Gordon Sargent will return to Vanderbilt for senior season, defer PGA Tour card

In relation to the PGA Tour, Gordon Sargent can wait a little bit longer.

The Vanderbilt junior, who already has a Tour card in his again pocket because of PGA Tour College’s Accelerated program, introduced Thursday that he’ll return to high school for his senior season and defer his 18 months of Tour standing till subsequent summer season.

Sargent, the 21-year-old Birmingham, Alabama, native with eye-popping pace, had been considering his future ever since incomes his twentieth Accelerated level by teeing it up on the World Novice Crew Championship in Abu Dhabi final October. (Sargent is the primary – and nonetheless solely – participant to go that threshold since Accelerated was rolled out two falls in the past.)

“Was type of hoping a choice would come clear and clearly nothing’s simply going to, there’s not going to be an ideal reply,” Sargent stated. “However I used to be weighing my choices and I imply, after simply taking part in a number of faculty occasions within the spring, I believe you actually respect how a lot you get pleasure from faculty golf. After reviewing with my dad and mom, coaches and team-wise, it simply type of appeared prefer it was one of the best factor for me. I may keep in Nashville and proceed to get higher.”

At present the world’s top-ranked novice, Sargent has racked up some spectacular accomplishments since capturing the NCAA particular person title as a freshman in 2021. He turned the primary NCAA champ to obtain a particular invite to the Masters final 12 months, and he earned low-amateur honors finally summer season’s U.S. Open at LACC. Later within the 12 months, Sargent went 4-0 to guide the U.S. to Walker Cup victory at St. Andrews, and he obtained the McCormack Medal because the No. 1 participant within the World Novice Golf Rating on the finish of the summer season novice calendar, which will get him into each Opens this summer season.

Sargent is coming off the primary win of his junior season, on the Mason Rudolph Championship, Vanderbilt’s residence occasion, which was his fifth top-10 end of the marketing campaign. However this season hasn’t been as constant for Sargent, who has completed outdoors the highest 35 twice, together with finally month’s Valspar Collegiate, the place he performed his last 4 holes in 8 over to complete T-65.

“This spring really feel like I haven’t performed very effectively within the first couple occasions,” Sargent stated, “however I felt like I matured on the golf course and located methods to hit totally different photographs and it gave me the liberty to work on issues that I do know that I’ll want sooner or later.”

Vanderbilt head coach Scott Limbaugh says Sargent has been engaged on totally different ball flights, bettering his posture, dialing in his wedges.

“And total, all through his whole bag, he simply needs to be a extra constant and well-rounded golfer,” Limbaugh stated, earlier than including, “If he didn’t assume he was nonetheless bettering, he wouldn’t be making this determination, or if he thought that he wasn’t going to nonetheless be bettering subsequent 12 months, he wouldn’t have made this determination.”

Sargent will nonetheless be capable of take up his PGA Tour membership after wrapping up his senior season, ideally following the 2025 NCAA Championship. He’ll keep full standing via the 2026 Tour season, too. As for this spring’s nationals, Sargent and the Commodores are arguably the crew to beat, a 12 months after falling flat at Grayhawk. They start play on the SEC Championship subsequent Wednesday at Sea Island, adopted by an NCAA regional, the place they are going to be a No. 1 seed.

In making this determination now, Sargent hopes that it frees him up not solely to get higher, however to chase some {hardware} as effectively.

“I believe there have been lots of expectations this 12 months, and we’re trying ahead to the postseason, however I believe simply staying one other 12 months, being a senior, having fun with the school life and whereas additionally figuring out, I imply figuring out there’s a PGA Tour card nonetheless ready for you, it provides you lots of freedom if you want to make some modifications and stuff,” Sargent stated. “Then off the golf course, simply proceed to mature as an individual and simply higher put together myself for the long run.”

Added Limbaugh: “I’m simply proud that he decided that was solely his. … I simply assume that takes lots of braveness to decide like this.”