Kieron van Wyk gets another opportunity to tee it up on the PGA TOUR this week. Van Wyk, an amateur, got into this week’s Valspar Championship after an impressive T4 finish at the Puerto Rico Open.

Before van Wyk tees off at 9:36 a.m. on Thursday, here are five things to know about the College of Charleston senior from South Africa:

1. Impressive debut

Van Wyk made quite an impression in his first PGA TOUR start. He finished T4 at the Puerto Rico Open with a score of 19-under 269 (66-68-65-70). He was just one shot off the lead after 54 holes and played Sunday in the final group.

“I'm pretty proud of the way I played. I think I impressed myself as well,” he said. “If you asked me if I finished T4 at the beginning of the week, I would have been happy with that result, for sure.”

Van Wyk is the beneficiary of a recent rule change on the PGA TOUR. Until this year, only professionals who finished in the top 10 were given access to the next open PGA TOUR event. That rule was extended to amateurs in 2025, giving them another start on TOUR for a top-10 finish, as well.

2. Pro success

The Puerto Rico Open didn’t represent the first time this year that van Wyk has succeeded against the pros. In his debut on the APGA Tour, van Wyk won the Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course. He is the first amateur to win on the tour since it started in 2010.

Van Wyk shot 3-over 75 in the opening round on Torrey Pines’ North Course, then shot a 1-under 71 on the South Course a day after the PGA TOUR players competed there for the Farmers Insurance Open.

He birdied Torrey Pines’ par-5 18th hole twice to win a three-man playoff over Luis Gagne and Chase Johnson.

“He seems very mature for his age,” Gagne said. “He’s got a lot of (club) speed. He’s very calm, cool and composed. I think he’ll do great things if he keeps progressing.”

In December, van Wyk made the cut in the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in his native South Africa, as well. He finished T55.

3. On the right path

Van Wyk’s success in pro and amateur events this year is setting him up for a strong start to his pro career. He is No. 24 in the PGA TOUR U rankings; the top 25 after this year’s NCAA Championship earn multiple benefits, including PGA TOUR Americas status and an exemption into the second stage of PGA TOUR Q-School.

Van Wyk also is No. 1 in the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking. The top player in that ranking will earn a start in the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH later this year, as well as membership on the APGA.

4. Amateur success

Van Wyk has had a successful career at the College of Charleston, winning the CAA Conference Championship in both 2022 and 2024. When he won the conference title in 2022 as a freshman, he became the first Black golfer to win the CAA individual title. He was named First-Team All-CAA in each of his first three seasons and was the conference’s Golfer of the Year in 2022 and 2023.

Van Wyk won the White Sands Invitational in October of 2024, a victory that earned him a sponsor exemption into the Puerto Rico Open. He shot 21-under 195 (64-66-65) to win the event by five strokes. He is ranked 15th in the Clippd NCAA individual rankings.

5. What a deal

Van Wyk hasn’t turned pro yet, but he’s already inked an impressive endorsement deal. He signed an NIL deal with Under Armour earlier this year.

He became the first golfer to receive P-1 status under the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) guidelines, a designation reserved for internationally recognized athletes who have reached an elite level of success. This distinction allows van Wyk to compete and benefit from endorsement opportunities while continuing his collegiate career, setting a precedent for future international student-athletes.

"Kieron’s ability to dominate at the collegiate level while breaking barriers speaks to his skill, discipline, and relentless pursuit of greatness,” said Sean Eggert, Under Armour’s senior vice president of global sports marketing.