College of Charleston’s Kieron van Wyk leads initial Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking
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Xavier Bighaus (left), Kieron van Wyk, Marcus Smith (right) lead the initial Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking. (Credit APGA)
Colorado Christian University’s Xavier Bighaus, Howard University’s Marcus Smith round out top three
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – APGA Tour and PGA TOUR officials announced Friday the first Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking for the 2024-25 season, with College of Charleston’s Kieron van Wyk holding the top spot in the initial ranking. Colorado Christian University’s Xavier Bighaus is in second place and Howard University’s Marcus Smith sits in third.
Eligible players are Black golfers from NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA programs (including HBCUs) who complete a minimum of four years of college eligibility. The Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, which provides its ranking based on a Strokes Gained points system through a partnership with Clippd, runs through the completion of the collegiate regular season.
The top five eligible players in the final Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will earn the following:
- Scholarship access to APGA Tour events through the duration of the APGA Tour season (i.e., the 2025 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking class will gain access to remaining full-field events in 2025).
- Scholarship access into the pre-qualifying round of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry for the following season.
- The No. 1 player in the final Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking will receive a sponsor exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2025 UNC Health Championship.
- Monetary support in the following areas related to the development of the top five’s professional careers:
- Travel to eligible APGA Tour event
- Home-course membership
- Instruction
- Equipment/fitting
Additionally, the top-ranked player as of Nov. 15 who has not previously been awarded the benefit, will receive an exemption into the 2024 APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational as an amateur.
Ranking as of Oct. 30:
| RANK | PLAYER | COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY | DIVISION | AVG STROKES GAINED |
| 1 | Kieron van Wyk | Charleston | DI | 2.3 |
| 2 | Xavier Bighaus | Colorado Christian | DII | -2.1 |
| 3 | Marcus Smith Jr. | Howard | DI | -3.4 |
| 4 | Kci Lindskog | Texas Southern | DI | -4.6 |
| 5 | Henry Mwanza | Lincoln (MO) | DII | -6.5 |
| 6 | Christopher Baguma | Livingstone | DII | -6.6 |
| 7 | Joshua Siplin | Howard | DI | -7.0 |
| 8 | Anthony Ford | Howard | DI | -7.2 |
| 9 | Justin Reed | Cumberland | NAIA | -7.8 |
| 10 | Joseph Graham | Virginia Union | DII | -8.3 |
| 11 | Derrius Gillis | Miles | DII | -9.5 |
| 12 | Zaccheus Spann | Virginia Union | DII | -10.5 |
| 13 | Jerris Baker | Miles | DII | -11.0 |
| 14 | Rashon Williams | Southern Utah | DI | -11.1 |
| 15 | Mark Greene | Savannah State | DII | -12.0 |
| 16 | Jamison Boykins | Rose-Hulman | DIII | -12.2 |
The APGA Collegiate Ranking was announced in October 2020 through a partnership between the PGA TOUR and the APGA Tour, with Bridgestone becoming presenting sponsor of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program in 2023. Alongside the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, these player development programs are part of the PGA TOUR’s Pathway to Progression, which aims to create a developmental pathway for a historically underrepresented group of golfers.