NORMAN (Oklahoma) -- Rose Zhang began the trend about three weeks ago. Adrien Dumont de Chassart snuck up on her the following week. Ricky Castillo then joined the party.
Three weeks in a row. A player who was making his professional debut won three consecutive events, all in different circumstances.
It's not new for amateurs to achieve immediate success after college. However, there are now more opportunities than ever before, particularly on the men’s side, with PGA Tour University.
Kristoffer Ventura, a former Oklahoma State golfer, said on Thursday that he wished he had this when he was in college. He made the statement after a 5-under-par 67 opening round at the Korn Tour's Compliance Solutions Championship held at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. "Those guys are very, very good and they have just proved that." They took full advantage of the opportunity. "It's only going get better."
Zhang made her LPGA debut only 13 days after winning the NCAA's second individual title. She won the Mizuho Americas Open. Dumont de Chassart, who had lost in the NCAA quarterfinals 12 days earlier, won the BMW Charity Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour the following week.
Castillo won the Wichita Open last week in a play-off, after he made his professional debut, just a few weeks after he had won the National Championship with Florida. He beat Dumont De Chassart, and Kyle Jones.
Dumont de Chassart, who finished third in 2023 PGA Tour U, was granted a fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour 2023 membership, and an exemption for the final stage of the 2023 PGA Tour Qu-School. Castillo was the ninth ranked PGA Tour U player and had conditional Korn Ferry Tour Membership for 2023. He also had a fully exempt membership with PGA Tour Canada in 2023. Castillo also received an exemption for the second stage of PGA Tour Q-School 2023 presented by Korn Ferry.
Last week was a great battle at the @WichitaOpen. I'm looking forward to competing in the @MHChampionship next week. I hope to see @IlliniMGolf fans and @IlliniAthletics in Springfield! pic.twitter.com/WUa80sY2HV
-- Adrien Dumont de Chassart (@adrienddc) June 20, 2023
Castillo’s victory changed all that. Castillo is ranked in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour. The top 30 finishers in the standings of the Korn Ferry Tour receive PGA Tour cards at the end. Dumont de Chassart is sixth in the rankings and will almost certainly earn a PGA Tour card.
Logan McAllister finished third in 2022 PGA Tour U's standings. "College golf is not the same thing as professional golf. But the guys at the top have shown that they can compete here."
PGA Tour U has undergone many changes, particularly in the last year as the LIV Golf League tried to lure players with guaranteed money. Eugenio Chácarra, a former Oklahoma State golfer, is among those who have left college. He won a LIV tournament last year.
Ludvig Aberg was the winner of this year's PGA Tour and will have a membership for 2023 and 2024. However, he may be reshuffled in 2024. The incentives were greater for college students to pursue PGA Tours after turning professional.
The No. 1 finisher from last year, Pierceson Coody, has won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour and is eighth in points this year. Pierceson Coody is the No. 1 finisher this year. He has won two times on the Korn Ferry Tour. He is well on his path to earning his Tour Card, but under current rules he wouldn't have had it.
Coody explained: "At the beginning, you are frustrated that I missed it by an entire year. "But I'm on a good track and I'm doing the right thing, and I plan to be in the PGA Tour next year. I declined LIV and the following year the No. The No. 1 player receives a Tour Card. It's strange to think about it, but that is the way it is. I am in a great position.
As long as I don't lose my mind, I will have a great chance to achieve something in the future.
Many of the PGA Tour U recent graduates agree that if this program was around in the past there would have been more stories about players who turned professional and won right away.
Michael Thorbjornsen is a Stanford senior who will begin his senior season in the fall. He is participating in this week's Travelers Championship, on the PGA Tour, on a sponsorship exemption. He will be a member of PGA Tour U during this season and he understands how important that is to the college game.
Thorbjornsen stated, "I believe the younger guys are improving and I think that's because they see what opportunities there are for them." "PGA Tour U is an incredible platform that allows us to do our best, and have a path to the Tour."
College players are taking advantage of the opportunities that exist to turn professional.
Rico Hoey (27), who played college golf at USC and shot a 7-under-65 on Thursday, said that "these young guys are ready and hungry." "It's an excellent incentive to continue in school but it's also really cool to watch these young men succeed."
By: Cameron Jourdan
Title: Former college golf stars are winning in their professional debuts, and it's not a surprise to their fellow pros
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/23/pga-tour-university-recent-college-golfers-having-instant-professional-success/
Published Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2023 17:00:01 +0000
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