How it works: PGA TOUR University Ranking

The PGA TOUR University Ranking is a system that bridges the gap between college golf and professional golf. It provides a pathway for college golf's top players to earn membership on PGA TOUR-sanctioned circuits immediately after completing their college careers. Here's how it works:

1. Eligibility: The PGA TOUR University Ranking is limited to graduating seniors. To be eligible for performance benefits, players must graduate from college.

2. Ranking Mechanism: The ranking is determined by a player's performance over the last two years of their collegiate career. Eligible tournaments include NCAA Division-I men's team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments, and select DP World Tour events. Players earn points in these tournaments, which are equivalent to the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) points, with some exceptions.

3. Points Average: A player's "Points Average" is the average number of points they receive in each eligible tournament, multiplied by 100. Each tournament is weighted equally, and player divisors are not aged on a sliding scale.

4. Weekly Updates: The PGA TOUR University Ranking is updated weekly on Wednesdays during the college golf season.

5. Performance Benefits: The top 20 players in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking following the NCAA D-I Men's National Championship earn membership on PGA TOUR-sanctioned circuits. The breakdown is as follows:

   • No. 1: PGA TOUR membership for the current season and the following season.
   • Nos. 2-5: Exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the current season and entry into the Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
   • Nos. 6-10: Conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the current season and exempt status for the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas. Entry into the Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
   • Nos. 11-20: Exempt status for the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas and entry into the Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

6. PGA TOUR University Accelerated: While the PGA TOUR University Ranking primarily focuses on seniors, high-achieving freshmen, sophomores, and juniors can also earn PGA TOUR membership through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. Players earn points based on their college, amateur, and professional golf accomplishments and can earn PGA TOUR membership if they accumulate at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility.

This system provides a clear path for college golfers to transition into the professional ranks of golf and compete on various PGA TOUR-sanctioned circuits.