Which college star is next to earn a tour card? PGA Tour University's 2024-25 preseason rankings offer an early look

The primary goal is simple for Arizona State senior Preston Summerhays. Come May 2025, the 22-year-old hopes to be helping the Sun Devils claim the NCAA men’s title to cap a college career that to date has included three individual victories, first-team All-American honors and a 71.85 career stroke average.

There is, however, a secondary goal to aspire to in 10 months time: a PGA Tour card.

On Wednesday, Summerhays debuted at No. 1 in the PGA Tour University preseason rankings, a first look at the rising seniors among the Class of 2025. Whoever ends the 2024-05 college season at No. 1 will secure full playing privileges on the PGA Tour for the remainder of the 2025 and the 2026 tour season, following in the recent footsteps PGA Tour U winners Ludvig Aberg (2003) and Michael Thorbjornsen (2004). Aberg went on to win the RSM Classic in just his 11th start after becoming a tour member while Thorbjornsen had a T-2 finish at the John Deere Classic in his third start after college.

Among the players trying to knock Summerhays from the top spot are the remainder of the preseason top-10 ranking, which includes:

Omar Morales, UCLA
Brendan Valdes, Auburn
Calum Scot, Texas Tech
Jackson Van Paris, Vanderbilt
Jackson Buchanan, Illinois
David Ford, North Carolina
Ian Gilligan, Florida
Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, Arizona State
Phichaken Maichon, Texas A&M

Players who rank Nos. 2-5 on the PGA Tour U list at the end of the college season are fully exempt on the Korn Ferry Tour for the remainder of 2025 while Nos. 6-10 receive conditional status. Nos. 11-25 earn full exemptions into the North America Swing of the PGA Tour Americas.

The PGA Tour U ranking works in partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking, accounting exclusively on the last two years of players’ collegiate careers. Eligible tournaments include NCAA D-I team competitions, PGA Tour events and select DP World Tour events.

In addition to his success at the college level, Summerhays posted a T-56 performance last fall at the PGA Tour’s Fortinet Championship and recently finish T-2 at the European Amateur in Denmark after helping the U.S. win the Palmer Cup in Ireland. He also was part of the American team that won the Walker Cup at St. Andrews in 2023.

Not listed is Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, currently the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world. While he too is among the Class of 2025, because he’s already earned a PGA Tour card via the PGA Tour Accelerated program, he’s ineligible for the PGA Tour U ranking. After he finishes his college season next spring, Sargent will have full PGA Tour membership for 2025 and 2026.

Summerhays’ father, Boyd is a former PGA Tour member who works as an instructor with several current tour pros. His uncle Daniel and great uncle Bruce also played on the PGA Tour while his sister Grace is a rising junior at Arizona State.