Jackson Koivun And David Ford Earn PGA Tour Cards Via University Route Despite Contrasting Fortunes At NCAA Championship

Two of the best college golfers on the planet locked up their path to the PGA Tour on Monday in contrasting styles after the stroke play portion of the NCAA D1 Men's Golf Championship had ended.

World Amateur No.2, Jackson Koivun finished T4th at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa - five strokes behind champion, Michael La Sasso on 11-under - to seal the final PGA Tour University Accelerated point he required for a card.

Meanwhile, World Amateur No.3, David Ford was confirmed as having finished top of the PGA Tour University Class of 2025 despite he and his University of North Carolina squad failing to qualify for the NCAA Championship at all.

Instead of competing in California at the prestigious college tournament, Ford flew over to Texas and made his pro-event debut at the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge.

Although he missed the cut at Colonial Country Club, the 22-year-old left-hander has the chance to make amends almost immediately as he plans to make his first start as a PGA Tour member through 2026 at the RBC Canadian Open in two weeks' time.

On the contrary, Koivun has confirmed he will return to Auburn for his junior year at least and either take up membership in 2026 or after his senior term in 2027.

Speaking after wrapping up the 20th PGA Tour U point he required, Koivun said: “It feels good to go out and earn it by playing some golf, and what better place to do it than when you're surrounded by all your friends and teammates at the national championship.

"I love Auburn and I think college golf is in such a good spot right now. I feel like it's going to continually prepare me for the PGA Tour.”

Both players have enjoyed excellent stretches of form over the past two years, with Koivun following the likes of Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent and Florida State’s Luke Clanton as the third PGA Tour University Accelerated graduate and Ford tracking the footsteps of Michael Thorbjornsen and Ludvig Aberg as class winners of PGA Tour University.

The Auburn sophomore set up his run to the PGA Tour via a historic freshman campaign which saw Koivun become the first player ever to win the Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and NCAA D-I Outstanding Freshman awards all in the same season.

That sweep - plus a made cut at the 2024 Memorial Tournament, a run to No.2 in the WAGR, and an appearance at the Arnold Palmer Cup - meant the five-time college tournament winner only needed three points when 2025 came around.

Even if Koivun had missed out on a top-10 at the NCAA Championship, he would have crossed over the line via another pick at the Arnold Palmer Cup this summer.

Meanwhile, Ford's PGA Tour University success was propped up by five individual titles for the Tar Heels this term alone - a single-season school record.

Among his other senior-year achievements included being nominated for the Hogan Award and standing a chance of winning the Haskins Award as well as the D-I Nicklaus Award.

Previously, Ford had two further collegiate victories, was named ACC Player of the Year in 2023 and ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022, and represented the United States at the Walker Cup (2023), the Palmer Cup (2023, 2024) and the World Amateur Team Championship (2023). He also finished his time at North Carolina with the lowest career scoring average in program history (70.13).