What PGA Tour U Rankings Say About Oklahoma State Cowboys Golf Team

It’s not just Preston Stout, who sits at the top of the first PGA Tour U rankings this season, that other programs must worry about.

Preston Stout. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last month the PGA Tour announced that Oklahoma State golfer Preston Stout would begin the season as their No. 1 ranked player in the PGA Tour’s University Class of 2026-27.

On Thursday the Tour released the rest of the rankings for the preseason and Stout had teammates that were not far behind.

Three other Cowboys were among the Top 20 players in the first rankings — No. 12 Ethan Fang, No. 15 Eric Lee and No. 18 Gaven Lane. Rankings are based on the last two seasons of the collegiate’s career.

What does that tell us about this year’s team?

Assessing the Cowboys in PGA Tour U Rankings

Ethan Fang. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys were the only program with four players in the Top 20. Only three other programs had two players in the Top 20 — Auburn, along with Big 12 rivals Texas Tech and Arizona State. Auburn was the school that sent the Cowboys packing in the NCAA Championships match play semifinals.

In assessing the Top 20 by wins, Stout had five last season which helped him reach the top of the preseason rankings. He also had eight top 10 finishes and no one in the Top 20 had more in either category.

Fang won two events last year while Lee won one, leaving Lane as the only non-winner of the trio. Only eight players in the Top 20 won at least one event last season and Fang was one of three other players to win at least two. Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert and Duke’s Bryan Kim each won two.

Fang had six Top 10 finishes, Lee had four and Lane had three. Combined with Stout, the quartet had 21 Top 10 finishes.

What it tells us is that Oklahoma State has a national championship contender. Many of the players above played in some kind of national or international competition in the summer. Stout and Fang just played in the Walker Cup. They’re battle tested going into this weekend’s first fall event, the Sahalee Players Championship.

Individually, there is plenty on the line for these four players.

Whoever finished the season at the Top of the PGA Tour U rankings earns a PGA Tour card without going through any qualifying. It’s college golf’s version of a golden ticket. There are perks for those who finish in the Top 25. Players ranked Nos. 2-10 earn Korn Ferry Tour membership and players ranked Nos. 11-25 exempt membership on PGA Tour Americas.