North Carolina senior David Ford and Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun earned PGA Tour membership last week via the PGA Tour University programs.
Ford finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour University Class of 2025 and secured tour membership through the 2026 season. The top 25 seniors in the final PGA Tour University ranking, representing 22 schools and 10 countries, earned membership on the PGA Tour (No. 1), Korn Ferry Tour (Nos. 2-10) and PGA Tour Americas (Nos. 11-25) following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Championship last Monday.
By finishing T4 in stroke play at the NCAA Championship, Koivun reached the 20-point threshold for PGA Tour membership via PGA Tour University Accelerated. Ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Koivun became the third player to earn tour status through PGA Tour Accelerated, alongside Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent and Florida State’s Luke Clanton, who are set to make their professional debuts at this week’s RBC Canadian Open.
Koivun, who became eligible to accept tour membership immediately or after his junior or senior seasons, confirmed on Monday that he will return to Auburn for the 2025-26 season. READ MORE
Michael Reaves, Getty Images
The talk surrounding driver testing on the PGA Tour has persisted since last month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where winner Scottie Scheffler acknowledged that he replaced his driver after it failed a pre-tournament test that measures spring-like effect, and Rory McIlroy reportedly did the same.
The USGA conducts random Characteristic Time (CT) tests on drivers belonging to a portion of tournament fields, and it is common for a driver’s face to become nonconforming over time due to wear and tear, particularly for those with high clubhead speeds.
Past U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover added fuel to the conversation on his Sirius XM PGA Tour radio show by suggesting that some players game the system by submitting their backup driver for testing.
“I’ve been trying to think all morning and all day how to say this without sounding like it’s gonna sound, but most guys don’t give them their real driver anyway,” Glover said. “They give them their backup just in case. No, it’s true. And the testing is the way it is, why, and again, I know a lot of guys, they keep two drivers in their bag just in case. ‘Hey, oh, yeah, it’s this one. It’s this one right here. Yeah, do this, test this one.’”
Speaking from the U.S. Women’s Open last week, USGA CEO Mike Whan downplayed the likelihood of such underhanded tactics. “I read something where somebody said that people can doctor the system, but we keep serial numbers of the drivers that were given us, and 90 percent of the drivers that were given us in those practice facilities when we test are played on the first tee, and we expect 10 percent of players to be making changes anyway,” he said. “I don't think that’s a real concern for us.”
In a statement to Golf Digest, the PGA Tour echoed those sentiments: “The PGA Tour works with a survey team to confirm that the drivers being tested early in the week are the drivers being used in competition. By matching serial numbers, those drivers are validated moments before players begin their competitive rounds.” READ MORE
Tap-Ins
The top three finishers in the Japan Golf Tour’s Mizuno Open – Mikiya Akutsu, Young-Han Song and Riki Kawamoto – qualified for the Open Championship at Royal Portrush via the Open Qualifying Series. READ MORE
Rory McIlroy will headline the field at this week’s RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre is also in the field, as well as 2023 champion Nick Taylor, who became the first Canadian to win his national open in 69 years when he defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff. READ MORE
PGA Tour winner Will Zalatoris underwent back surgery on May 23 after re-herniating two discs, he said on social-media last Monday, and expects to be sidelined until the fall. Zalatoris missed eight months after a microdiscectomy in 2023. READ MORE
The 2027 Ryder Cup at Ireland’s Adare Manor will take place from Sept. 17-19, it was announced last Wednesday. READ MORE
The Colonial Life Charity Classic, a new Korn Ferry Tour event in Elgin, South Carolina, is set to debut in May 2026. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity