How it works: PGA Tour University Ranking

PGA Tour University bridges the gap between college golf and professional golf. College golf’s top players can earn membership through PGA Tour University and have a guaranteed place to play immediately after their college careers are complete. The PGA Tour University Ranking is the mechanism to determine which graduating seniors earn automatic access to PGA Tour-sanctioned circuits.

After the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship in May, the top-20 players in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earn membership at various levels of the PGA Tour ecosystem. The PGA Tour University Ranking is limited to seniors, who may accept performance benefits after the conclusion of their college careers.

In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA Tour University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. Eligible Tournaments include NCAA Division-I men’s team competitions, official PGA Tour tournaments and select DP World Tour events. Players competing in Eligible Tournaments earn points equivalent to the number of points awarded by WAGR®, except for the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship and professional Eligible Tournaments (as described in the Rules and Regulations).

A player’s “Points Average” is the average number of points he receives at each Eligible Tournament on his PGA Tour University record, multiplied by 100. Each tournament is weighted equally (i.e., players’ Divisors are not aged on a sliding scale). During the college golf season, the PGA Tour University Ranking is updated weekly on Wednesdays. A player’s detailed record can be displayed by clicking his name on the Ranking page.

College golf tournaments

At most regular-season college golf tournaments, there are 54-hole team and individual competitions, and many are competed across two days (36 holes on Day 1 and 18 holes on Day 2).

Team scoring is often 5-count-4, where a team’s single-round score is comprised of the four best scores of the five players in the lineup. (Variations include 6-count-5 and 6-count-4.)

For the PGA Tour University Ranking, a player earns points based on his individual finish in an Eligible Tournament.

NCAA postseason

Teams who win their Conference Championship earn automatic berths into NCAA Regionals. In all, 81 teams and 15 individuals compete in one of the six NCAA Regionals Championships, as selected by NCAA Division-I Men's Golf Committee. The top five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each Regional advance to the NCAA D-I Championship.

Eligibility

New eligibility guidelines begin in 2027 as the PGA Tour transitions to a new competitive structure. Implications for players who finish outside the top 10 of the final PGA Tour University ranking will be finalized at a later date.

In 2027 only:

• The No. 1 player in the final ranking will earn PGA Tour membership for the remainder of the current season, following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship, and PGA Tour Championship Series membership for 2028.
• Nos. 2-10 in the final ranking will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the current season, following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship, and the top five performers on the 2027 total points list will earn PGA Tour Challenger Series membership for 2028.

In 2028 and beyond:

• The No. 1 player from PGA Tour University Ranking following that season’s NCAA Championship will be eligible for the PGA Tour Championship Series that season and the following season.
• Nos. 2-5 in the PGA Tour University Ranking earn PGA Tour Challenger Series membership following the conclusion of the NCAA Championship through the following season.

For a complete list of Performance Benefits, please see the Rules and Regulations.

PGA Tour University Accelerated

The PGA Tour University Ranking features seniors. But high-achieving freshmen, sophomores and juniors can earn PGA Tour membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated.

Players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf, and they will earn PGA Tour membership if they amass at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility. Starting in 2028, players who achieve and accept PGA Tour University Accelerated earn PGA Tour Challenger Series membership and can join at the start of a future season.

Click here for a full breakdown of PGA Tour University Accelerated.