PGA Tour Rookie Honored by UNC Legends, and Hilariously Bill Belichick
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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This week, David Ford became the third player to earn a PGA Tour card by leading the PGA Tour University Program as the nation's top collegiate golfer. The former University of North Carolina star joins Ludvig Aberg (2023) and Michael Thorbjorsen (2024) as recipients of this honor.
Although the program is relatively new, the merit of earning a tour card through it has progressively gained recognition outside the golf world. In fact, several of the Tar Heels' top sports figures honored Ford for this achievement.
These big names include NBA Hall of Famer Vince Carter, a former star of North Carolina's basketball program; College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown, the former head football coach; and College Basketball Hall of Famer Roy Williams, the former head basketball coach.
Then there is Bill Belichick's surprising praise.
David Ford of the United States watches his shot from the sixth tee during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025 at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas....
David Ford of the United States watches his shot from the sixth tee during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025 at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. More"The Carolina family believes in you, and we are cheering for you every step of the way. I can't wait to see you succeed with the pros and get that first tour win under your belt. You got this. Go Heels!" Carter said.
"I just want to wish you the best as you move forward towards PGA Tour. I know the next steps are big ones, and we're all here pulling for you," Belichick added.
"Congratulations, good luck moving forward. Go Heels!" Brown said.
"You've got something special. You're different. Don't ever forget that...I look forward to many great things from you, but you're a tough little nut, and that's as good as I can say," Williams said.
Ford was visibly moved by the kind words of prominent North Carolina sports figures.
"To start off with, Vince Carter was wild. But yeah, just the whole host of people. I think Coach Williams definitely stood out to me," Ford said.
"He's just a regular guy. He knows competition. He knows how to get better, and he knows what to look for when recruiting great players."
The Tar Heels show up 🤜 🤛 to congratulate their guy @Davidfordgolf on getting his PGA TOUR card. pic.twitter.com/Keo0J4OJzS — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2025
But it was certainly strange to see Belichick as part of the ensemble. The former New England Patriots head coach signed on to be North Carolina's football coach earlier this year. He basically just walked in the proverbial door.
Meanwhile, the other figures in the video have ties that go back decades.
Nevertheless, Ford's designation as the top-ranked player in the PGA Tour University Program concludes his extraordinary amateur career, which began to excel during his junior years. In fact, he was recruited by the Tar Heels, who are ranked No. 1 in the country by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).
While at North Carolina, he continued to improve, winning seven of the 48 tournaments he played in. This tied the record for the most wins in the Tar Heels golf program.
He also led his team to 17 victories, including the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title and three top-five finishes in the NCAA tournament.
These results earned him numerous accolades, including the 2025 Haskins Award, which is given to the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the country.
Three other notable collegiate stars recently received their PGA Tour cards through the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program: Luke Clanton, Jackson Koivun, and Gordon Sargent were the recipients.
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