These NCAA Golfing Stars Could Soon Be PGA Superstars

Each season, the NCAA has graduated the sport’s next generation of stars, many making an immediate impact on the PGA Tour. Former Haskins Award Winners (NCAA Players of the Year), such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson (x3), Justin Thomas and so many more have made a huge impact on the Tour straight out of their respective schools. Sahith Theegala, the 2021 NCAA Player of the Year out of Pepperdine, is already amongst the world’s best, ranked 55th in FedEx Standings thanks to his 3 Top-10 finishes.

While the NCAA season goes unnoticed by many, this experience is crucial and displays elite talent in a variety of team and individual events. With this current NCAA season coming to an end, let’s take a closer look at this season’s elite talent that could take the next step in their career onto the PGA Tour as soon as this year:

Evaluating NCAA Stars That Could Soon Become PGA Superstars

1.   Sam Bennett (Senior)- Texas A&M University

Bennett is the main reason why Texas A&M remains in the country’s Top 25, ranked 22nd overall. The senior was a PING First Team All-American in 2021 and has followed that up with an exceptional Adjusted Scoring Average of 69.28. Bennett remains undefeated against golfers ranked outside the top 25 at 36-0 and with only 2 losses on the season, seems unbeatable no matter the location. The No. 1 ranked NCAA golfer continues to shine and the Texas native could soon announce his presence on the PGA Tour immediately following this season.

2.   Fred Biondi (Junior)- University of Florida

Biondi is the clear star on his No. 16 ranked Florida Gators squad and he is the top-ranked Junior in the country, sporting an Adjusted Scoring Average of 69.56. Biondi is the only D-1 golfer with 1 loss against a Top-25 golfer, 62-1 overall this season. The Gator star recently won the Vystar Gators Invitational at -14, making him the 16th Gator to claim the title, and continues to carry this momentum throughout the season with his elite short-game play in tow. Biondi narrowly missed a Masters birth after finishing second at the Latin America Amateur while representing his home country of Brazil. With one more year of NCAA eligibility, he seems like a clear favorite to dominate his senior year in Florida.

3.   Chris Gotterup (Senior)- University of Oklahoma

Gotterup, the Senior out of Little Silver, NJ, has led this Sooner squad to the No. 1 rank in the country. In Gotterup’s PGA Tour debut earlier this year, he impressed with a T-7 finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March, eventually losing out to American Ryan Brehm. In the NCAA, he sports a 63-4 match play record and an Adjusted Scoring Average of 69.95. After 3 seasons at Rutgers University, where the Senior was a Three-Time PING All-American and Big Ten Les Bolstad Award winner, Gotterup transferred to Oklahoma in hopes of claiming an NCAA individual and team title. Gotterup and his Sooner program now look forward to competing for the precious hardware, and it’s shaping up nicely so far.

These 3 individuals have demonstrated their exceptional talent already in their young careers and will look to carry this momentum into the NCAA Championships later this season. From there, it’s evident that professional golf is in the near future, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you hear these names again on your TV sometime soon.