Gordon Sargent awarded Mark H. McCormack Medal as world's top men’s amateur player

Gordon Sargent, 20, of Birmingham, Alabama, has won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading men’s player in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®.

The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort and The Open at Royal Troon.

“It’s really special to have won the McCormack Medal, especially when you see the names of the golfers who have won it before, and everything that comes along with it, including the major exemptions,” said Sargent. “This achievement definitely means a lot to me. It’s a goal that I’ve had set for a while, and it gives me a lot of confidence now that I’ve achieved it. I’m really honored to be receiving the medal.”

The American rose to the top of the men’s ranking in February after winning the John Hayt Invitational by seven shots. In April, he became the first amateur since Aaron Baddeley in 2000 to accept a special invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and then went on to win the Mason Rudolph Championship by eight shots in the following week.

Sargent was a member of the U.S. team that won the Arnold Palmer Cup in June, and in the same month he qualified for the U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, where he finished T39 and earned low amateur honors in what was his second major championship appearance.

So far this season, Sargent has also recorded six top-10 finishes in college events and will compete for the U.S. team against Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup at St. Andrews next week as well as for the U.S. team in the World Amateur Team Championship in October. He has also received invitations to play in the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR.

Last year, Sargent won the NCAA Division I individual men’s golf championship after making birdie on the first hole of a four-man playoff, becoming the ninth freshman in to win the NCAA individual title.

“Gordon has shown that he is a force in the amateur game, and we’re proud to see him accept this honor and reap the benefits of all that comes with it,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “All of us at the USGA look forward to watching him compete at St. Andrews next week and know he’ll be a presence in our championships for years to come.

“To perform consistently at such a high level and deliver outstanding performances reflects the hard work and dedication that Gordon has applied as an elite amateur golfer. We look forward to seeing his career continue to prosper in the years ahead.”

Professor Steve Otto, chief technology officer at The R&A, added: “Gordon is a thoroughly deserving winner of the McCormack Medal, and we would like to congratulate him on this significant achievement.”

The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.

The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses more than 3,500 counting events, ranking 4,520 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of approximately 2,300 counting events with more than 3,322 ranked players from 85 countries.