Augusta University’s Cole Stevens earns top spot in final 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The top five players in the final 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking have been announced, with Cole Stevens of Augusta University finishing No. 1 in the ranking. This remarkable achievement, through the strategic partnership and programming between Bridgestone Americas, PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression and the APGA, will provide these players with various benefits, resources and opportunities to enhance their professional careers.
"My goal has always been to play on the PGA TOUR," said Stevens, a native of South Africa. "Earning this (transitional support) will help me out tremendously as I begin my professional golf journey in the United States."
By finishing No. 1, Stevens also earns a sponsor’s exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH, which returns to Raleigh Country Club in North Carolina later this month.
“UNC Health is proud to offer a sponsor’s exemption to the top Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking player again this year,” said Brian Krusoe, tournament director of the UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH. “Our tournament welcomes a wide range of young, aspiring golfers, and we enjoy seeing a talented collegiate player seize this opportunity as they start what we hope will be a long and successful career.”
The final top five players in the 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking are as follows:
1. Cole Stevens, Augusta University
2. Gregory Odom Jr., Howard University
3. Kristopher Stiles, San Jose State University
4. Everett Whiten Jr., Howard University
5. Steve Kibare, Dalton State University
Stevens clinched the top spot after winning the Southland Conference Individual Championship in late April, while teammates Gregory Odom Jr. and Everett Whiten Jr. both finished in the top 10 at the NEC Men’s Golf Championship to secure Howard’s NEC title. San Jose State’s Kristopher Stiles carded a season-best T6 at the Oregon Duck Invitational, while Steve Kibare helped his team win the NAIA Southern States Athletic Conference Championship with a top-10 finish.
The class of 2024 ranking utilized the WAGR points average through May 15, 2024, to rank the top student athletes from underrepresented communities in golf across NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III and NAIA Men’s golf.
Each player will receive transitional support to their professional careers in the following areas:
- Scholarship access and membership in the APGA Tour through August 2025
- Scholarship access into the pre-qualifying round of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
- Clippd technology subscription
- Resources to assist with travel to professional events, instruction, equipment and home course membership.
To start next season, the PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression and the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking have partnered with Clippd to provide data for the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking. In late 2023, Clippd was introduced as the official scorer and ranking of collegiate golf.
"We are honored to be selected as the partnering platform for Pathway to Progression. Through our college golf scoring and ranking platform, Scoreboard, we are poised to offer advanced data analytics crucial for this selection process,” said Jonathan Halpern, managing director of Clippd USA. “Furthermore, we're thrilled to extend our game improvement data analytics product, Clippd, to support the mission of providing top-tier technology and training tools to this selection of golfers from historically underserved communities as they embark on their professional golf journey.”
Registration for the 2024–25 Bridgestone Collegiate Ranking will open May 22. The registration link can be found below.
Below is a complete list of alums from previous years of the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking:
2023
1. Troy Taylor II, Michigan State
2. Joel Basaline, Livingstone College
3. Gary Bullard, Army
4. Troy Stribling Jr., Florida A&M University
5. Jason Johnson, Alabama A&M University
2022
1. Quinn Riley, Duke
2. Jeffrey Cunningham, Drexel
3. Kasoma Paulino, Henderson State
4. Xavier Williams, North Carolina A&T
5. Travis Jackson, North Carolina Central
2021
1. Mulbe Dillard, Florida A&M University
2. Andrew Walker, Michigan State
3. Mahindra Lutchman, Florida A&M University
4. Cameron Riley, Florida A&M University
5. Prince Cunningham, Florida A&M University