The PGA Tour Golf Rules Explained

PGA Tour University is one of the most important golf programs in the country. In a nutshell, its job is to identify the best collegiate players in the United States. How does it do that? Through several championships and events.

However, playing in a PGA Tour event is not as easy as people would think. You first need to either qualify for it or earn a PGA Tour card.

Getting a PGA Tour membership is way more complex than getting a Korn Ferry Tour one.

If you want to play in PGA Tour events but don’t know how, this is the page for you. Read on to learn how to get on PGA Tour and play its tournaments.

How to Get on the PGA Tour

The PGA tour requirements are strict, and not checking one of the boxes means you won’t get in. Meeting those requirements will only mean you are eligible to participate in major championships and can be a PGA Tour member, but that won’t sign you up for any tournament.

Firstly, you need to meet the minimum age and membership requirements for PGA tour players. You have to be at least 18 years old.

Now, you have to spend four years of NCAA athletic eligibility, show the intent of early graduation with at least two years of athletics, or finish four years of college academics with at least two years of athletics.

Players need to have played at least five PGA Tour events in the first year of the Ranking Period. Those events have to be ranked tournaments.

They also have to qualify and participate in the NCAA Division-I National Championship during the second year of the Ranking Period.

Those are only the eligibility terms you need to qualify for the PGA Tour University. If you want to enroll in this program, you’ll have to apply to several forms to start the enrollment process.

Some people try to get a conditional PGA tour status, but only a few can enjoy that benefit, and it’s not something easy to achieve.

It’s worth noting the PGA Tour reserves several spots in the program for non-tour members that enroll through sponsor exemptions. You could try that if you had a big sponsor.

We recommend you play in as many mini-tour events as you can to improve your skills and see how everything works from the inside. The better you become, the closer you’ll be to becoming a PGA Tour player.

You need to be patient, though. Things won’t happen in a few weeks or months, so get ready for a long season.

Related Reading:  Junior PGA Tour

Who Is Not Eligible for PGA Tour University?

Even if you meet all the PGA regulations, your participation in the PGA Tour is not assured. Some things could turn your enrollment down.

If you, for example, played in a PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, PGA Tour Canada, or PGA Tour Latinoamerica, you won’t be eligible for the program.

The same happens to collegiate players who finish the season in the first 20 positions of the Velocity Global Ranking.

You shouldn’t participate in any unauthorized tournament if you want to be eligible for PGA Tour. However, you could still play in a qualifying PGA championship or other events.

What Can I Do to Earn a PGA Tour Card?

PGA Tour cards ensure your participation in next year’s PGA Tour program. Getting them is also a great way of enrolling in this program. Nonetheless, earning one of these cards is more difficult than applying for the Tour.

As you can see, all the different ways to get a PGA Tour card include being part of the whole PGA Tour league in the first place. Hence, you should only try to get it if you already play with professional golfers and think you can beat them in those tournaments.

Win a PGA Tour Event

The “easiest” way to do it is by winning a PGA Tour event. If you got to the top five final finishes at the Final Stage of 2023, you will also get one of these cards.

This may sound simple, but it’s one of the most difficult things you can try to do when playing gold. Consider many of these players are either professional golfers or road to being pros, so you won’t beat them if you are just an amateur.

You could play in some amateur tournaments to start getting better, though.

Get into the Top Finishers at the Final Stage of the 2023 Q-School

Players can play in the PGA Tour University if they get into the top five finishers at the Final Stage of 2023 Q-School.

Both the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour are as luxurious as some World Golf Championships, so they are an excellent opportunity for golf players to get a taste of what they can get if they win a major championship and improve their skills.

Be the Number One Player in the PGA Tour University Velocity

You may also get a PGA Tour card if you finish at the top of the Velocity Global Ranking. Similar to what happens with winning a tournament, getting to the top of this ranking means winning several of them.

You need to show you are better than other collegiate golf professionals and deserve to play in the PGA Tour University. It may be difficult to do this if you don’t already have a PGA Tour membership, but you can try it and see what happens.

What’s the Korn Ferry Tour?

The Kerry Ferry Tour is a developmental tour owned by the PGA that works with players who are not good enough to get to the PGA University Tour or don’t have enough money to do it.

Some people call it the last step before getting to the PGA Tour, but the truth is that the Korn Ferry Tour is one of the most important tournaments you can play in.

Just getting to the Korn Ferry Tour finals is difficult, so you shouldn’t underestimate the players who play there. You can play in Korn Ferry Tour events with no problem, as the PGA owns them and authorize them.

Although playing in the PGA Tour University is more difficult than playing in the Korn Ferry Tour, that doesn’t mean doing it is easy. You need to put an effort into qualifying if you want to play in it.

One of the different ways you have to play there, for example, is to end in the top five places in the Final Stage of 2023. That will ensure your participation in the Kerry Ferry Tour in 2024.

Related Reading: What is the PGA Winter Series?

Bottom Line – Time to Get on PGA Tour Events!

Playing in the PGA Tour University is the dream of many golf players who want to take the first step into becoming professional golfers. However, it’s a difficult path to follow, and only people who put all their hearts into it can make it.

That shouldn’t discourage you to do it, though. It’s true that playing in the PGA Tour University is challenging, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

Try to meet all the requirements stated on this list, and fill out the firms to see if the PGA picks you. However, remember to not play in the PGA Tour Canada or Latinoamerica if you want to play in the University program.

As we mentioned before, the best you can do if you want to play in the PGA Tour University is to be as patient as you can.