Five storylines to watch this spring in college golf
16 Jan 2025
by Sean Melia of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Luke Clanton Rankings
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Luke Clanton (Florida State Athletics Photo)
The college golf season is about to ramp back up after a few months off. The spring season is the business end of the season with the culmination coming at La Costa in May for the Men's and Women's National Championship.
The fall season generated some interesting storylines and surprises both on a team and individual scale.
Here are five things we'll be watching for this spring as the narratives unfold and the road to La Costa is paved.
Luke Clanton’s Race Against Time
They say to worry about the things you can control. Luke Clanton is in full control of his PGA Tour future at this point. What he can’t control is time. At the end of his junior year in May, Clanton should have his PGA Tour card locked up through the PGA Tour U Accelerated program. He has 17 points, and 20 points will earn him full status.
It’s possible that he will win the Hogan Award, which is worth three points. He’ll also have chances in PGA Tour events to make a cut (1 point), finish in the top ten (1 point) or top five (1 point). Winning the NCAA Championship would also be worth 2 points.
Time is the issue, though, because once the college season ends, Clanton loses his PGA Tour U Accelerated eligibility. If he doesn't reach 20 points, he'll be back in the PGA Tour U for with all the other seniors and graduate students. If Clanton does reach 20 points, he can defer the PGA Tour card and still return to Tallahassee for his senior season.
Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun also has 17 points, but with 16 months remaining, he seems like a lock to earn his card through the Accelerated Program.
Glory’s Last Shot for Gordon Sargent
Sargent was the first player to earn his PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour U Accelerate program. He did that in October 2023, early in his junior year. He has put off turning professional in order to hone his game at Vanderbilt. He dominated in his freshman and sophomore years but has seen a bit of a dip in his form over the last year or so. After winning two events as a freshman, including the NCAA National Championship, and three in his sophomore year, he won once in his junior year and had a winless senior fall.
Part of Sargent’s reasoning for returning to Vanderbilt is to chase a national title. Last year, Vandy lost to Ohio State in the semi-finals. Sargent lost his match after relinquishing a late lead, which included a vicious lip out that would have won his match and put the Commodores into the championship match against Auburn.
Now, this spring Sargent will have one last shot at winning a national title. His legacy as the best golfer in Vanderbilt’s history has already been forged. A trophy at La Costa would be quite the cherry on top.
Can Ole Miss maintain its fall form?
The fall season was highlighted by teams climbing the ranks. Oklahoma and LSU are two teams that impressed, but Ole Miss was the biggest surprise; the Rebels sit at the top of the national rankings on Clippd/Scoreboard heading into the spring. They were a squad that was hovering just outside the top ten in September. A 50-2 record, including two wins and two runner-ups. Michael La Sasso was exceptional for the Rebels; his worst finish was 11th place in the Valero Texas Collegiate. He won the Hamptons Intercollegiate.
How will Miss. St., UCLA, and Texas A&M women's team handle lost senior stars?
These three top-30 programs lost pivotal seniors - Julia Lopez Ramirez (Mississippi State), Zoe Campos (UCLA), and Adela Cernousek (Texas A&M). Each of them qualified for final stage of the LPGA Q-Series and were required to make a decision. Play in the Final Stage and turn pro or return to college without playing.
Getting a jump start on their professional careers was too strong of a draw, and now Miss. St., UCLA, and Texas A&M will have big gaps in their roster to fill. Will winning a national title would have been a bit of a stretch of their programs, reaching La Costa was highly likely.
The new LEAP Program starts for amateur women
Like the PGA Tour U Accelerate on the men's side, the LPGA has carved out a path for the women amateurs to earn an LPGA Tour card. It's a little different than the men, as players don't have to be college golfer. However, there are points up for grabs in college golf. Awards like the ANNIKA (2 points) and Women’s Golf Coaches Association Player of the Year (2 points) get points and selections to team events like the Curtis Cup (2 points) and Palmer Cup (1 point).
It's sure to be a great spring season in college golf. Stick with Amateur Golf for coverage. If you'd like additional access to archived results, discounts, and more, consider becoming a member. Here's a list of all our benefits.