Virginia senior Ben James earns PGA TOUR card, headlines PGA TOUR University Class of 2026

CARLSBAD, California – Virginia’s Ben James ended his senior season the same way it started: ranked No. 1 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2026. With a T16 in stroke play at the NCAA Championship, James retained his top spot in the final ranking and earned his PGA TOUR card through the 2027 season, and he is eligible to make his professional debut as a member at the RBC Canadian Open (June 5-8).

“I had a really good fall my junior year, played great all junior year, and then it's reality when you see your name on the rankings. I'm just really happy with how I handled it, because it's difficult,” James said Monday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. “It's an amazing opportunity that PGA TOUR U lets us college guys have a pathway to the PGA TOUR and looking forward to getting out there.”

James headlines the PGA TOUR University top 25 who earn membership on the PGA TOUR (No. 1), Korn Ferry Tour (Nos. 2-10) or PGA TOUR Americas (Nos. 11-25). Texas’ Christiaan Maas tallied five top 10s and a victory this spring to challenge James for No. 1, but he closed with a T19 finish at NCAAs and fell just short in the final ranking. Maas finished No. 2 in PGA TOUR University and will begin his professional career on the Korn Ferry Tour, along with the remaining players in the top 10.

The Class of 2026 is the sixth class of PGA TOUR University graduates, and 129 players have earned performance benefits since 2021. With the addition of James, PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season features 25 PGA TOUR U alumni, and 31 alumni have combined for 55 professional victories worldwide.

No. 1 | PGA TOUR membership – Ben James, Virginia

James topped the PGA TOUR University Ranking every week during his senior campaign, and he joins Florida State’s John Pak (2021) as the only players to lead PGA TOUR University wire-to-wire. He finishes his college career with seven victories and 35 top-10 finishes in 46 starts, and he helped lead the Cavaliers to the program’s first two ACC Championships (2025, 2026) and a national runner-up finish in 2025.

After a five-win freshman campaign in 2022-23, James was named Outstanding Freshman of the Year and a GCAA PING First Team All-American. He returned to the First Team as a sophomore and junior, and if he is named to the First Team again this year, he will become just the fifth player earn First Team honors four times, and first since Georgia Tech's Bryce Molder (1998-2001).

Currently ranked No. 2 in WAGR, James represented the United States at the Walker Cup (2023, 2025) and Palmer Cup (2023, 2024) and helped the Americas win all four competitions. He has made nine starts on the PGA TOUR as an amateur, including qualifying for the U.S. Open twice (2024, 2025), and his best finish was T33 at the 2025 Valero Texas Open.

By finishing No. 1 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking, James earns PGA TOUR membership through the 2027 season, and the first event he is eligible for is the RBC Canadian Open (June 5-8). He joins Texas Tech’s Ludvig Åberg (2023), Stanford’s Michael Thorbjornsen (2024) and North Carolina’s David Ford (2025) as players who earned their PGA TOUR cards by finishing No. 1 in PGA TOUR U.

Nos. 2-10 | Korn Ferry Tour membership

Players who finish Nos. 2-10 earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2026 season, starting with the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank (June 11-14). Additionally, they earn exemptions into Final Stage (Nos. 2-5) or Second Stage (Nos. 6-10) of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

No. 2 | Christiaan Maas, Texas

NCAA Championship: T16

• Tallied three wins and 25 top-10 finishes in 49 collegiate starts.
• Captured the individual title at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship and led South Africa to the team victory.
• Notable finishes in DP World Tour events include T10 at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic and T4 at the 2025 Investec South African Open Championship.
• Finished runner-up at the 2023 Western Amateur and the 2024 Africa Amateur Championship.

No. 3 | Jase Summy, Oklahoma

NCAA Championship: T70

• Oklahoma’s school record holder for career scoring average, rounds in the 60s and birdies.
• In 2025-26, posted one win (Carmel Cup), six top-five finishes, eight top-20 finishes and a season scoring average of 70.68.
• Three-time All-Conference selection and multiple time All-America honoree with three career wins and 19 top-10 finishes in over 150 rounds played for the Sooners.
• Oklahoma now has nine players who have earned membership through PGA TOUR University, the most of any school.

No. 4 | Filip Jakubcik, Arizona

NCAA Championship: T4

• Recorded 17 top-10 finishes and four victories in 42 starts for the Wildcats, including wins at the Marana Regional and Arizona N.I.T. as a senior.
• Won the 2025 European Amateur and earned an exemption into The 153rd Open.
• Represented Czechia at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships and as a member of the International Team at the Arnold Palmer Cup (2024, 2025).

No. 5 | Luke Potter, Texas

NCAA Championship: T23

• Completed two seasons at Arizona State (2022-24) before transferring to Texas for his last two years of eligibility (2024-26); in 25 starts at Texas, recorded 10 top-10 finishes and two victories, including a win at this year’s Bryan Regional.
• Recorded a 69.65 average this season with 28 of 37 rounds under par.
• In high school, was named the 2019 California Freshman Athlete of the Year (all sports), becoming the first golfer since Tiger Woods to earn the accolade.

No. 6 | Tommy Morrison, Texas

NCAA Championship: T10

• Posted 18 top-10 finishes in 44 starts in four seasons at Texas (2022-26).
• Became the 12th player in Texas program history to represent Team USA at the 2025 Walker Cup; posted a 2-1 record to help the Americas defeat Team Great Britain & Ireland.
• Won the 2024 European Amateur to earn a spot in the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon, where he finished T60 and earned the Bronze Medal, as he tied for second among the 12 amateurs in the 152-player field.

No. 7 | William Sides, SMU

NCAA Championship: Did not qualify

• His PGA TOUR University record includes 12 top-10 finishes and four victories the last two seasons, including three wins as a senior.
• Qualified for the Regionals as an individual; closed his college career with a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Bryan Regional.
• Amateur highlights include a win at the 2026 Jones Cup Invitational and runner-up finish at the 2024 Trans-Mississippi Amateur.

No. 8 | Mahanth Chirravuri, Pepperdine

NCAA Championship: T23

• In 39 starts, recorded 20 top-10 finishes and a win at the 2025 West Coast Conference Championship in three seasons at Pepperdine (2023-26) after transferring from Southern Cal.
• In his first start in a pro event, finished T22 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club in March.
• Advanced to match play at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship, defeating Luke Colton and Jase Summy before losing to Miles Russell in the Round of 16.

No. 9 | Frankie Harris, South Carolina

NCAA Championship: Did not qualify

• Recorded three victories during his season campaign to become the all-time wins leader (six) at South Carolina.
• This season, finished with the lowest single-season average in program history (69.91) with nine top-20 finishes, five top-10 finishes and three wins.
• Finished his three-year Gamecock career with a scoring average of 70.37 in 32 events played, the lowest in program history.

No. 10 | Wells Williams, Vanderbilt

NCAA Championship: T23

• Recorded 13 top-10 finishes and three victories in 36 starts for the Commodores.
• In 2025, became the sixth player in Vanderbilt history with multiple wins in a season.
• Qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open and represented the United States at the 2025 Palmer Cup.
• Was a counting score for the Commodores in 71 of 73 rounds when he was in the lineup.

Nos. 11-25 | PGA TOUR Americas membership

Players who finish Nos. 11-25 earn PGA TOUR Americas membership for the remainder of the 2026 season, starting with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open presented by Syndeo (June 25-28). Additionally, they earn exemptions into Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

• No. 11 | Lance Simpson, Tennessee
• No. 12 | Michael Alexander Mjaaseth, Arizona State
• No. 13 | Paul Chang, Virginia
• No. 14 | Tom Fischer, Ole Miss
• No. 15 | Cameron Tankersley, Ole Miss
• No. 16 | Matthew Kress, Florida
• No. 17 | Bryan Lee, Virginia
• No. 18 | Zachery Pollo, Arizona
• No. 19 | Daniel Svärd, Northwestern
• No. 20 | Ethan Evans, Duke
• No. 21 | Mesa Falleur, New Mexico
• No. 22 | Brady Siravo, Pepperdine
• No. 23 | Garrett Endicott, Mississippi State
• No. 24 | Cohen Trolio, Ole Miss
• No. 25 | Ryan Voois, Illinois

NCAA individual champion: Oklahoma State junior Preston Stout

The NCAA individual title went to Oklahoma State junior Preston Stout, who closed with a final-round 69 and won by one with a 14-under total. He becomes the Cowboys’ 10th individual NCAA champion, and the team will begin their national title defense on Tuesday as the No. 5 seed in match play.

It is Stout’s fifth win in his last eight starts, and he is in a strong position to be one of the top players in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2027. Currently No. 3 in WAGR behind James and Jackson Koivun, Stout will receive an exemption into the U.S. Open, provided he remains amateur. Additionally, the NCAA Division I men's individual champion will be listed as a qualification category to receive a Masters invitation in 2027.

Alabama sophomore William Jennings finished second, while Auburn junior Josiah Gilbert was third at 11-under. Arizona senior Filip Jukubcik finished T4 and improved four spots to No. 4 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking.

PGA TOUR University Accelerated: Auburn junior Jackson Koivun

Auburn junior Jackson Koivun finished T10, his third top-10 in three starts at the NCAA Championship, and helped lead the Tigers to the No. 1 seed entering Tuesday’s quarterfinal match against Stanford. Koivun will look to add a second national title to his resume, as the Tigers defeated Florida State to win the NCAA Championship in 2024.

Koivun, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world the last 51 weeks, earned his PGA TOUR card last season via PGA TOUR University Accelerated and is eligible to accept membership at the end of the collegiate season.