PGA Tour University: Policy Board Approves Plan To Reward Top College Seniors With Korn Ferry Tour Access

Of all the ideas hatched at Camp Ponte Vedra over the last decade, I’m not sure there is one that appeals more than the PGA Tour University concept, reportedly approved by the Policy Board this week.

It’s forward-thinking both in extending the Korn Ferry Tour’s reach, while addressing signs that college players increasingly turn pro before they are ready. The idea of incentivizing top seniors to finish their eligibility via access to the PGA Tour’s top feeder tour should ensure players get a degree (or at least take all Concepts of Coaching classes offered). And should produce a more mature, polished player at 22 or 23. In theory, anyway.

From Ryan Herrington’s Golf World story explaining the concept:

The plan allows for the top five players on a new created collegiate player ranking, which will include only golfers playing in their fourth year of college eligibility, to gain immediate membership on the Korn Ferry Tour after the NCAA Championship in late May, allowing them to compete in the final eight or nine KFT events as full members. If these college players earn enough points in those tournaments to crack the top 25 on the KFT’s year-long points list, they will earn a PGA Tour card for the following season. They can also play their way into the top 75 on the points list and gain entry in the KFT final series. If a player doesn’t crack either threshold, they will still get direct entry into the final stage of KFT Q school later in the year.

Golfers ranking Nos. 6-15, meanwhile, will get to move directly to either the PGA Tour Latinoamérica or Mackenzie Tours, according to sources, and will also be given automatic entry into the second stage of KFT Q school. There will be no direct access to PGA Tour membership.

The program will not impact generational talents either.