The PGA has announced the introduction of the PGA Tour University, which is a system that would reward some of the best college golf players with a spot in any of the PGA Tour events. The plans for such the university have been in place for years now and the PGA only made the announcement on Monday, June 1.
The system would provide 15 spots, the top 5 of which would be for the Korn Ferry Tour, so one can already tell just how tough the competition would be. The other players would get to choose which tour they would want to play in. This would further make sure that only the best of the best get a chance to play for the PGA Tour.
Eligibility for the completion includes being an NCAA Division I golfer who must have completed a program with a minimum of four years in any university.
This would help achieve one of the aims of the University which is to encourage golfers to stay in school. Since one of the requirements is completing a degree, players would try all they can to complete a degree so they can have the chance of qualifying for a spot.
Speaking about the development, Commissioner of the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan praised the idea and the reason behind it. He said, “with the level of immediate success from the top collegiate players in the last decade, our team has done extensive research over time and developed a plan to provide a pathway for those players as they begin their journeys into the professional ranks.”
The period of eligibility for each of the tours would begin the following week after the conclusion of the NCAA Men’s Division I Golf Championship. By that calculation, it is expected to take off next year June since the NCAA championship is already scheduled to hold between May 28 and June 2.
The PGA would partner with the World Amateur Golf Ranking to create a ranking just for the PGA Tour University and the events that would count for the ranking are NCAA Division I Men’s Golf events along with professional PGA Tour events. The PGA Tour University would be officially opened this fall.
Written by: Leon Osamor
