Ping announced Tuesday it had signed three young professionals – Cole Hammer, Logan McAllister and RJ Manke – to multiyear equipment contracts. Each of the trio earned status for the rest of the Korn Ferry Tour season after finishing in the top five of this year’s PGA Tour University, which gives college players opportunities on various tours.
Hammer helped lead the Texas Longhorns to the 2022 NCAA Division I team championship, and he was medalist at the 2021 Big 12 Conference Championship. The Houston native has played on two winning Walker Cup teams and was awarded the 2019 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the world’s top amateur golfer. He finished on Golfweek’s Third Team All-Americans list for the 2021-22 season.
McAllister, a native of Oklahoma City, had four wins in his college career at Oklahoma. As a senior, he was named to the Ping All-America first team and All-Big 12 first team. He finished on Golfweek’s Second Team All-Americans list for the 2021-22 season.
Manke in 2021-22 was a fifth-year senior transfer from Pepperdine to the University of Washington in his home state, where he was the Pac-12 men’s player of the year while earning Ping All-America first-team honors. He won four times in college, twice at Washington and twice at Pepperdine. He finished on Golfweek’s First Team All-Americans list for the 2021-22 season.
“Our college program continues to identify and build relationships with some of the top young players in the game,” Ping President John K. Solheim said in a release announcing the signings. “To have three of the top five from the 2022 PGA Tour U class is a testament to that commitment. Cole, Logan and RJ all had exceptional records throughout their college careers and are ready to take the next step into the professional game. We’re excited to be aligned with these talented players and look forward to supporting them as they transition to the pro ranks.”
