Ten players to watch at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist
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Neal Shipley’s runner-up finish at the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship earned him spots in the Masters and U.S. Open, where he went on to become the first player since Viktor Hovland in 2019 to earn Low Amateur honors at each event in the same season. (Credit David Cannon)
School’s out and summer is here, which means it’s time to start the job search if you’re a recent graduate.
For the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024, the players who finished Nos. 6-25 didn’t have to worry about any job interviews, as they earned exempt status on PGA TOUR Americas for the North America Swing. For everyone else, they had to go back and take one more class, this one at PGA TOUR Americas Q-School where the top nine players from each of the six sites earned exempt status for the remainder of 2024.
Let’s take a look at 10 newcomers to watch this week at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, as they join the race for the Fortinet Cup.
1. Michael Brennan, Wake Forest
Brennan, the No. 12 player in the PGA TOUR U Class of 2024, won six individual titles with the Demon Deacons, the fourth most in program history behind Bill Haas, Gary Hallberg and Curtis Strange. Brennan became the first player since 2015-16 to claim back-to-back ACC titles after earning individual co-medalist honors at the 2024 ACC Championship.
2. Sampson-Yunhe Zheng, University of California-Berkeley
At the end of February, Zheng was on the cusp of falling outside of the top 25 of the PGA TOUR University Ranking. From March 5 to May 15, the Cal-Berkeley alum reeled off five straight top-10 finishes, his best being a T2 finish at the NCAA Rancho Santa Fe Regional. Zheng finished No. 14 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking after his strong play to close out the season.
3. Dylan Menante, UNC
Menante finished No. 15 in the PGA TOUR University Ranking and begins his professional journey after a decorated collegiate career at Pepperdine and North Carolina. In his sophomore season, Menante led Pepperdine to the 2020-21 National Championship and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. After transferring to UNC for the 2022-23 season, the Carlsbad, California, native became the first Tar Heel to finish in the top 10 in both the NCAA Regional (T6) and National Championship (T4).
4. Canon Claycomb, Alabama
Claycomb was an All-SEC second-team selection in 2023, which he followed up with a stellar final season in Tuscaloosa that saw him finish at No. 18 in PGA TOUR University. With a vibrant personality to match his game, Claycomb recorded four top-15 finishes throughout the spring, with his best performance coming at The Hayt at Sawgrass Country Club where he finished T2.
5. Neal Shipley, Ohio State/James Madison
Shipley’s runner-up finish at the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship earned him spots in the Masters and U.S. Open, where he went on to become the first player since Viktor Hovland in 2019 to earn Low Amateur honors at each event in the same season.
Neal Shipley's parents celebrate son's low amateur honors at U.S. Open
The James Madison and Ohio State product put together a solid spring that included five top-15 finishes. Shipley won the Southwestern Invitational, finished T5 at the Big Ten Championship, and T9 at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
6. Maxwell Moldovan, Ohio State
Moldovan finished No. 20 in the PGA TOUR University Ranking, capping off a decorated career at Ohio State.
Maxwell Moldovan makes birdie on No. 15 at Barbasol
The Ohio native finished with the most career rounds in the 60s (48), most rounds at par or better (86) and the lowest scoring average (71.25) in school history. Moldovan finished his career with 31 top-20s and 19 top-10s.
7. RJ Manke, Washington
A native of Lakewood, Washington, Manke was an alternate for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst but opted to play PGA TOUR Americas Q-School in Courtenay, British Columbia. Manke finished T4 at the final Q-School site to earn his card for the North America Swing. Prior to Washington, Manke spent four seasons at Pepperdine, where he was teammates with Menante, and helped the Waves win the 2020-21 National Championship.
8. John Marshall Butler, Auburn
Butler capped of a decorated career at Auburn by being named to the All-SEC second team and helping the Tigers to their first National Championship in program history. As a junior, Butler ended the season with a 70.14 stroke average, the second best single-season mark by a Tiger. Butler earned his card after finishing T3 at PGA TOUR Americas Q-School at Soboba Springs Golf Club.
9. Piercen Hunt, Illinois
Hunt earned his PGA TOUR Americas card after finishing T4 at Q-School in Courtenay. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Hunt registered three top-five finishes during his senior season at the University of Illinois.
10. Thomas Ponder, Alabama
The second Alabama alum on the list, Ponder became the first medalist of the PGA TOUR Americas Q-School cycle, finishing at the top of the site in Ocala, Florida. Ponder finished No. 33 in the PGA TOUR University Ranking after a solid senior season where he collected five top-15 finishes during the spring season.
After graduating from PGA TOUR University or passing Q-School, these alums hit the ground running in the North America Swing in the race for the Fortinet Cup.