Oklahoma State's Preston Stout named preseason No. 1 in PGA TOUR University Class of 2027

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – In advance of the 2026-27 college golf season, PGA TOUR University has tabbed Preston Stout, a 22-year-old rising senior at Oklahoma State, as its preseason No. 1 player in the Class of 2027.

Currently No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®, Stout is coming off a junior campaign that included five collegiate victories, highlighted by the individual title at the NCAA Championship. The Richardson, Texas, native also won the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club for the third consecutive season to become the conference’s first three-time winner.

Stout will compete in this week’s 3M Open, his sixth career TOUR start and fifth this season. He is coming off made cuts at the John Deere Classic (T15) and ISCO Championship (T49), and in June he competed at the U.S. Open (MC), his first appearance in a major championship.

“It means a lot, this is something I've worked for my whole college career, it's been one of my goals to be ranked No. 1 and to finish No. 1,” Stout said on Monday’s episode of "The Drop," where his preseason No. 1 ranking was announced. “I feel super blessed that we get the opportunity to do this and compete for a spot on the PGA TOUR right out of college.”

Earlier this month, Stout was one of the first four players named to the U.S. Team for the 2026 Walker Cup, set for Sept. 5-6 at Lahinch Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland. It will be his fourth U.S. Team appearance after competing in the Palmer Cup, Walker Cup and World Amateur Team Championships in 2025. Additionally, Stout has advanced to match play at the last three U.S. Amateur Championships (2023-25) and was stroke play medalist in 2025 before advancing to the Round of 16.

As he begins his fourth and final collegiate season at Oklahoma State, Stout is looking to join a roster of PGA TOUR University alumni that has combined for 59 professional victories worldwide since 2021.

Past PGA TOUR University No. 1 players include John Pak (Florida State), Pierceson Coody (Texas), Ludvig Åberg (Texas Tech), Michael Thorbjornsen (Stanford), David Ford (North Carolina) and Ben James (Virginia).

Pak and Coody topped PGA TOUR University in 2021 and 2022 and earned Korn Ferry Tour membership, while PGA TOUR membership has been awarded to the last four No. 1 finishers, most recently to James who recorded his first career top-10 finish on TOUR at last week’s Corales Puntacana Championship.

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. The Ranking Period for the Class of 2027 began Week 23/2025 and concludes May 31, 2027, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship.

Upon the conclusion of the collegiate golf season, the No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking earns PGA TOUR membership. Players Nos. 2-10 earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, and players finishing 11th through 25th earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas. Additionally, a junior or senior who wins the Division-II Jack Nicklaus Award (National Player of the Year) will earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas upon the conclusion of his collegiate career.