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Golf Monthly
What Colleges Did The World's Best Golfers Go To?
By Paul Higham,
2 days ago
It's been a formula for golfing pros for many a year, as players make it onto the PGA Tour after a career in college the hopefully prepares them for the big time.
We often see a home crowd bounce when the PGA Tour roadshow stops in a big college town, and many of the biggest schools and sports programs in the USA are well represented in the golfing world.
Some have had greater success than others, and some are more famous for developing just one huge megastar rather than forming a conveyor belt of talent.
But just where did the best golfers in the world go to college? Let's take a look...
Stanford University
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Big names: Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Rose Zhang
Not a huge roll of honour for the Californian college, but when you've had two of the best golfers of all time wear your colours then how many other big names do you need?
As 15-time Major champion Tiger Woods was a Stanford Cardinal during his hugely successful college days - before he went on to dominate the game like no other.
And Woods followed in the footsteps of eight-time Major winner Tom Watson, who was also on the college table tennis team, and graduated in 1971.
Rose Zhang looks to be made of similar Stanford stuff as she burst onto the scene by becoming the first woman to win two NCAA individual titles - indeed going back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
After finishing as the world's top amateur for three years running, Zhang then became the first women to win on her LPGA professional debut since 1951 when she landed the Mizuho Americas Open in 2023.
Others: Mickey Wright, Andrea Lee, Mariah Stackhouse, Patrick Rodgers, Maverick McNealy
Texas University
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Big Names: Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler
Two huge names in Texas golf played for the Longhorns, with Jordan Spieth emerging first and looking like the new dominant force in the game, but his Major count has stalled at three.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is now a two-time Masters champion and is producing some dominant numbers only previously seen from Tiger Woods.
Big names don't really come any bigger than Jack Nicklaus, and the 18-time Major champion is joined as a former Buckeye by Tim Weiskopf - the 1973 Open champion and renowned architect.
Others: Ryan Armour, John Cook, Meg Mallon, Rosie Jones
Arizona State
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Big Names: Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm
Two huge names headline the Arizona State alumni list, with six-time Major champion Phil Mickelson one of the biggest names in the entire sport.
There's an added link between these two as well as Mickelson's brother Tim was golf coach to Rahm at Arizona State - and the Spaniard will surely add to his two Majors to put even more respect on the college's golf department.
Others: Jim Furyk, Paul Casey, David Puig, Carlota Ciganda, Linn Grant, Anna Nordqvist, Wendy Ward, Grace Park
Oklahoma State
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Big names: Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler, Talor Gooch
A similar young hotshot vibe from both Fowler and Hovland, who are both fan favourites and also both still waiting to win that first Major.
LIV champion Talor Gooch has become more notorious than anything else due to his Major issues, but is another from the Cowboys' stabe of golfers to emerge with serious skills.
Others: Peter Uihlein, Hunter Mahan, Austin Eckroat, Matt Wolff, Kevin Tway, Alex Noren, Caroline Hedwall, Caroline Masson, Pernilla Lindberg, Val Skinner, Maja Stark
University of Georgia
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Big names: Bubba Watson, Brian Harman
Maybe the Georgia Bulldogs specialise in left-handers? As two lefty Major champions went to college there with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Open winner Brian Harman coming through their ranks.
Others: Sepp Straka, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Brendon Todd, Chris Kirk, Hudson Swafford, Harris English, Nanci Bowen
Wake Forest
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Big names: Arnold Palmer, Darren Clarke, Will Zalatoris, Webb Simpson, Curtis Strange
Golfing names don't come much bigger than Arnold Palmer, so it's quite the feather in the cap of the Demon Deacons that he attended their school before changing the game.
He stands alone, but there's a few more Major champions who followed in those famous footsteps such as Open champion and Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke and US Open winner Webb Simpson.
Others: Cameron Young, Alex Fitzpatrick, Scott Hoch, Jay Haas, Bill Haas, Lanny Wadkins, Jennifer Kupcho, Cheyenne Woods, Laura Diaz
San Diego State
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Big Names: Xander Schauffele
The big name in golf in 2024, double Major champion Xander Schauffele plied his trade in college with the Aztecs.
Others: JJ Spaun, Scott Piercy
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
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Big Names: Bryson DeChambeau, Payne Stewart
Bryson DeChambeau and Payne Stewart and cut from the same cloth as SMU Mustangs, with DeChambeau starting out with his flat cap in honor of the last-great Stewart.
Both US Open champions, DeChambeau gave Stewart the ultimate alumni tribute by winning the US Open at Pinehurst in 2024, just as his hero did 25 years previously.
Others: Colt Knost, Kelly Kraft
Florida State
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Big names: Brooks Koepka, Paul Azinger
Five-time Major champion Brooks Koepka hails from Florida State, and while fellow Seminole Paul Azinger won just one Major he was a brilliant Ryder Cup captain.
Others: Vincent Norrman, Daniel Berger, Jonas Blixt, Jeff Sluman, Karen Stupples, Lottie Woad, Frida Kinhult, Colleen Walker, Jane Geddes
UCLA
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Big Names: Patrick Cantlay, Corey Pavin, Lilia Vu
Not a Major champion but almost everything but for Patrick Cantlay, while Major champion and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is another UCLA standout.
In the women's game, Lilia Vu has become a real force after rising to World No.1 and winning two Majors in 2023.
Others: Kevin Chappell, Jake Knapp, Duffy Waldorf, Scott McCarron, Alison Lee, Ryann O'Toole, Mo Martin, Bronte Law
California
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Big Names: Collin Morikawa, Max Homa
A couple of excellent modern-day players were Golden Bears in their college days, with Collin Morikawa now a two-time Major champion and Max Homa a popular figure on the PGA Tour who surely has a Major in him.
Others: James Hahn, Michael Kim, Joel Stalter
University of Southern California (USC)
Allisen Corpuz won the US Women's Open at Pebble Beach (Image credit: Getty Images)
Big names: Dave Stockton, Craig Stadler, Al Geiberger
USC Trojans have been a pretty successful in college golf down the years, and in the pros they've produced the likes of two-time PGA Championship winner Dave Stockton and 1982 Masters champion Craig Stadler.
Al Geiberger is known as 'Mr 59' as he became the first man to break 60 in a PGA Tour event back in 1977.
Others: Allisen Corpuz, Lizette Salas, Sophia Popov
Texas Tech
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Big names: Ludvig Aberg
The biggest and quickest success out of college golf for years, Sweden's Ludvig Aberg went from Red Raider to Ryder Cup, DP World Tour and PGA Tour winner in six months.
Others: Mito Pereira, Calum Scott
Georgia Tech
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Big names: Bobby Jones, Stewart Cink, David Duval, Matt Kuchar
Having one of the most influential figures in golf in Bobby Jones as an alumni is a huge selling point for the Yellow Jackets, who can also boast Open champion Stewart Cink, former World No.1 David Duval and Matt Kuchar among their ranks.
Others: Cameron Tringale, Chesson Hadley, Andy Ogletree, Christo Lamprecht, Larry Mize, Ollie Schniederjans
Alabama
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Big Names: Justin Thomas, Graeme McDowell
Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas is the biggest name to come out of the Crimson Tide golf program.
Others: Nick Dunlap, Michael Thompson, Trey Mullinax, Davis Riley, Bud Cauley, Dicky Pride, Stephanie Meadow
Northwestern
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Big Names: Luke Donald, Matt Fitzpatrick
Ryder Cup captain and former World No.1 Luke Donald went to the Illinois college, along with fellow Englishman and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick was also a Wildcat.
Others: Dylan Wu, David Lipsky
University of Florida
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Big names: Billy Horschel, Mark Calcavecchia
Open champion Mark Calcavecchia and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel are the top Florida Gators to come through the system.
Others: Chris DiMarco, Sandra Gal
Louisiana
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Big Names: Sam Burns
Others: Madelene Sagstrom, Ingrid Lindblad
University of Arkansas
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Big names: John Daly, Stacy Lewis
The home of the 'Wild Thing' - they must have had some large driving ranges, and some well-stocked bars at the University of Arkansas as two-time Major champion John Daly came through.
The Razorbacks also gave us former women's World No.1, two-time Major champion and Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis - that's some pedigree.
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