Why an LPGA Tour University? Part II: The Solution

 In Part I of this article, I mentioned that male NCAA Division I golfers get to compete for spots on professional tours when they graduate through a program called PGA Tour University. The system has evolved over time, but has revolved around ranking players based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, specifically in terms of NCAA, PGA Tour, USGA and R&A events. In the first two seasons, the top five players by this modified metric--AKA the "First Team"--received Korn Ferry Tour status, allowing them to compete in all full-field open events on that tour the rest of the year and received direct entry into Final Stage of what was then Korn Ferry Tour Q-School. The next ten (AKA the "Second Team") gained access to PGA Tour Canada, as well as direct entry into Second Stage of Q-school. The subtle difference between those first seasons was that the inaugural season's Second Team were automatically sent to the Forme Tour, which was cobbled together for U.S.-based players who would've otherwise played in Canada but for Covid-19 shutting down international travel.

For this year's class, the perks got even better. The No 1 player at college season's end--in this case, Ludvig Aberg of Texas Tech--earned a card on the PGA Tour for the rest of this year and next. The remainder of the top five remained the First Team along with Aberg but received the additional perk of unlimited PGA Tour sponsor's exemptions. In other words, they are being treated as Special Temporary Members, in a way. The Second Team--now restricted to the next five--now earned conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour until season's end, in addition to exempt status for PGA Tour Canada's final season before merging with the Latinoamerica and Second Stage entry. The ten after that--Nos 11-20--continued to get the same status as Nos 6-15 the two years prior, and would be referred to as the "Third Team." (Incidentally, no Umcees have finished top-10 yet, but three--Angus Flanagan (Minnesota '21), Alex Schaake (Iowa '21) and Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis Blake/Pepperdine '23) have received lesser developmental exemptions and Second Stage entry in Q-school.) Next year's class will be more of the same, providing the top men's golfers in Division I opportunities to show their stuff--and the motivation to earn those opportunities.

What would an LPGA Tour University program look like?

What would a similar system look like for women's golf? As with the PGA Tour, the LPGA pyramid has three layers: the main tour, the Epson Tour and the Women's All-Pro Tour. The WAPT feeds into the Epson, which in turn feeds the LPGA Tour with prospects. The ranking system would also be similar, except for the use of LPGA pyramid events rather than the PGA Tour pyramid, where applicable. This is how the LPGA Tour University system I propose would work:

• The top finisher would be fully exempt to all open LPGA Tour events the rest of the season and into next. She would also be directly entered into Q-Series if needed during this time.
• Finishers #2-#5, the rest of the LPGA Tour University First Team, would be fully exempt on the Epson Tour and eligible for unlimited sponsor's exemptions to the LPGA Tour. They, too, would enter Q-Series (if needed) for free, but in the same year they finish school.
• Finishers #6-#10, AKA the Second Team, would be fully exempt on the WAPT and earn Category H status on the Epson Tour, which is largely conditional. They would enter Stage II of Q-school for free (again, if needed).
• Finishers #11-#20, AKA the Third Team, would also have full status on the WAPT, but without any Epson Tour status. They would enter Q-school for free but would have to start in Stage I. (This, too, depends on not getting a higher exemption for, say, Stage II.)

In addition to this, the PGA Tour also has a PGA Tour University Accelerated feature whereby underclassmen who achieve success to a certain degree in various aspects can leave school at the end of the academic year to turn pro on the PGA Tour for this year and next, subject to the reshuffle. Vanderbilt junior Gordon Sargent is the only player so far to benefit from this feature, and is expected to leave school following his junior year when it concludes in May at the NCAA Championships. For now, my proposal focuses on women college seniors (eligibility-wise), as the money to sway a woman underclassman golfer is less appealing in light of NIL at various schools than it would have been before 2021's landmark Supreme Court ruling on the matter. That said, the Accelerated feature was implemented two years after the ruling, so I could revisit it as women's golf becomes increasingly lucrative.

In any case, the implementation of an LPGA Tour University program depends on the willingness to fund it, much of which depends on the ability to see women golfers in action. Granted, most LPGA Tour events have some broadcast exposure on the likes of Golf Channel, but that won't be enough. What is needed is a Golf+ streaming service, which could carry many lesser events and out-of-the-way broadcast windows. NBC/Comcast needs to pursue such an effort so that events that don't currently get televised can be seen and taken seriously. They could even provide alternate feeds from overseas, as Comcast owns Sky Sports, which is renowned in the British Isles for its top-tier golf coverage. The point is that eyeballs lead to revenue, which makes extensive sponsorships like what I describe above possible.

All told, it's probably too late for Ingrid Lindblad to take advantage of such an idea. The 2023-24 college season has already gone into hibernation in some parts of the country (including the Upper Midwest generally), which means any implementation would have to wait until next school year at the earliest. But the growth of women's golf at all levels cannot be ignored, and it's high time that it be venerated.

Edward the Scop