Gordon Sargent Earns PGA Tour Card Through PGA Tour University Accelerated Program

Gordon Sargent is headed to the PGA Tour. The 20-year-old Vanderbilt junior known for his stunningly fast swing speeds just became the first player to graduate from the PGA Tour University’s Accelerated program.

The new PGA Tour pathway allows for college golfers to accumulate points based on various accolades in college, amateur and professional golf. Reaching No. 1 in the World Amateur golf ranking is worth five points, for example, and winning the NCAA Division I individual championship is worth three. Sargent has accomplished both feats, in addition several others that contribute to his historically stacked resume.

As of Wednesday, Sargent received his 20th PGA Tour University point—the key number—when he teed it up at the World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi. At the conclusion of Sargent’s third season with the Commodores, he’ll automatically have full PGA Tour status.

Making history 👏

20-year-old @GordonSargent5 is the first player to earn his @PGATOUR card through PGA TOUR U Accelerated.#TOURBound pic.twitter.com/lbMM9foZEV
— PGA TOUR University (@PGATOURU) October 18, 2023

For the casual golf fan, Sargent entered the picture at the 2023 Masters, where his 185 mph ball speeds astonished anyone who could get close. The Alabama native played the tournament on a special invitation—the first to be given to an amateur since Aaron Baddeley in 2000.

“He hits it 95 miles,” Max Homa told Golf Digest in April. “He was so far by us it’s crazy.”

Sargent might have missed the cut at Augusta, but for those who followed the young superstar’s career closely, it was clear that his time would come. Just a week later, Sargent won the Mason Rudolph Championship with a 54-hole score of 17 under par, setting a new school record for five wins in just two college seasons.

Over the summer, Sargent went on to play in the U.S. Open at LACC where he made the cut and finished 39th, earning another two points towards the PGA Tour University Accelerated program (one for teeing it up, another for making the weekend.) He earned low amateur honors.

At the Walker Cup at St. Andrews Sargent went 4-0 in his matches, a feat also accomplished by Jack Nicklaus, Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa. The U.S. team defeated Great Britain & Ireland 14.5-11.5.

“This is the biggest achievement of my career so far,” Sargent said afterward.

Sargent is not the only product of the PGA Tour University who has impressed this year. Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg earned his Tour card through the regular PGA Tour University rankings system when he finished No. 1 at the end of the 2023 season. Aberg captured his first professional victory at the Omega European Masters and was selected as a captain’s pick for the European Ryder Cup shortly thereafter.

From Sargent to Aberg, the youth movement is well on its way on the PGA Tour, and it doesn’t look to be stopping any time soon.