Stars of Tomorrow: Three NCAA Stars to Watch Out For

With the 2021-22 PGA Tour season finished, we now take a slight break before the new season quickly arrives. Some golfers enjoy a couple of weeks off to rest and refresh before another FedEx Cup season begins, while others looked to stay sharp at this week’s BMW PGA Championship. When they return, there will be some fresh faces to compete alongside with. Several NCAA stars have now turned professional and they will be hungry for immediate success on Tour.

Amongst these talented NCAA stars, there are 3 names in particular who are definitely worthy of our immediate attention.

Sam Bennett

Bennett exploded onto the golf scene, thanks to his impressive victory at the U.S. Amateur over Ben Carr. Following his senior year, the young American chose to return to school for his fifth year, looking to win a National Championship at Texas A&M.

That means that we will have to wait another year before we see Bennett turn professional and compete amongst the World’s best. Known for his eccentric personality, Bennett will most definitely become a fan favorite among many.

It’s also no secret how highly he views himself in comparison to his current competition.

"“They’re great players, but I’m a better player. No. 3 in the rankings, and I feel like I’m the best player. I’m the dog in this race. I’ve been playing the best golf leading up to here”."

Chris Gotterup

Gotterup, the 23-year-old, was ranked as the #1 NCAA Player throughout most of the season. Gotterup recently completed his senior year at Rutgers University, where he was awarded both the 2022 Haskins Award and the 2022 Jack Nicklaus award, so yeah, he’s pretty good.

Now turned professional, he will look to make a name for himself on the PGA Tour, where his best finish was a T-4th back at this year’s John Deere Classic, an event eventually won by J.T. Poston. It was a learning experience for Gotterup, but according to him, one that was needed.

"“Obviously we still got a long ways to go here, but I do think that like coming out of college I did think my game would translate really well to pro golf.”"

Pierceson Coody

The University of Texas Alum has had an incredible 12 months. The 22-year-old turned professional this summer, and like Gotterup, saw immediate success on the Korn Ferry Tour.

In his first 4 starts, Coody produced a win and a T-4 finish. Ranked #1 leaving the PGA Tour University, Coody will look to continue to build upon his success from last season. While he was unable to earn his full Tour card for the 2022-23 season, I am sure that we will hear his name plenty for years to come.

Oh, and does that name sound familiar? It may, as he is the grandson of famed Masters Champion and former World #1, Charles Coody.

The future of golf is here. These 3 have seen tremendous success during their NCAA careers, and now they look to follow in the footsteps of so many stars before them who once traveled the same path.

These three could find success on Tour as soon as this coming season, so don’t be surprised when you see their names near or at the top of leaderboards.