NORMAN, Okla. — Rose Zhang started the trend three weeks ago. Adrien Dumont de Chassart followed her up the next week. Then, Ricky Castillo joined the party.
Three straight weeks. Three straight professional events won by a player making their debut straight out of college, and all in different situations.
Amateurs having immediate success straight out of college is nothing new, though there are more opportunities now for the top college players right after turning professional compared to the past, especially on the men’s side with PGA Tour University.
“I wish we would’ve had that back when I was in college,” former Oklahoma State golfer Kristoffer Ventura said Thursday after an opening 5-under 67 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Compliance Solutions Championship at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. “Those guys are really, really good, and they’ve just proven that. They took advantage of that opportunity. It’s only going to get better.”
Only 13 days after winning a record second NCAA individual title, Zhang won in her pro debut on the LPGA at the Mizuho Americas Open. The following week and 12 days after bowing out during the quarterfinals of NCAA match play, Dumont de Chassart won the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in a playoff.
Then last week, Castillo, who was making his pro debut on the heels of winning the national championship with Florida, won the Wichita Open in a playoff, where he beat Dumont de Chassart and Kyle Jones.
Dumont de Chassart finished third in the 2023 PGA Tour U standings, which guaranteed him fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2023, as well as an exemption to the final stage of 2023 PGA Tour Q-School. For Castillo, who was ninth in PGA Tour U, he had conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2023, fully exempt membership on PGA Tour Canada for 2023, as well as an exemption to the second stage of 2023 PGA Tour Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
A fun battle last week at @WichitaOpen! Looking forward to getting back out next week and competing at the @MHChampionship. Hope to see some @IlliniMGolf and @IlliniAthletics fans in Springfield! pic.twitter.com/WUa80sY2HV
— Adrien Dumont de Chassart (@adrienddc) June 20, 2023
However, Castillo’s win changed that. He sits inside the top 30 in the Korn Ferry Tour standings. At the end of the year, the top 30 get PGA Tour cards. For Dumont de Chassart, he’s sixth and almost guaranteed to earn a card.
“All these wins from PGA Tour U guys kind of speaks to the level of talent in college golf,” said Logan McAllister, who finished third in the 2022 PGA Tour U standings. “College is obviously not the same as professional golf, but the guys who are at the top can come out here and compete, and they’ve proved that.”
There have been plenty of changes to PGA Tour U, especially in the past year to combat the LIV Golf League trying to lure players for guaranteed money. Former Oklahoma State golfer Eugenio Chacarra is one who left college, and he even won a LIV event last year.
This year, the top finisher, Ludvig Aberg, earned a PGA Tour card and has membership for the rest of the 2023 and the 2024 season, though he will be subject to reshuffles in 2024. There were more incentives to stay in college and pursue PGA Tour opportunities after turning pro.
Last year’s No. 1 finisher, Pierceson Coody, has won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour and is eighth in points this year. He’s well on his way to eventually earning his Tour card, but he would’ve had it under the current rules.
“At first you’re frustrated because I missed it by a year,” Coody said. “But I am on a good path and doing the right things, and next year I plan to be on the PGA Tour. I turned down LIV, and then the next year, the No. 1 player gets a Tour card. It is weird to think about, but it is what it is and I’m in a good spot.
“As long as I keep my head there, I’m going to end up with a chance to do great things out there.”
Most of the recent PGA Tour U graduates agree that if the program had been around in the past, there likely would’ve been more stories of players turning professional and winning right away.
Michael Thorbjornsen, who is set to begin his senior year at Stanford in the fall, is playing in this week’s Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour on a sponsor exemption. He’ll be a part of PGA Tour U this season, and he knows how important it is for the college game.
“I think the younger guys are getting better and better, and I think it’s because we all see what opportunities are out there for us,” Thorbjornsen said. “PGA Tour U has created an unbelievable platform for us to perform our best and to have some sort of a pathway on Tour.”
There are more opportunities now than ever for college players turning professional, and they’re taking advantage.
“These young guys are hungry and ready,” said Rico Hoey, the 27-year-old who shot 7-under 65 on Thursday and played collegiately at USC. “I think it’s a great incentive to stay in school, but it’s really cool to see these young guys coming out and having success.”
