NCAA 챔피언십 참가 팀과 선수가 확정됐다. 지난주 6개 지역 예선을 통해 30개 팀과 6명의 개인 참가선수가 최종 무대(5월 29일-6월 1일, 라 코스타 리조트)에 진출했다. PGA Tour University 상위 25명 중 20명이 이 무대에 모인다.
011순위 선두 벤 제임스의 도전
버지니아의 벤 제임스(1순위)는 상위 6명에 진출할 경우를 대비해야 한다. 2순위 크리스챤 마스(텍사스)가 지역 대회에서 톱 6 피니시를 거둔다면, 최종 1순위에 도전할 기회가 생기기 때문이다. 하지만 현재 제임스가 유리한 위치를 차지하고 있다는 점은 분명하다.
제임스의 버지니아는 ACC 챔피언십 2년 연속 우승과 윈스톤-셀럼 지역 공동 우승으로 강한 모습을 보였다. 팀에는 13순위 폴 체인과 17순위 브라이언 리도 함께 진출했다. 버지니아는 작년 준우승 이후 1년 만에 다시 라 코스타에 돌아왔다.
02텍사스의 콤보 공격
텍사스는 크리스챤 마스(2순위) 외에도 루크 포터(4순위), 토미 모리슨(5순위)을 배출하며 상위권 삼중주 체제를 갖춘 팀이다. 마스가 톱 6을 기록한다면 제임스의 1순위를 위협할 수 있는 상황이 만들어진다.
03코이분과 오번의 또 다른 도전
오번 주니어 잭슨 코이분은 월요일에 벤 호건 어워드(연간 최고 대학 선수상)를 수상했다. 세계 아마추어 골프 랭킹 1위를 51주간 유지하고 있는 코이분은 이미 PGA Tour University Accelerated를 통해 투어 카드를 보유하고 있으며, 대학 시즌 종료 후 멤버십을 받아들일 수 있다.
오번은 5년 연속 NCAA 챔피언십에 진출했으며, 코이분이 이끄는 팀은 1순위 팀으로 꼽히고 있다.
04최종 랭킹 확정의 의미
NCAA 챔피언십이 끝나고 최종 라운드 스트로크 플레이가 종료되는 6월 1일, 2026 클래스 PGA Tour University 최종 랭킹이 확정된다. 상위 25명은 각각 PGA 투어(1순위), 콘퍼런스 투어(2-10순위), PGA 투어 아메리카스(11-25순위) 멤버십을 획득한다.
스트로크 플레이 후에는 상위 8개 팀이 매치플레이로 진출해 6월 2일 준준결승과 준결승을, 6월 3일에 결승을 진행한다.
05Original (English) — PGA TOUR
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The NCAA Championship field is set, and one event remains before the PGA TOUR University Ranking is finalized for the Class of 2026. From the six NCAA Regionals last week, 30 teams and six individuals earned the right to compete for a national championship this weekend (May 29-June 1) at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
PGA TOUR University will be represented by 20 of the top 25 players in the Class of 2026, led by No. 1 Ben James and his Virginia teammates No. 13 Paul Chang and No. 17 Bryan Lee. The Cavaliers won their second straight ACC Championship and were co-medalists at the Winston-Salem Regional, and they return to La Costa after a national runner-up finish last year, losing to Oklahoma State in the finals.
James is in the pole position to finish No. 1 in PGA TOUR University and earn his PGA TOUR card, but the race is not over. With a top-six finish at the NCAA Championship, No. 2 Christiaan Maas (Texas) will give himself a chance to finish No. 1 and put pressure on James. The Longhorns have three players in the top five of PGA TOUR University, as Maas is joined by teammates No. 4 Luke Potter and No. 5 Tommy Morrison.
Fresh off winning his second Ben Hogan Award on Monday, Jackson Koivun will lead top-ranked Auburn to its fifth straight NCAA Championship appearance. Koivun, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world for the last 51 weeks, earned his PGA TOUR card last season via PGA TOUR University Accelerated and is eligible to accept membership at the end of the collegiate season.
The 72-hole stroke play event begins Friday, May 29, and after the final round on Monday, June 1, the PGA TOUR University Ranking will be finalized, with the top 25 players earning membership on the PGA TOUR (No. 1), Korn Ferry Tour (Nos. 2-10) or PGA TOUR Americas (Nos. 11-25).
After stroke play, the top eight teams will advance to match play, with the quarterfinals and semifinals taking place on June 2, and the championship on June 3.
The pre-tournament projections outlined below are based on some assumptions (noted in each section). Projections will continually change throughout the tournament, as points averages of players will change based on how they play at the NCAA Championship.
No. 1: PGA TOUR membership
NCAA Championship projections: James and Maas are the only two players who can finish No. 1.
Nos. 2-10: Korn Ferry Tour membership
NCAA Championship projections: No. 10 Frankie Harris did not qualify for the NCAA Championship, and his PGA TOUR U record is complete. In order to maintain or surpass Harris' average (988.8854), players need the following finishes:
Nos. 11-25: PGA TOUR Americas membership
NCAA Championship projections: No. 25 Ryan Voois did not qualify for the NCAA Championship, and his PGA TOUR U record is complete. In order to maintain or surpass Voois' average (801.9538), players need the following finishes:
For players in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2026, the points distribution for the NCAA Championship is based on a WAGR Power of 1000. Additionally, players in the current season PGA TOUR University Ranking will receive bonus points if they finish in the top 10 of the final stroke-play leaderboard, with the champion earning 15 bonus points. With these provisions, a current-year player will earn 40 points if he wins the individual NCAA Championship title.
Week 21/2026
In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), PGA TOUR University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. Eligible Tournaments include NCAA Division I men's team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. The Ranking Period for the Class of 2026 began Week 23/2024 and concludes June 1, 2026, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Division I Men's National Championship.
