How these 2 amateurs could have PGA Tour cards by the end of the Farmers Insurance Open

Two of the top amateurs in the world could earn their PGA Tour cards at this week's Farmers Insurance Open.

Luke Clanton, No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and No. 2 Jackson Koivun are teeing it up this week at Torrey Pines in San Diego (where the tournament has a Wednesday to Saturday format) and they've got a lot to play for. Both Clanton, a junior at Florida State, and Koivun, a sophomore at Auburn, could leave La Jolla on Saturday having locked up professional status.

The reason? The duo each have 17 points in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program, which awards Tour cards for collegiate amateurs able to get to 20 points based of specific criteria. In past years, neither of them would be able to get three points this week, but a rule change makes it possible.

For Clanton and Koivun to reach 20 points, they'd have to first make the cut, giving them one point. Then they could earn more points based on finish. Finishing in the top 10 of a PGA Tour event is worth one point. A top-five finish is good for two points.

So if Clanton or Koivun were to make the cut then finish in the top 5, it would mean locking up a PGA Tour card, then the choice is theirs on when to turn professional.

For Koivun, it's unlikely to see him turn professional right away. The reigning Haskins, Hogan and Nicklaus Award winner doesn't plan to leave college soon, Skratch's Dan Rapaport reported this week.

Gordon Sargent, a senior at Vanderbilt, was the first player to earn 20 points via PGA Tour U Accelerated. He did so the fall of his junior year, but he decided to forego turning pro and return to play one last year with the Commodores. He'll join the PGA Tour after his season ends in May.

For Clanton, who has a pair of runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour since last summer, there's a better chance he makes the decision to turn pro after his junior year. Even if he doesn't get the three points this week to reach 20, he's a virtual lock to win the Hogan Award, which is awarded to the top amateur over the last 12 months in college, amateur and professional events. The Hogan is worth three points.

Koivun is also likely to earn his points by the end of 2025. He's a virtual lock to make the U.S. Walker Cup team in September, which is worth two points. The same stands for the Arnold Palmer Cup team this summer, which is worth a point. Those two events themselves would get him to the 20-point threshold.

Torrey Pines is one of the best tournaments each year on the PGA Tour schedule. And for the two amateurs in the field, there's plenty on the line as they chase a PGA Tour card.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Farmers Insurance Open 2025: How 2 amateurs could earn PGA Tour cards