PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The pre-season Velocity Global Ranking for the Class of 2023 has been announced, and Fred Biondi (Florida) debuts at No. 1 among the top-25 rising seniors eligible for PGA TOUR University this season. Ludvig Aberg (Texas Tech), Sam Bennett (Texas A&M), Austin Greaser (North Carolina) and Travis Vick (Texas) round out the pre-season top-five.

Florida placed four players in the pre-season Velocity Global Ranking, as top-ranked Biondi is joined by Ricky Castillo, John DuBois and Yuxin Lin. North Carolina and Pepperdine each have three top-25 players, while Oklahoma State has two players.

Eligible players in the Class of 2023 must enroll with PGA TOUR University in order to be included in the regular season Velocity Global Ranking. Player Registration is open, and the complete Class of 2023 Ranking will be released prior to the start of the fall season in late August.

In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA TOUR University ranks collegiate players based on their average performance in NCAA Division-I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. At the end of the college golf season, the top five finishers will earn membership on Korn Ferry Tour and players finishing 6th through 15th will earn membership on PGA TOUR Canada or PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

Since the first PGA TOUR University class graduated in June 2021, alumni have combined for five professional victories. Less than a month after finishing No. 1 in the 2022 Velocity Global Ranking, Pierceson Coody won in just his third start on Korn Ferry Tour in June and is currently 32nd on the points list. Trevor Werbylo (9th, Class of 2021) and Davis Thompson (2nd, Class of 2021) also have Korn Ferry Tour victories this season, and both players have secured their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season through their play on Korn Ferry Tour.

Velocity Global Ranking – Pre-Season

PGA TOUR University Class of 2023

1. Fred Biondi (Florida)

Biondi returns to Gainesville for a fifth year after posting two victories and two runner-up finishes in 2021-22. This summer, he advanced through Sectional Qualifying and made his U.S. Open debut at The Country Club, and he posted a 2-0-2 record at the Arnold Palmer Cup and led the International Team to a victory in France. A native of Brazil, Biondi finished runner-up at the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship and won the 2021 Florida Amateur.

2. Ludvig Aberg (Texas Tech)

Aberg posted eight top-10s for the Red Raiders last season, including victories at The Prestige and the Big 12 Championship, en route to winning the 2022 Ben Hogan Award. His record also includes three starts on the PGA TOUR in 2021-22, with his best finish being a T51 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Currently No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Aberg represented Sweden at the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2020 and 2022, and he was runner-up at the 2021 European Amateur Championship.

3. Sam Bennett (Texas A&M)

Bennett spent 12 weeks atop the Velocity Global Ranking in 2021-22 before announcing that he was returning to Texas A&M for a fifth year. He posted seven top-10s and one victory for the Aggies last season, and he represented PGA TOUR University at the DP World Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic in January. This summer, he made his second appearance at the Arnold Palmer Cup and he finished T49 at the U.S. Open.

4. Austin Greaser (North Carolina)

Greaser recorded two victories last season, including the NCAA Regional in New Haven, and was named an honorable mention PING All-American. As runner-up of the 2021 U.S. Amateur, he earned exemptions into the Masters and U.S. Open; he missed the cut and was T64 in Augusta, and he advanced to the weekend and tied for 61st in Brookline.

5. Travis Vick (Texas)

Last season at the NCAA Championship, Vick posted a 2-1 match play record and tallied the title-clinching point for the Longhorns. As an individual, he recorded six top-10s, including a runner-up finish at the NCAA Regional in Norman, and was named a PING Second Team All-American. This summer, Vick advanced through Sectional Qualifying and was low amateur (T43) in his U.S. Open debut in Brookline.

Velocity Global Ranking – Pre-Season

The Ranking Period for the Class of 2023 began Week 23/2021 and concludes May 29, 2023, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship.