The PGA Tour has an established path for accomplished college golfers to make their way to the PGA Tour but the latest proposal on the table would give the best player in college golf a PGA Tour card.
PGA Tour members were informed this week via their monthly “green sheet” that two proposals are on the table for approval by the Tour’s policy board.
One of those proposals proposition would have the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University’s Velocity Global Ranking at the conclusion of the NCAA Championship receive a PGA Tour card. Another would offer Tour status, post-nationals, to underclassmen who meet certain elite benchmarks at the amateur and college levels.
The policy board is set to review the two proposals in early next month. If approved, the first change would go into effect immediately, meaning that the No. 1 player in the final ranking following the 2023 NCAA Championship will have PGA Tour status from June 2023 through the end of the 2022-23 season.
Currently, that No. 1 player is Texas Tech senior Ludvig Aberg, who is also the No. 2-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The second change, called PGA Tour Accelerated, would benefit only the superstar amateur who achieves high marks in several areas, including amateur wins, PGA Tour and major performance, collegiate awards and career-best World Amateur Golf Rankings.
With the emergence of the LIV exhibition/circus/free-beer giveaway series, college players could join, if invited. Since they are not PGA Tour members, they wouldn’t be subject to any sanctions and could, in theory, play the LIV for a year or two then go though the qualifying process for the Korn Ferry Tour and earn their way onto the PGA Tour if they so chose.
Who’s Not Who Of The PGA Tour Gather In Bermuda:
When you give it proper thought, it’s probably not the greatest of ideas to have a PGA Tour event in Bermuda during hurricane season.
All things considered, the Bermuda Championship starts Thursday at the Port Royal Golf Club.
The field doesn’t have any big name stars and rightfully so — it carries a measly $6.5 million purse. Good news is the winner does take home north of $1 million as Lucas Herbert did last year.
The Port Royal Golf Club is a not a lengthy track — around 6,800 yards. But it typically gets pretty windy this time of year on the island east of the U.S. mainland.
Hopefully the real big winds (ie — a hurricane) won’t show up in the Atlantic Ocean.
After this week’s stop, only three more events remain on the 2022 portion of the PGA Tour schedule — Mayakoba, the Houston Open and the RSM at Sea Island.
The schedule goes to a calendar year slate in 2023 with the Tour Championship at East Lake August 24-27. Which opens the door for the return of a new variety of those Silly Season events.
Tiger/Charlie Not In PNC Field — Yet:
Tiger Woods is still sequestered at his Fortress Of Solitude in Jupiter. He’s still on the rehab trail but there are two events in December that might lure him onto the golf course.
The Hero World Challenge at Albany is set for December 1-4 and odds are good Tiger will play in his own event.
After the Hero, comes the PNC Championship in Orlando, December 15-18. Woods is expected to once again show up with son Charlie — who is getting bigger and stronger. That being said, the Woods-Woods team hasn’t officially entered — yet.
Daly and Daly — John and John II will show up as defending champions and Jordan Spieth will make his first appearance with his father, Shawn.
