PGA TOUR University On TOUR: Castillo wins his Korn Ferry Tour debut

Korn Ferry Tour

A PGA TOUR University alumnus won his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour for the second week in a row, as Ricky Castillo survived a three-man playoff to win the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics. Just 18 days after winning the NCAA Championship with the University of Florida, Castillo hoisted another trophy and became the 19th player in Korn Ferry Tour history to win their debut start.

With Castillo’s win, PGA TOUR U alumni now have 11 professional victories – six on Korn Ferry Tour and five on PGA TOUR Canada. Castillo enters the Korn Ferry Tour points list at No. 24 and he is one of seven alumni currently ranked in the top 30.

After winning the BMW Charity Pro-Am, Adrien Dumont de Chassart was in contention to open his career with back-to-back victories, but he made bogey in the playoff and finished runner-up in Wichita. Also finishing in the top five last week was Parker Coody, whose T4 finish was his best of the season.

This week, the University of Oklahoma’s Jimmie Austin Golf Club will host the inaugural Compliance Solutions Championship. The Sooners have produced six PGA TOUR University alumni, the most of any school, and four U alumni will compete this week at their alma mater’s home course – Quade Cummins, Logan McAllister, Chris Gotterup and Patrick Welch.

PGA TOUR University Alumni – Korn Ferry Tour Points List

*Class of 2023

PGA TOUR

Austin Eckroat (Class of 2021) closed with a 5-under 65 at Los Angeles Country Club and improved 28 spots to finish T10 at the U.S. Open. Eckroat earned entry into the 2024 U.S. Open by virtue of his top-10 finish, and he climbed to a career-best rank of 85th in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking.

Vanderbilt rising junior Gordon Sargent was the low amateur and finished T39 in his U.S. Open debut. Sargent now has 16 points in PGA TOUR University Accelerated, as he added two points last weekend – one for competing in a major, and one more for making the cut – and he will earn PGA TOUR membership if he reaches 20 points by the end of his third year of NCAA eligibility.

At this week’s Travelers Championship, four players with PGA TOUR University connections are in the field. Class of 2023 graduates Ludvig Aberg and Sam Bennett will be joined by Stanford rising senior Michael Thorbjornsen, who finished 4th at this event last year, and Virginia rising sophomore Ben James. Currently No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, James earned the 2023 D-I Outstanding Freshman Award and has five points in PGA TOUR University Accelerated.

PGA TOUR University Alumni – FedExCup Standings

PGA TOUR University Total Points

Out of the top-20 finishers in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking, the three players with the highest combined point total (FedExCup and Korn Ferry Tour points) this season will be exempt on Korn Ferry Tour the following season.

PGA TOUR U Class of 2023 – Total Points

Through Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics (Korn Ferry Tour) and U.S. Open (PGA TOUR)

Notes:

• Total Points are earned starting the week after the conclusion of the NCAA Championship.

• Players must be a member to be eligible to earn Korn Ferry Tour status via PGA TOUR University Total Points.

• Ludvig Aberg is not included because he will be a PGA TOUR member in 2024 as the No. 1 player in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2023.

PGA TOUR Canada

Five players from the PGA TOUR University Class of 2023 made their pro debuts on PGA TOUR Canada last week, and all five made the cut at the season-opening Royal Beach Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist. Sam Choi led the way with a T4 finish, and he was followed by Chase Sienkiewicz (T8), Tommy Kuhl (T15), Connor Howe (T33) and Reid Davenport (T56).

Those five players will tee it up again this week at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Brandt in Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan. They will be joined by classmates Derek Hitchner and Ben Carr, who will both make their first starts on PGA TOUR Canada.

PGA TOUR University Alumni – Fortinet Cup Standings

*Class of 2023

About PGA TOUR University

Introduced in 2020, PGA TOUR University identifies the best players in Division-I college golf and provides membership opportunities on PGA TOUR-affiliated tours. PGA TOUR University alumni have won 11 professional events, and five alumni earned their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-23 season: Ludvig Aberg, Austin Eckroat, Davis Thompson, Trevor Werbylo and Kevin Yu.

PGA TOUR University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. The No. 1 player in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will earn PGA TOUR membership, while players Nos. 1-5 (fully exempt) and Nos. 6-10 (conditional) will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership. Additionally, players finishing 6th through 20th will earn fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Canada.

PGA TOUR University will be featured on GOLF Channel each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. For more information, visit pgatour.com/university and follow PGA TOUR University on Twitter and Instagram (@PGATOURU).