the world.

Kurt Kitayama

Kitayama claimed his first tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, another difficult course.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar, 44, has been playing very steady golf, with four straight top 25s after missing the cut at the Players. He had the second-lowest 36-hole score at 7 under in the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Brian Harman

Harman's form hasn't been great lately, but he had runner-up finishes at the World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico and the RSM Classic earlier this season.

Russell Henley

Henley, who has quietly climbed to 28th in the world, hasn't had much success in the PGA Championship. He doesn't have a top 10 in nine starts.

Corey Conners

The Canadian golfer loves the Masters, where he has three top-10 finishes, but he has yet to produce another one in the other three majors.

Thomas Pieters

Pieters, a former University of Illinois star, is ranked 53nd in the world. Pieters will have to be in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking on May 22 or June 12 to qualify for the U.S. Open field. That will require a good outing at Oak Hill, since he isn't receiving world-ranking points for his LIV Golf League finishes.

Harold Varner III

Varner had another solid week at the Masters, tying for 29th. He is ranked 65th in the world and is in the same boat as Pieters in regard to the U.S. Open.

Tier III: Hey, miracles happen

They are the long shots. Everything would have to fall perfectly into place over 72 holes in four days for someone from this tier to win. There have been more than a few underdogs who have hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy.

Bryson DeChambeau

c Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Adam Svensson

Jimmy Walker

The 2016 PGA Championship winner has been quietly playing good golf. He tied for 15th at the Mexico Open and tied for 14th at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Sepp Straka

Brendon Todd

Casey received a special invitation from the PGA of America to compete this week. He missed last year's tournament because of a back injury, after tying for fourth the year before.

Joel Dahmen

Patrick Rodgers

Ben Griffin

The former UNC star, who walked away from the game to work as a mortgage loan officer, will be making his first start in a major.

Adam Hadwin

Lucas Herbert

Mackenzie Hughes

Kevin Kisner

Min Woo Lee

Robert MacIntyre

MacIntyre, from Scotland, had to pull out of the second round of the Italian Open, an event in which he was the defending champion, because of a back injury. He is 97th in the world and needs good results to get into contention for the Ryder Cup.

Denny McCarthy

Emiliano Grillo

Victor Perez

J.T. Poston

Maverick McNealy

Davis Riley

Riley, who matched up with Hardy to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, tied for 13th at Southern Hills.

Francesco Molinari

Nico Echavarria

Nick Taylor

Taylor Moore

The former University of Arkansas star picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Valspar Championship. He tied for 39th in his first start at the Masters.

Webb Simpson

Scott Stallings

Danny Willett

Brendan Steele

Trey Mullinax

Tier IV: Happy to make the cut

They aren't expected to be among the contenders unless something truly magical happens, like it did for Shaun Micheel two decades ago.

Taylor Pendrith

Chez Reavie

Adri Arnaus

Mark Hubbard

Andrew Putnam

Matt Wallace

Yannik Paul

The German golfer, who played at Colorado, will make his first starts in the PGA Championship and The Open this year.

Beau Hossler

Thomas Detry

Matthew NeSmith

Nicolai Højgaard

The Danish golfer accepted special temporary membership from the PGA Tour for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Ranked No. 107 in the world, the 22-year-old is considered a potential future star for Europe in the Ryder Cup.

Martin Kaymer

Rikuya Hoshino

Rasmus Højgaard

Nicolai's identical twin isn't too bad at golf, either. He was the third youngest player to ever win on the DP World Tour when he claimed the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December 2019.

Anirban Lahiri

Sadom Kaewkanjana

Adam Schenk

David Micheluzzi

The Australian won the Australasian Tour's order of merit and made his PGA Tour debut at the AT&T Byron Nelson, carding a 6-under 65 in the first round. He'll make a start in The Open at Royal Liverpool too.

Callum Shinkwin

Thorbjørn Olesen

Jordan Smith

Adrian Otaegui

Steven Alker

Davis Thompson

Pablo Larrazabal

Hayden Buckley

Ockie Strydom

The South African golfer had 19 runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour before finally finishing first in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in his native country in December. He won again at the Singapore Classic in February.

Dean Burmester

Luke Donald

Kazuki Higa

Thriston Lawrence

Alex Smalley

Zach Johnson

Tier V: Past champions

These are past PGA Championship winners who aren't included in the tiers above.

Jason Dufner

It is the 10th anniversary of Dufner's memorable 2-shot victory over Jim Furyk at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Padraig Harrington

Shaun Micheel

And it's the 20th anniversary of Micheel's improbable 2-shot triumph over Chad Campbell in the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. It was the only PGA Tour victory of Micheel's career.

Vijay Singh

Tier VI: PGA professionals

These are the top 20 finishers from the PGA Professional Championship, which took place at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, in early May.

Michael Block

Matt Cahill

Cahill, runner-up at the PGA Professional Championship, is the head pro at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida.

Anthony Cordes

Jesse Droemer

Chris French

Russell Grove

Grove is the head men's and women's golf coach at North Idaho College. He is playing in his first PGA Championship.

Steve Holmes

Colin Inglis

J.J. Killeen

Koch has six career starts on the PGA Tour, and he made his first cut at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying for 68th.

Kenny Pigman

Gabe Reynolds

Chris Sanger

Braden Shattuck

Shattuck, from Rolling Green Golf Club outside Philadelphia, drained a 12-footer for par on the 72nd hole to win the 2023 PGA Professional Championship. He is making his debut in the PGA Championship.

John Somers

Josh Speight

Jeremy Wells

Wyatt Worthington II

• undefined Trending Sports
• undefined Trending Money
• undefined Trending Live
• Data & Glossary

You've used up all free prompts for the day

Sign up for StatMuse+

Members enjoy these benefits across NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA, FC and Money:

• Unlimited prompts
• 2x data in results
• Personalized search history
• Early access to features & datasets

Already have an account? Sign in

By using StatMuse, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy .

• Skip to Navigation
• Skip to Main Content
• Skip to Related Content
• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

• Fantasy Football
• College Sports
• Yahoo Sports AM
• Horse Racing
• What & How To Watch
• Leaderboard
• Masters Tournament
• PGA Championship
• British Open
• College football live updates
• Longest college FG in 16 years
• Bad gamble: MLB All-Star demoted
• 5 lax players in hospital after workout
• Rodman exits match in wheelchair

With the success of PGA Tour University, will the LPGA follow suit for the top female collegiate players?

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — Alicia Um Holmes is unsure what her roster is going to look like come springtime.

The women's golf coach at UCLA had a runner-up finish at the 2024 NCAA Championship, and the Bruins returned four of their five players in the lineup from the championship match against Stanford. They also added one of the top female amateurs in the country, giving Um Holmes depth and experience to make another title push come spring.

She also may not have her best player, and one of the best in the country, past the fall season.

It's an uncomfortable wait, but what other choice does Um Holmes have?

LPGA Q-Series is an event numerous college players compete in each fall, and plenty are left with a difficult choice if they advance to the final stage. LPGA rules stipulate that players must turn professional before the final stage begins in December, which means giving up the last few months of their amateur careers to chase status on the best professional tour for women in the world. Those who don't earn an LPGA card will have Epson Tour status.

It's a guaranteed landing spot, whereas staying in college doesn't provide any direct avenues to the professional game.

Zoe Campos and Caroline Canales, seniors at UCLA, have advanced to second stage of LPGA Q-Series. With a win or top finish there, they would advance to final qualifying and also receive some status on the Epson Tour.

While Canales said she would come back to school and finish her final year, Campos told Um Holmes she would strongly consider turning professional. And how could a player like Campos, ranked fourth in the world, pass up that opportunity?

Men's, women's access to pro ranks

When you compare the men's amateur game to the women's, there are more opportunities for men to get to the professional ranks compared to the women. While the men's game is deeper, the women's game has grown, and the top amateurs each year are capable of making their mark on the biggest tours right away. They just don't have the same access as the men, especially for collegiate players.

By all means, PGA Tour University has been a success. So, why isn't there a similar program for the top women's collegiate players?

"A lot of us coaches have certainly asked the question over the last few years," said Oregon coach Derek Radley, who last year lost Briana Chacon when she turned pro after qualifying for final stage. "It has created an amazing dynamic on the men's side, and why wouldn't you want the best talent in college on the LPGA Tour?"

PGA Tour University gives the top-ranking senior each spring a PGA Tour card, and Nos. 2-25 in the rankings get some sort of status and guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.

Last spring, Ludvig Aberg was playing college golf at Texas Tech. He finished first in PGA Tour U and became the first player to earn a PGA Tour card directly from college.

Now, he's ranked fifth in the world.

At the same time, Rose Zhang is arguably best female amateur of all-time. Her first professional start came thanks to a sponsor exemption at the Mizuho Americas Open.

Thirteen days after winning her second straight NCAA title, she won her professional debut. Thanks to that, she had immediate LPGA status and is now a top-10 player in the world coming off a historic week at the Solheim Cup .

Imagine if Zhang didn't win that week? Sure, she had numerous sponsor exemptions lined up thanks to her prowess as an amateur, but she had no guaranteed status anywhere. If she would've struggled, one of the best young Americans in the history of the game could've been scrapping it out to get to the LPGA.

Instead, she has become one of the most popular female golfers in the world and is now a two-time tour winner. And it happened because she had an opportunity.

"We play great venues, great schedules, so you're going to get players that have proven themselves," Wake Forest coach Kim Lewellen said.

Last year, Ingrid Lindblad won the ANNIKA Award as the Player of the Year in women's college golf. The fifth-year senior at LSU had one of the more impressive college careers and had an opportunity to turn pro at the end of last fall.

But after winning the second stage of LPGA Q-Series in October, Lindblad opted not to move on to the final stage so that she could compete in one last Augusta National Women's Amateur and NCAA Championship. The Swede accepted her full Epson Tour status and returned to school, leading the Tigers into match play at the NCAAs for the first time in school history.

Last weekend, she picked up her first professional win on the Epson Tour and is well on her way to earning an LPGA card, but it didn't have to be this hard.

"We need to do it. It's imperative we get this out here," said South Carolina coach Kalen Anderson, who is on the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee, about providing a more direct path to the LPGA from college golf. "It's going to keep some of the greatest players in school. We need to start somewhere and go.

"I got on the NCAA committee for a few reasons, and that's one of them. I'm on a four-year term, and that's one of my goals."

While there have been some cons to PGA Tour U, the benefits far outweigh any negatives.

The same applies for the women's game. As Anderson alluded to, it would keep the top players in school longer, which is better for the sport in general, coaches and fans. Providing a direct access to the LPGA through college golf would lead to players staying in school longer as they battle for professional status without going to qualifying school.

The year-round race would put a spotlight on both up-and-coming players and the tour.

"I think we're going to start seeing that soon," Central Florida coach Emily Marron said. "It's been a good thing on the men's side. I think that gives these girls something to shoot for, and it helps us recruiting process and say, 'Hey, you come here, and this is a way to get to the LPGA Tour.'"

Why hasn't the LPGA changed how the top college players each year get access to its tour?

There are a few reasons.

First, as mentioned earlier, the professional women's game is not as deep as the men's side, so there are theoretically less spots up for grabs each year. The more status the LPGA gives to top college players, even if it's conditional LPGA or full status on the Epson Tour, it takes away spots from a current member, and that's something the membership likely doesn't want.

Additionally, there's no outside pressure from a faction like LIV Golf on the men's side to sign the top players right out of college, meaning the LPGA and Epson Tour are the only options in the United States for college players to play after graduation. Why make it easier for golfers to get there if there's no worry they're going to go anywhere else?

When comparing the PGA Tour and LPGA, 13 of the top 50 players in the current FedEx Cup standings did not go to college in the United States. On the LPGA and the Race to CME Globe standings, that number is 29 of the top 50 who did not go to college, another reason the LPGA may be against having a direct pipeline from college.

The LPGA did not respond to Golfweek 's request for comments on the possibility of an LPGA Tour U and whether a program like that is in the works.

However, in 2022, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said this at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship: "Y ou have to always look at the pipelines. You have to look at the pipelines from the Epson Tour. You have to look at who is coming out of various parts of the world, and I think you can't forget about what's coming out of the college game.

"So nothing is changing immediately. But as with everything, we evaluate that and we've got a team that is looking at who are the best players in the world and how do they get on to the LPGA? I think those pathways are really critical, so there's nothing new brewing right now from the college game."

Two years have passed, and it seems the question is even greater now than it was then about more pipelines for the top college players.

Coaches want it. College players would welcome it. It would be a boost for women's college golf.

But at the end of the day, it's up the LPGA to decide whether it wants to make the direct path to its tour easier for the top college players. Especially with the talent in today's college game, it seems like a missed opportunity for players like Campos, Julia Lopez Ramirez at Mississippi State and numerous others to not have a chance to play right away on the LPGA.

"It's an upward battle, but why don't these women deserve it?" asked Anderson. "It's time. We're at that point in women's sports where they need to do it."

Beth Ann Nichols contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: With the success of PGA Tour University, will the LPGA follow suit for the top female collegiate players?

Recommended Stories

Yahoo top 10: tennessee's road win at oklahoma boosts vols to no. 1 while usc falls out of rankings.

This college football season is still devoid of major upsets, but some teams have played tougher schedules than others.

Shedeur Sanders throws game-tying TD to end regulation, Colorado tops Baylor in OT thriller

Colorado won its Big 12 opener over Baylor, 38-31, in thrilling fashion after tying the game on a 43-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders to LaJohntay Wester with no time remaining in regulation.

No. 15 Oklahoma's offense struggles mightily in SEC-opening loss to No. 6 Tennessee

Oklahoma made a quarterback switch during the loss.

Ex-Kings GM Vlade Divac: 'Time will tell' if drafting Marvin Bagley over Luka Dončić was right decision

Time has been pretty pro-Luka Dončić so far.

NFL fines Falcons WR Drake London $14K for machine gun celebration he already regretted

Drake London scored a big touchdown on Monday. Neither he, the Falcons nor the NFL are happy with what he did next.

Kalel Mullings powers No. 18 Michigan's 27-24 comeback win over No. 11 USC

Mullings scored the go-ahead TD with 37 seconds left.

Caitlin Clark gets invites from Phillies, Brewers to call games after viral TikTok

Caitlin Clark, possibly coming to an MLB broadcast booth near you.

Five Tufts lacrosse players hospitalized with rare muscle injury after voluntary workout led by alum

A dozen players in all were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a potentially life-threatening injury associated with overexertion.

Texas Rangers 2024 offseason preview: How do the Rangers bounce back from disappointing World Series defense?

The Rangers' hitters can be expected to bounce back in 2025, but the pitching will require more creative solutions.

USC scores TD two plays after Michigan's Kenneth Grant fumbles after picking up a Trojan fumble

USC's Woody Marks made a heck of a play to take the football from Grant.

Temple kicker hits longest college football field goal in 16 years

Maddux Trujillo's 64-yard kick is one yard short of the modern FBS record.

St. Louis Cardinals 2024 offseason preview: What's next for Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Co.?

The 2024 Cardinals were average in run prevention and below average in run production.

James Madison scores school-record 53 first-half points in 70-50 win at North Carolina

James Madison stunned previously undefeated North Carolina, blowing out the Tar Heels, 70-50, in Chapel Hill.

College football Week 4 results: Clemson, Michigan and Utah all pick up big wins

Follow along as we cover all the action on a busy college football Saturday.

Trinity Rodman leaves Washington Spirit game in a wheelchair after 'intense back spasm'

Rodman, who was carted off in visible pain during the Spirit's loss to the Kansas City Current, later returned to the bench.

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf: As LIV’s 2024 season ends, where do negotiations stand?

The only people benefitting from golf's split are the players, agents and accountants.

AL Central setting up as MLB's most compelling and competitive division with three regular-season series to go

The Guardians are on their way to winning the division, while the Royals, Twins and Tigers are all jockeying for wild-card position.

TCU takes swipe at ACC with 'This is SportsCenter' spoof before rivalry game vs. SMU

The TCU football social media account poked fun at SMU now being in the ACC, which means Saturday's rivalry matchup will be televised on The CW Network.

Jets win big over Pats, will Caleb or Daniels develop faster & is Purdy more than a system QB? | Inside Coverage

Jason Fitz, Charles Robinson & Frank Schwab react to the New York Jets dominant victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night and take a long look at Brock Purdy, who has a huge opportunity to silence his haters in the upcoming weeks.

WNBA awards: A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark headline impressive wave of talent

There's been a lot of record-breaking in the past seven months, so here are Yahoo Sports' ballots for end-of-season awards.

Three tied for early lead at PURE Insurance Championship

Daily Wrap Up

Change Text Size

Things to know

• In his bid for a fourth top-5 finish in as many PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee starts, Steven Alker opens at Spyglass Hill with 7-under 65.
• Seeking a first top-10 finish in his 11th start in the event, Paul Goydos includes six birdies and an eagle-2 in his round at Pebble Beach to claim a share of the lead at 7-under 65.
• Justin Leonard , who finished second to Thongchai Jaidee last year via sudden death, opened his second PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach with a 7-under 65.

Justin Leonard (65/-7/PB)

• Following last year’s playoff loss to Jaidee, birdied four of his last five holes at Pebble Beach (Nos. 14-16, 18) to claim a share of the 7-under 65 lead.
• Is 0-for-2 when trying to convert an 18-hole lead/co-lead into victory on PGA TOUR Champions
• Best finish in 39 PGA TOUR Champions starts is the P2 from the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship
• Second top-10 finish of the season, T4, came in his most recent start before this week at the Ascension Charity Classic.
• Among 12 wins in 590 PGA TOUR starts were the 1997 Open Championship and 1998 PLAYERS

Steven Alker (65/-7/SH)

• Seeking a fourth top-5 finish in as many starts in the event, used eight birdies to open in 7-under 65 (SH).
• Previous tournament results: T5/2021, T2/2022, T5/2023.
• Extends his perfect streak of sub-par scores in the event to 10; previous best: 67/R3/2021.
• Seeks a ninth career win on PGA TOUR Champions, second of the season (Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai) and 13th top-10 finish in his 17th start this season.
• His 12 top-10 finishes in 2024 trails that category’s leader Stephen Ames by one.
• 3-for-8 attempting to convert an 18-hole lead/co-lead into victory on PGA TOUR Champions in 54-hole events

Paul Goydos (65/-7/PB)

• Highlighted by an eagle-2 with a 6-iron from 161 yards at the par-4 first hole (his 10th of the day), the 60-year-old California native signed for a 7-under 65 at Pebble Beach in his 11th start in the event.
• The 65 matches his low score in 30 rounds in the event (R3/2022).
• Best finish in 10 previous PURE Insurance Championship starts: T12/2022 (after closing with a 7-under 65).
• 2-for-7 attempting to convert an 18-hole lead/co-lead into victory in 54-hole events on PGA TOUR Champions.
• Lone top-10 finish this season, a T9, came in Newport Beach, California at the Hoag Classic.
• Is vying for a sixth career win on PGA TOUR Champions and first since the 2017 3M Championship; a win this week would come in his 152nd start since the 2017 win at TPC Twin Cities.
• Two wins in 511 PGA TOUR starts: 1996 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii

Miscellaneous notes

• With birdies on two of his last three holes at Spyglass Hill (Nos. 16 and 17), 2016 PURE Insurance Championship winner Paul Broadhurst opened with a 6-under 66; in addition to the win in 2016, also finished inside the top-5 in 2019 (3rd); seeks a second win of the season (Invited Celebrity Classic) and seventh overall on PGA TOUR Champions.
• Seeking a third top-10 finish in his 15th PURE Insurance Championship start, Tom Pernice, Jr. signed for a 6-under 66 at Pebble Beach, matching his lowest of 42 scores in the event; in his first start of 2010, he opened with a 6-under 66 en route to runner-up honors.
• In his bid to join Jeff Sluman (2008-09) and Kirk Triplett (2012-13) as players to successfully defend a PURE Insurance Championship title, Thongchai Jaidee is T9 after opening with a 4-under 68 at Pebble Beach.
• In his final event before retiring, 5-time AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member Mark O’Meara opened with an 8-over 80; 284 PGA TOUR Champions starts include 17 at the PURE Insurance Championship, while 674 PGA TOUR starts featured 26 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

First Tee participants

• The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee includes 80 First Tee members from 48 U.S. chapters who are paired with, and mentored by, PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs from the business world. To be selected, juniors were measured in both golf proficiency and life skills knowledge.
• The top 24 First Tee Juniors (12 male and 12 female) after 36 holes advance to Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach; the top junior male and female will be crowned after Sunday’s final round.
• In the First Tee junior portion of the competition, Daniel Ferguson (PB), who is paired with Justin Leonard (T1), leads his division at 8-under 64, while Gianna Singh (PB), partnered with World Golf Hall of Fame member Vijay Singh (T6) is atop the girls’ leaderboard at 9-under 63.