Latest news with #DavidFord
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
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. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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. — 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. More Golf: Kai Trump Makes Strong Statement amid Massive Golf Improvement
NBC Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Sargent: Excited to start PGA Tour journey
Gordon Sargent and David Ford catch up with Kira Dixon to share their excitement on making their PGA Tour member debuts at the RBC Canadian Open this week.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
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. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina's David Ford tops PGA Tour University Class of 2025, earns PGA Tour card
CARLSBAD, Calif. — David Ford joined an exclusive club Monday. He became the third player in the history of the PGA Tour to earn his Tour membership via PGA Tour University class rankings, following in Ludvig Aberg and Michael Thorbjornsen's footsteps. And it became official as soon as stroke play ended Monday at the 2025 NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Advertisement The fifth PGA Tour University rankings were finalized Monday, and the top-25 golfers secured status on varying professional tours. But it was Ford taking home the top prize. Players who finished Nos. 2-5 in the final PGA Tour U rankings earned fully exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2025, as well as an exemption to final stage of 2025 PGA Tour Q-School. Players who finished Nos. 6-10 earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2025, fully exempt membership on PGA Tour Americas for 2026 through the Latin America swing, as well as an exemption to second stage of 2025 PGA Tour Q-School. Then, Nos. 11-25 earned fully exempt membership on PGA Tour Americas for 2025, as well as an exemption to second stage of 2025 PGA Tour Q-School. Advertisement The program is designed to streamline the process for college players to advance to the professional level while also rewarding those who honor their college commitments. Players must play on the NCAA Division I level and complete a minimum of four years in college to be eligible for PGA Tour U. PGA Tour University Class of 2025 final standings No. 1. David Ford, North Carolina Ford's senior season was stellar, picking up five wins. He was one of the finalists for the Haskins Award and made his professional debut last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth playing on a sponsor exemption. Now, he's a PGA Tour member. No. 2. Brendan Valdes, Auburn Last year, Valdes helped Auburn win its first title in school history. He has been a member of the Arnold Palmer Cup team and a past All-America selection. No. 3. Josele Ballester, Arizona State Ballester won the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National and became the first Spaniard to win the Havemeyer Trophy. Picked up one win as a senior. No. 4. Ian Gilligan, Florida Gilligan, who transferred from Long Beach State to Florida, has been a big part of the Gators' lineup his past two years and collected six wins during his college career. No. 5. Jackson Van Paris, Vanderbilt Van Paris was Vanderbilt's best player this season, and he shined down the stretch to move up into the fifth spot. Nos. 6-10 6. Phichaksn Maichon, Texas A&M Advertisement 7. Preston Summerhays, Arizona State 8. Sebastian Moss, Louisville 9. Omar Morales, UCLA 10. Pablo Ereno Perez, UCLA Nos. 11-25 No. 11. Algot Kleen, LSU No. 12. Jackson Buchanan, Illinois No. 13. Justin Hastings, San Diego State No. 14. Carson Bacha, Auburn No. 15. Drew Goodman, Oklahoma No. 16. Caden Fioroni, UNLV No. 17. Calum Scott, Texas Tech No. 18. Buck Brumlow, Georgia No. 19. Jake Peacock, South Florida No. 20. Enrique Dimayuga, SMU No. 21. Nathan Franks, South Carolina No. 22. Kieron van Wyk, Charleston No. 23. Gray Albright, Florida State No. 24. Hunter Thomson, Michigan No. 25. Nicholas Mathews, NC State This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Final PGA Tour University Class of 2025 rankings: David Ford wins card
NBC Sports
27-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
North Carolina's Ford wins Haskins Award
North Carolina senior David Ford earns the Haskins Award for being the most outstanding collegiate golfer during the 2024-2025.
