NCAA Championship: Christo Lamprecht ruled out after Round 1 with 'bad back'
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Written by Staff, PGATOUR.COM
Editor's note: Georgia Tech's Christo Lamprecht was ruled out for Round 2 with a bad back and was replaced by Aidan Tran. Lamprecht, who needed to win the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Division I Championship and have Stanford's Michael Thorbjornsen finish worse than a two-way T10 to earn his PGA TOUR card, is no longer eligible to win the individual title. Following Round 2, Georgia Tech's Men's Golf head coach Bruce Heppler shed some light regarding Christo Lamprecht's status for Round 3 saying, "It's not any better, I don't see him playing tomorrow." Coach Heppler did note that this is a wait-and-see situation.
Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen will likely earn a PGA TOUR card after the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Division I Championship this weekend.
But there’s a chance that Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht could steal the card at the last minute.
The No. 1 player on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking after the stroke-play portion of NCAAs, contested at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, will earn a PGA TOUR card for the remainder of the 2024 FedExCup season (including the FedExCup Fall).
The scenario is simple: Lamprecht needs to win NCAAs – and have Thorbjornsen finish worse than two-way T10 – to earn the No. 1 spot and a PGA TOUR card. Thorbjornsen will clinch a PGA TOUR card with a two-way T10 or better, or if Lamprecht does not win. The individual competition (72-hole stroke play) will conclude Monday.
The team match-play competition (not impacting the PGA TOUR University Ranking) will be contested Tuesday and Wednesday.
Day in the Life | Christo Lamprecht | No. 2 in PGA TOUR University
Last year’s No. 1 player, Texas Tech’s Ludvig Åberg, made an immediate impact on TOUR and beyond. He played for the winning European Team at last fall’s Ryder Cup and won The RSM Classic in November; he also finished runner-up at last month’s Masters in his major debut.
Either Thorbjornsen or Lamprecht will look to follow in those footsteps.
Day in the Life at Stanford | Michael Thorbjornsen | No. 1 in PGA TOUR University
Nos. 2-5 on the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will earn Korn Ferry Tour exempt membership through the Magnit Championship in August. Nos. 6-10 on the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will be conditionally exempt on the Korn Ferry Tour and exempt for PGA TOUR Americas’ North America Swing, beginning in June.
Nos. 11-25 on the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will be exempt for PGA TOUR Americas’ North America Swing, as well.
There’s plenty on the line at the NCAA Championships, which features 72 holes of stroke play (there will be a 54-hole cut to the top 15 teams and nine additional individual scores). The top eight teams will then advance to the match-play team championship.
Last year, Åberg secured the No. 1 spot prior to the NCAA Championships. There was no make-or-break putt for a PGA TOUR card. Although unlikely, there’s a chance this year’s race could come down to the final holes at La Costa.