Historic move as top amateurs to earn DP World Tour card via new pathway
- Planet Sport writer
- 4 June 2024
The top male amateur outside the US college system will earn a DP World Tour card under a new Global Amateur Pathway (GAP).
Launched by the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and the R&A, the scheme will complement PGA Tour University, which awards membership of the US-based circuit to top Division-I college players after the NCAA Championship.
Swedish Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg was the first player to earn PGA Tour membership via PGA Tour University in 2023.
Under the GAP, the best eligible player within the top 20 of the world amateur rankings on October 13 will earn a DP World Tour card for the 2025 season. Further exemptions will be available on the European Challenge Tour.
Several current top players would have benefited if the pathway had previously existed.
World number 12 Tommy Fleetwood, former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Australia's Min Woo Lee were accomplished amateurs who relied on sponsor exemptions to begin their professional careers.
