Vanderbilt star Gordon Sargent earns PGA Tour membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated program

Gordon Sargent became the first player to earn his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program on Wednesday when he teed off at the World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi representing the United States. With his participation in the event, the 20-year-old Vanderbilt junior crossed the 20-point threshold required for membership on the PGA Tour.

“Since winning the NCAA Championship as a freshman, Gordon has consistently proven himself as one of the top amateurs in the game, and he’s very deserving of becoming the first underclassman to earn PGA Tour membership through PGA Tour University Accelerated,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We look forward to welcoming him to the PGA Tour after he concludes his collegiate career at Vanderbilt.”

Sargent will have to wait until the conclusion of stroke play at the 2023 NCAA National Championship from May 24-27 to officially become eligible to accept his PGA Tour membership. If the second-ranked amateur chooses to turn professional, he will be eligible for full-field events for the rest of the 2024 season including the FedEx Cup Fall. Regardless of his performance, Sargent will have membership on the PGA Tour in 2025 as well.

Sargent achieved the 20 points required to earn his card through PGA Tour University Accelerated over the course of 17 months.

• Oct. 2023 — Competes for U.S. at World Amateur Team Championship (1 point)
• Sep. 2023 — Competes for U.S. at Walker Cup (2 points)
• July 2023 — Makes cut at the John Deere Classic on PGA Tour (2 points)
• June 2023 — Makes cut at the U.S. Open (1 point)
• June 2023 — Makes start at the U.S. Open (1 point)
• June 2023 — Competes for U.S. at Arnold Palmer Cup (1 point)
• April 2023 — Makes start at The Masters (1 point)
• Feb. 2023 — Reaches No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Rankings (5 points)
• Aug. 2022 — Competes for U.S. at World Amateur Team Championship (1 point)
• July 2022 — Competes for U.S. at Arnold Palmer Cup (2 points)
• June 2022 — Wins 2022 NCAA Division 1 Outstanding Freshman Award (2 points)
• May 2022 — Wins medalist honors at NCAA National Championship (3 points)

Similar to Ludvig Aberg, who also earned his PGA Tour membership via PGA Tour University, Sargent’s arrival comes with a lot of buzz. Playing in practice rounds at the 2023 Masters with Brooks Koepka, Max Homa and Rory McIlroy, the young man immediately caught the eye of his new peers. McIlroy called Sargent the best amateur he had ever played with, and Sargent responded a couple months later with a T39 finish at the U.S. Open. 

The main reason for the ogling is his speed. In the first round of the Masters, Sargent led the field in strokes gained off the tee and averaged nearly 330 yards with the big stick. Just as impressive, he hit 12 of 14 fairways that day. Sargent’s ball speed cruises around 185 miles per hour with the ability to touch 195 mph if needed. For reference, the current average on the PGA Tour is 173 mph with Cameron Champ leading the way at 190 mph.