PGA TOUR University on TOUR: Four alumni in top 10 at Veritex Bank Championship
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Trent Phillips carded a career-low 10-under 61 in the first round of the Veritex Bank Championship on his way to a third-place finish, his second top-three of the season. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Korn Ferry Tour
Trent Phillips and Quade Cummins finished in the top five at the Veritex Bank Championship at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas. Phillips carded a career-low 10-under 61 in the first round that included three eagles on his way to a third-place finish, his second top-three of the season. After starting the season with back-to-back missed cuts in the Bahamas, Phillips has made the cut in seven straight starts and is up to No. 5 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. Cummins tied his career low with an 8-under 63 in the second round and tied for fifth, his third top-10 finish of 2024.
In his Korn Ferry Tour season debut, Yuxin Lin finished eighth after carding rounds of 8-under 63 in the second and final rounds. The No. 12 player in the 2023 ranking has made the cut on three different tours this season, and in four of five starts overall. In addition to his eighth-place finish last week in Dallas, he finished T56 at The American Express on the PGA TOUR, and he made the cut in both his starts on PGA TOUR Americas, with his best finish being T3 at the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club.
Trevor Werbylo closed with a 63 to earn a T9 finish, his first top-10 on any tour since he won the Korn Ferry Tour’s Lake Charles Championship in March 2022. He has made the cut in four of seven starts this season and he’s currently 68th on the points list.
The Korn Ferry Tour season will resume at the AdventHealth Championship (May 16-19) at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri.
PGA TOUR University Alumni – Korn Ferry Tour Points List
Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best Finish of Season |
5 | Trent Phillips | 595 | 9 | T2, The Panama Championship |
10 | Quade Cummins | 565 | 8 | T2, The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club |
17 | Ricky Castillo | 444 | 9 | T5, twice |
20 | Noah Goodwin | 388 | 9 | T4, LECOM Suncoast Classic |
24 | Ross Steelman | 315 | 8 | 3rd, The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals |
27 | Jackson Suber | 279 | 9 | T6, LECOM Suncoast Classic |
30 | Cole Hammer | 237 | 9 | 6th, Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard |
33 | Sam Bennett | 227 | 8 | T9, The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club |
40 | John Pak | 199 | 6 | T3, Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club |
46 | William Mouw | 177 | 7 | T5, Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank |
49 | Garett Reband | 165 | 5 | T3, Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank |
59 | Fred Biondi | 138 | 7 | T7, The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals |
64 | Logan McAllister | 132 | 8 | T20, Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank |
68 | Trevor Werbylo | 122 | 7 | T9, Veritex Bank Championship |
88 | Yuxin Lin | 85 | 1 | 8th, Veritex Bank Championship |
131 | Patrick Welch | 39 | 8 | T36, Veritex Bank Championship |
154 | Ryan Hall | 18 | 4 | T34, 117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro |
T171 | Ben Carr | 9 | 1 | T48, Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club |
173 | Connor Howe | 8 | 3 | 66th, Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank |
T177 | Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira | 6 | 2 | T51, Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard |
185 | Sam Choi | 5 | 7 | T59, 117 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro |
PGA TOUR
Austin Eckroat and Chris Gotterup teamed up andfinished T11 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after finishing the weekend 20-under. Eckroat, the No. 3 player in the 2021 ranking and Gotterup, the No. 7 player in the ranking in 2022, were the only team made up of PGA TOUR University alums in the field. Eckroat has made the cut in 13 of his last 15 starts dating back to last season while carding six top-25s and a win at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in that span.
Jacob Bridgeman and Chandler Phillips finished T19, Mac Meissner and Austin Smotherman finished T23 and Kevin Yu and C.T. Pan finished T28.
Eight PGA TOUR University alumni are in the field this week at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. Meissner, Pierceson Coody, Parker Coody and Davis Thompson will be making their return to the event while Bridgeman, Gotterup, Yu, Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Joe Highsmith will make their debuts in McKinney, Texas.
PGA TOUR University Alumni – FedExCup Standings
Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best Finish of Season |
5 | Ludvig Åberg | 1,510 | 10 | 2nd, twice |
30 | Austin Eckroat | 772 | 12 | 1st, Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches |
74 | Kevin Yu | 330 | 12 | T3, The American Express |
92 | Davis Thompson | 222 | 12 | T15, WM Phoenix Open |
122 | Joe Highsmith | 141 | 11 | T6, Puerto Rico Open |
124 | Jacob Bridgeman | 136 | 11 | T19, Zurich Classic of New Orleans |
125 | Parker Coody | 135 | 11 | T6, Corales Puntacana Championship |
126 | Mac Meissner | 133 | 10 | T10, Valero Texas Open |
149 | Adrien Dumont de Chassart | 84 | 12 | T6, Puerto Rico Open |
164 | Chris Gotterup | 66 | 11 | T11, Zurich Classic of New Orleans |
175 | Pierceson Coody | 47 | 11 | T18, Corales Puntacana Championship |
PGA TOUR Americas
Five PGA TOUR University alumni made the cut at the Diners Club Peru Open at Los Inkas Golf Club. Derek Hitchner and Cameron Sisk led all alumni in the field after finishing T22. Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (T34), Ben Carr (T34) and Reid Davenport (T42) also made the cut in Lima.
Hitcher has finished in the top 25 in six of his last 10 starts dating back to last season on PGA TOUR Canada. The Pepperdine alum had back-to-back top-10s at the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club and the 69th ECP Brazil Open.
Seven alumni are expected to be in the field at the Kia Open (May 2-5) in Quito, Ecuador: Hitchner, Davenport, Carr, Sisk, Fernandez de Oliveira, Tommy Kuhl and Chase Sienkiewicz.
The PGA TOUR Americas Latin Swing consists of six events, with two tournaments remaining. The top 60 players in the Fortinet Cup at the conclusion of the Latin Swing earn exempt membership for the North America Swing.
PGA TOUR University Alumni – Fortinet Cup Standings
Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best Finish of Season |
13 | Derek Hitchner | 220 | 4 | T3, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
19 | Yuxin Lin | 160 | 2 | T3, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
41 | Reid Davenport | 84 | 4 | T8, 69th ECP Brazil Open |
T56 | Ben Carr | 60 | 4 | T21, 69th ECP Brazil Open |
63 | Ryan Burnett | 50 | 4 | T32, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
67 | Tommy Kuhl | 46 | 4 | T24, 69th ECP Brazil Open |
T73 | Chase Sienkiewicz | 40 | 4 | T20, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
T76 | Cameron Sisk | 39 | 4 | T22, Diners Club Peru Open |
91 | Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira | 24 | 4 | T34, Diners Club Peru Open |