In many ways, college golf is a training ground for professional golf. Many of the top collegians have an eye on someday getting to the PGA Tour, and now the Tour will begin to streamline that process. According to a Golf Channel report, the PGA Tour policy board approved a new measure this week to help the top college players to reach various tours.
The Golf Channel referenced a “source familiar with the policy board’s meeting Tuesday at Bay Hill” in introducing PGA Tour University. It’s a program that will grant players Korn Ferry Tour status based on a college ranking system, but only have after they have finished their college eligibility.
The program is expected to begin in the Summer of 2021.
Changes to the PGA Tour’s qualifying structure in 2013 made it much more difficult for a player to come straight out of college and onto the PGA Tour. Matthew Wolff, who won a Tour event 41 days after claiming the NCAA individual title, is the exception. The vast majority of players are funneled up through the Korn Ferry Tour.
The ranking established through the PGA Tour University system, according to the Golf Channel report, will be used to determine the top 5 individuals who will earn Korn Ferry Tour status at the conclusion of the NCAA season in early June.
Even if a player doesn’t finish in the top 5 in that ranking he will have an opportunity to earn varying degrees of status on the Mackenzie Tour, PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latinoamérica and PGA Tour Series-China based on his ranking.
