Howard University teammates Gregory Odom Jr., Everett Whiten Jr. maintain top spots in Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – Howard University teammates Gregory Odom Jr. and Everett Whiten Jr. maintained the top two positions in the 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, which provides enhanced visibility and an alternative and developmental pathway to a professional golf career for golfers from underrepresented communities.

For the first time this season, there has been movement within the top five, with NAIA standout Steve Kibare of Dalton State moving into the fifth spot after a strong start to the spring semester. The University of Texas at El Paso’s Sebastian Sandin, who previously held the fifth and final spot in the ranking, is now seventh. The remainder of the top five players in the rankings include San Jose State University’s Kristopher Stiles and Howard C.M. Mixon in third and fourth place, respectively. Three of the top five players – Odom Jr., Whiten Jr. and Mixon – will participate in the upcoming Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational, March 24-26, at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.

Eligible players are golfers from NCAA and NAIA Division I, II or III programs (including historically Black colleges and universities) who exhaust a minimum of four years of college eligibility. For the 2023-2024 collegiate season, the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will rank players based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking Points Average. The 2023-2024 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will run through the completion of the PGA Works Collegiate Championship (May 8, 2024).

The top-five eligible players in the final Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will earn the following:

• Scholarship access to APGA Tour events through the duration of the APGA Tour season (i.e., the 2024 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking class will gain access to remaining full-field events in 2024).
• Scholarship access into the pre-qualifying round of PGA TOUR Qualifying School presented by Korn Ferry for the following season.
• The No. 1 player in the final Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will receive a sponsor exemption into the 2024 UNC Health Championship.
• Financial support in the following areas related to the development of the top five’s transition into professional golf careers:
  • Travel to eligible APGA Tour events
  • Home course membership
  • Instruction
  • Equipment/fitting

Rankings as of March 18

Full rankings will be updated monthly at https://www.apgatour.org/bridgestone-apga-collegiate-ranking.

Players interested in opting into the program can register here by April 22: https://registrations.pgatourhq.com/forms/apga/.