버지니아 대학의 벤 제임스(22)가 4학년 시즌을 PGA Tour University 1순위로 마무리하며 PGA 투어 멤버십을 획득했다. NCAA 챔피언십 스트로크 플레이에서 T16을 기록한 제임스는 대학 재학 내내 1순위를 지켰으며, 프로 무대로의 첫 무대는 RBC 캐나디언 오픈(6월 5-8일)이 된다.
014년간의 완벽한 통치
제임스는 시즌을 통틀어 PGA Tour University 랭킹에서 매주 1순위를 차지했다. 이는 플로리다 스테이트의 존 팩(2021년)과 함께 와이어-투-와이어 리더십을 유지한 선수로 기록된다. 대학 통산 7승과 46경기 중 35회의 톱 10 피니시를 거두며, 캐벌리어스를 2025, 2026년 ACC 챔피언십 우승과 2025년 전국 준우승으로 이끌었다.
2022-23 프레시맨 시즌에 5승을 거둔 후 뛰어난 신입상(Outstanding Freshman of the Year)과 GCAA PING 올아메리칸 1팀으로 선정됐다. 이후 소포모어와 주니어 시즌을 연이어 1팀으로 올랐고, 올해도 1팀에 올라가면 조지아 테크의 브라이스 몰더(1998-2001) 이후 처음으로 4년 연속 1팀 영예를 누리게 된다.
주니어 가을에 좋은 경기를 했고, 주니어 전체를 잘 뛰었는데, 랭킹에 내 이름이 올라 있는 걸 보니까 현실이 다가왔어요. 어려운 상황이었지만 그걸 잘 헤쳐나간 것 같아 정말 행복합니다. PGA Tour U가 우리 대학 선수들에게 투어로 가는 길을 열어줄 수 있다는 게 정말 놀라운 기회고, 이제 그 무대에 나가기를 기다리고 있습니다.벤 제임스
02국제 무대에서의 활약
현재 세계 아마추어 골프 랭킹 2위인 제임스는 2023, 2025년 워커컵과 2023, 2024년 팔머컵에 미국 대표로 출전해 4개 대회 모두에서 우승을 견인했다. 프로 무대에 먼저 올라간 적도 9번이 있으며, U.S. 오픈에도 2번(2024, 2025) 출전했다. PGA 투어에서의 최고 성적은 2025 바레로 텍사스 오픈의 T33이다.
03라이벌 마스와의 접전
텍사스의 크리스챤 마스는 올봄 5개의 톱 10과 우승으로 제임스에게 도전했지만, NCAA 챔피언십에서 T19로 마무리되며 최종 2순위에 머물렀다. 마스는 콘퍼런스 투어(Korn Ferry Tour)로 프로 경력을 시작하게 된다.
04프레스턴 스타우트, NCAA 개인 챔프 우승
한편 오클라호마 스테이트의 프레스턴 스타우트가 14언더(-14)로 NCAA 개인 챔피언 우승을 차지했다. 스타우트는 최근 8경기 중 5승을 거두며 2027 클래스의 유력 후보로 떠올랐고, 현재 WAGR 3위다. 오번의 잭슨 코이분은 T10을 기록해 NCAA 챔피언십에서 3번 연속 톱 10 진출이라는 기록을 세웠다.
05Original (English) — PGA TOUR
CARLSBAD, California – Virginia's Ben James ended his senior season the same way it started: ranked No. 1 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2026. With a T16 in stroke play at the NCAA Championship, James retained his top spot in the final ranking and earned his PGA TOUR card through the 2027 season, and he is eligible to make his professional debut as a member at the RBC Canadian Open (June 5-8).
"I had a really good fall my junior year, played great all junior year, and then it's reality when you see your name on the rankings. I'm just really happy with how I handled it, because it's difficult," James said Monday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. "It's an amazing opportunity that PGA TOUR U lets us college guys have a pathway to the PGA TOUR and looking forward to getting out there."
James headlines the PGA TOUR University top 25 who earn membership on the PGA TOUR (No. 1), Korn Ferry Tour (Nos. 2-10) or PGA TOUR Americas (Nos. 11-25). Texas' Christiaan Maas tallied five top 10s and a victory this spring to challenge James for No. 1, but he closed with a T19 finish at NCAAs and fell just short in the final ranking. Maas finished No. 2 in PGA TOUR University and will begin his professional career on the Korn Ferry Tour, along with the remaining players in the top 10.
The Class of 2026 is the sixth class of PGA TOUR University graduates, and 129 players have earned performance benefits since 2021. With the addition of James, PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season features 25 PGA TOUR U alumni, and 31 alumni have combined for 55 professional victories worldwide.
James topped the PGA TOUR University Ranking every week during his senior campaign, and he joins Florida State's John Pak (2021) as the only players to lead PGA TOUR University wire-to-wire. He finishes his college career with seven victories and 35 top-10 finishes in 46 starts, and he helped lead the Cavaliers to the program's first two ACC Championships (2025, 2026) and a national runner-up finish in 2025.
After a five-win freshman campaign in 2022-23, James was named Outstanding Freshman of the Year and a GCAA PING First Team All-American. He returned to the First Team as a sophomore and junior, and if he is named to the First Team again this year, he will become just the fifth player earn First Team honors four times, and first since Georgia Tech's Bryce Molder (1998-2001).
Currently ranked No. 2 in WAGR, James represented the United States at the Walker Cup (2023, 2025) and Palmer Cup (2023, 2024) and helped the Americas win all four competitions. He has made nine starts on the PGA TOUR as an amateur, including qualifying for the U.S. Open twice (2024, 2025), and his best finish was T33 at the 2025 Valero Texas Open.
By finishing No. 1 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking, James earns PGA TOUR membership through the 2027 season, and the first event he is eligible for is the RBC Canadian Open (June 5-8). He joins Texas Tech's Ludvig Åberg (2023), Stanford's Michael Thorbjornsen (2024) and North Carolina's David Ford (2025) as players who earned their PGA TOUR cards by finishing No. 1 in PGA TOUR U.
Players who finish Nos. 2-10 earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the remainder of the 2026 season, starting with the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank (June 11-14). Additionally, they earn exemptions into Final Stage (Nos. 2-5) or Second Stage (Nos. 6-10) of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
No. 2 | Christiaan Maas, Texas
NCAA Championship: T16
No. 3 | Jase Summy, Oklahoma
NCAA Championship: T70
No. 4 | Filip Jakubcik, Arizona
NCAA Championship: T4
No. 5 | Luke Potter, Texas
NCAA Championship: T23
No. 6 | Tommy Morrison, Texas
NCAA Championship: T10
No. 7 | William Sides, SMU
NCAA Championship: Did not qualify
No. 8 | Mahanth Chirravuri, Pepperdine
NCAA Championship: T23
No. 9 | Frankie Harris, South Carolina
NCAA Championship: Did not qualify
No. 10 | Wells Williams, Vanderbilt
NCAA Championship: T23
Players who finish Nos. 11-25 earn PGA TOUR Americas membership for the remainder of the 2026 season, starting with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open presented by Syndeo (June 25-28). Additionally, they earn exemptions into Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.
The NCAA individual title went to Oklahoma State junior Preston Stout, who closed with a final-round 69 and won by one with a 14-under total. He becomes the Cowboys' 10th individual NCAA champion, and the team will begin their national title defense on Tuesday as the No. 5 seed in match play.
It is Stout's fifth win in his last eight starts, and he is in a strong position to be one of the top players in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2027. Currently No. 3 in WAGR behind James and Jackson Koivun, Stout will receive an exemption into the U.S. Open, provided he remains amateur. Additionally, the NCAA Division I men's individual champion will be listed as a qualification category to receive a Masters invitation in 2027.
Alabama sophomore William Jennings finished second, while Auburn junior Josiah Gilbert was third at 11-under. Arizona senior Filip Jukubcik finished T4 and improved four spots to No. 4 in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking.
Auburn junior Jackson Koivun finished T10, his third top-10 in three starts at the NCAA Championship, and helped lead the Tigers to the No. 1 seed entering Tuesday's quarterfinal match against Stanford. Koivun will look to add a second national title to his resume, as the Tigers defeated Florida State to win the NCAA Championship in 2024.
Koivun, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world 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.
