Michael Søbjerhnson, fresh off his four-year college career at Stanford, officially secured his PGA TOUR card after the NCAA Championships on Sunday local time, topping the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024. As a professional, Søbjerhnson will be eligible for PGA TOUR membership and qualify for the remainder of the 2024 season’s full-field events and all full-field events in the 2025 season.
Although Stanford missed the 54-hole cut at the NCAA Championships on Sunday, Søbjerhnson led the PGA TOUR University rankings over his peers. The 22-year-old recorded three victories in the past two years and made the cut in four pro events, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the 2022 Travelers Championship near his hometown of Wellesley, Massachusetts.
“I think PGA TOUR University is one of the best things that’s happened to college golf,” Søbjerhnson said. “What they’ve done, creating a pathway to the PGA TOUR and the different Tours under the PGA TOUR umbrella, it’s massive. It gives us student-athletes a reason to stay in school for four years, and you can’t miss the opportunities the PGA TOUR presents.”
Søbjerhnson missed the entire fall season due to a stress fracture in his back as the 2023-24 season began. Upon his return in February, he posted a T71 and T17 in his first two starts, surrendering the No. 1 spot to Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht. After winning the Cabo Collegiate, Søbjerhnson returned to the top of the PGA TOUR University rankings, embarking on a run of five straight top-10 finishes leading into this week’s National Championship.
Søbjerhnson missed the individual 54-hole cut at La Costa Resort’s North Course with rounds of 74-75-78 but secured the No. 1 spot in PGA TOUR University rankings when second-ranked Lamprecht withdrew from Georgia Tech’s lineup after the first round due to a back injury.
“Christo was a huge inspiration for my success this spring, even though we weren’t competing together and I didn’t see him much,” Søbjerhnson said. “Being No. 1 is huge; it’s about giving your all every day and making sure you’re getting better by one percent every day. That means a lot.”
The Rocket Mortgage Classic will be his first eligible full-field event, and he also plans to compete in the final U.S. Open Qualifying on June 3 at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey. As a PGA TOUR member, Søbjerhnson will be eligible for sponsor exemptions into the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and the Travelers Championship, two signature events.
Søbjerhnson joins Ludwig Abergh of Texas Tech, Pierceson Coody of the University of Texas, and John Parker of Florida State as No. 1 players in PGA TOUR University. Last year, Abergh became the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership through the No. 1 ranking, going on to win the DP World Tour’s Omega European Masters, represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, and capture his first PGA TOUR title at the RSM Classic.
“Ludwig, even though he’s only been on the PGA TOUR for a year, he’s already cracked the top 10 in the world, and he’s had some incredible accomplishments,” Søbjerhnson said. “We’re great friends, and we competed against each other a lot last year. He’s someone I admire a lot, but I also want to try and beat him.”
Following the final round of the NCAA Championships and the updated PGA TOUR University rankings in its 21st week, Nos. 2-5 (exempt) and Nos. 6-10 (conditional) will secure Korn Ferry Tour membership, while Nos. 11-25 will receive PGA TOUR Latinoamérica exemptions for the remainder of the 2024 season.
(PGA TOUR)