UNC golfer and National Player of the Year earns PGA Tour Card
UNC golfer and National Player of the Year earns PGA Tour Card
UNC adds another name to the PGA Tour roster this week as David Ford received his PGA TOUR Card on Tuesday. Ford will join Davis Love III, Tom Scherrer, Mark Wilson, and Pat Moore as Tar Heel representatives on the Tour.
Ford has been a dynamic golfer for most of his life, winning the Junior Players Championship and Rolex Tournament of Champions before even joining the Tar Heel family. Once he arrived at college, Ford was an instant success. In his first year, he was the No. 1 player on the Rolex AJGA and Golfweek junior rankings, winning ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022, followed by ACC Player of the Year in 2023.
He won the 2022 Southern Amateur and 2023 Jones Cup Invitational. He made his first PGA Tour start at the 2023 Barbasol Championship, where he even made the cut after the first two rounds. This season, Ford walked away with the Haskins Award as the NCAA National Player of the Year.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had this to say:
"Officially welcoming Luke, Gordon, and David to the PGA TOUR family marks the beginning of an exciting journey for three rising stars — and further underscores why this is the most competitive Tour in the world. PGA TOUR University is one of several direct pathways to the top of our sport, and we're committed to continuing to reward the highest achievers in college golf for years to come.'
Ford certainly still has his best years to come and will get the opportunity to play in many PGA Tour events in the future. Earning his Tour Card now gives him a ticket to play on the highest level of professional golf in North America. The amateur is no longer an amateur; now, he is a professional and represents North Carolina proudly.
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