Sampson Zheng Earns PGA TOUR Americas Membership

Sampson Zheng will have full exemption to compete on PGA TOUR Americas for the remainder of the 2024 season.

MGOLF5/29/2024 11:26 AM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Standout Placed 14th In PGA TOUR University Ranking

CARLSBAD – The first stage of Sampson Zheng’s professional golf career was solidified this week, as the California men’s golfer earned fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas for 2024 following his 14th-place finish in the PGA TOUR University rankings.
 
Zheng – who graduated from Cal with his degree in economics earlier this month – completed his standout collegiate golf career at the NCAA Championships on Sunday. The final 2024 PGA TOUR University rankings, composed of 25 NCAA Division I men’s golf seniors, were finalized Monday upon the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA Championships. The full 2024 PGA TOUR University rankings can be viewed on pgatour.com.
 
In addition to fully exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas for the remainder of the calendar year, Zheng received an exemption for the second stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School. PGA TOUR Americas consists of a Latin America swing from February to May and a North America swing from June to September, consisting of events in Canada and the United States. The tour provides opportunities for golfers to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour – the PGA TOUR’s developmental tour – and the final stage of PGA TOUR Q-School.
 
“I’m very excited and honored to have the privilege of earning an exemption for PGA TOUR Americas,” Zheng said. “It’s a great feeling to have status on the Americas tour immediately out of college through PGA TOUR University, as it provides a sense of accomplishment and security. Playing well in the Americas tour will be key to my path toward the PGA TOUR, and I’m excited to start that journey this summer.”
 
Zheng, a 2023 All-American and two-time All-Pac-12 First Team selection, capped his career with the Golden Bears by leading them to their first NCAA Championships appearance since 2019. He reeled off 12 top-10 finishes in 20 events played since the start of his junior year, including five in a row from the start of this past March through NCAA Regional play. Zheng averaged 71.33 strokes per round across 112 rounds played in 36 collegiate events.
 
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