Rising Stars: The Most Promising Male Non-Professional Golfers to Watch
- clairebambino
- Apr 30, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 11, 2024
Golf has always been a sport that has captured the hearts of many, with its combination of skill, strategy, and precision. While professional golfers dominate the headlines and the leaderboards, there is a growing interest in the up-and-coming non-professional golfers, known as amateur golfers, who are making a name for themselves in the sport.
Let's discover them together!
Christo Lamprecht 🇿🇦 born in 2001 (age 23)
His father introduced him to golf at age 3. In 2023, he became the 3rd South African in 6 years to win The Amateur Championship, giving him exemptions to the 2023 Open Championship, 2024 Masters Tournament and 2024 U.S. Open. In September 2023, he rose to number 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Gordon Sargent 🇺🇸 born in 2003 (age 20)
In January 2023, Sargent was awarded a special invitation to play in the 2023 Masters Tournament. He was the first amateur golfer to receive such an invitation since Aaron Baddeley in 2000. Capping off a stellar year in 2023, Sargent not only qualified for the U.S. Open and claimed low amateur honors, but also secured the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the world's top amateur golfer and helped the American team win the Eisenhower Trophy.
Michael Thorbjornsen 🇺🇸 born in 2001 (age 22)
He first tried golf at 2 years old. In 2020, Michael graduated from Wellesley High School and enrolled at Stanford University, joining the Stanford Cardinal men's golf team. He won the 2021 Western Amateur and Massachusetts Amateur. He played on the 2022 Eisenhower Trophy and 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup teams. He qualified for his second U.S. Open in 2022. At the 2022 Travelers Championship held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, he impressed with a 4th place finish. However, since he was not pro, the $406,700 that would have been his went to Chesson Hadley, who came in 5th place.
Benjamin James 🇺🇸 born in 2003 (age 20)
Helped Team USA to the Walker Cup victory. Part of victorious 2023 Palmer Cup Team. Named to Hogan Award Watch List (annual award given by Friends of Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America, since 1990, to the best player in college golf in the United States).
Career Best Tournament Finish: 1st, NCAA Las Vegas Regional, May 17, 2023, Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, April 11, 2023, General Hackler Championship, March 14, 2023, Hamptons Intercollegiate, Oct. 5, 2022 & Streamsong Invitational, Sept. 12, 2022. Career Best 18-Hole Score: 63, Streamsong Invitational, Sept. 12, 2022.
David Ford 🇺🇸 born in 2002 (age 21)
In 2023, he won the Walker Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and Eisenhower Trophy with the U.S. teams. David Ford's sizzling 8-under par 64 propelled the U.S. team, alongside Nick Dunlap and Gordon Sargent, to victory in the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy, the World Amateur Team Championship held in Abu Dhabi. He plays left-handed. His father played golf at Georgia State.
Jackson Koivun 🇺🇸 born in 2005 (age 19)
Career Low 18: (-9) Amer Ari Invitational second round (2/9/2024). Career Low 54: (-17, 2x) last at Amer Ari Invitational (2/8 - 2/10/24). Won both the 2022 Rolex Tournament of Champions and 2023 Dustin Johnson World Juniors. Tiger Invitational All-Tournament Team (2024). Ben Hogan Award Watch List (2024).
Wenyi Ding 🇨🇳 born in 2004 (age 19)
Came up one stroke short in his bid to win his first collegiate tournament at Arizona's National Invite (Freshman 2023-24). US Junior Amateur Champion (Bandon Dunes, 2022). Youngest Champion on the China Tour.
Nicholas Gabrelcik 🇺🇸 born in 2002 (age 21)
Best 18: 62# (2023 Visit Knoxville Collegiate). Best 54: 197#, 2x (Last: 2024 Gator Invitational). Best 72: 290 (2022 NCAA Championship).
Top Finish: 1st, 9x# (2024 Gator Invitational | 2023 Williams Cup | 2022 Isleworth Collegiate | 2022 ASUN Championship | 2022 The Hayt | 2022 Sea Best Invitational | 2021 The Hayt | 2021 General Hackler Championship | 2021 Sea Best Invitational).
Top 5 finishes: 23# ; Top 10 finishes: 32#
Dylan Menante 🇺🇸 born in 2001 (age 22)
Member of United States winning teams in the 2023 Walker Cup and Palmer Cup. Played on teams that earned top-three finishes in the NCAA Championship in each of the last three seasons. His father was a golfer and mother played tennis at Nevada.
Preston Summerhays 🇺🇸 born in 2002 (age 21)
At 16, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship (2019) and in 2000 he became the youngest player to win the Sunnehanna Amateur. He was named to the American Team for the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup and the 2023 Walker Cup.
🏌🏽♂️📱 Other players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to follow:
Luke Clanton 🇺🇸
William Moll 🇺🇸
