Graduating from PGA Tour University at the head of the class comes with more than just bragging rights. When University of North Carolina’s David Ford clinched the #1 spot this year, the rising star earned himself a PGA Tour card and membership through the 2026 season. From there, the decision to jump into the world of professional golf was pretty straightforward.
David had a spectacular start as a junior golfer, winning both the Junior Players Championship and the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions. The southpaw went on to win the AJGA Wyndham Cup in 2021 and tied for second at the Western Amateur, and netting medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball.
Enrolling at UNC in the fall of 2021, David was #1 in the Rolex AJGA and Golfweek junior rankings and picked up ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 2022, as well as ACC Player of the Year in 2023. David won both the 2022 Southern Amateur and 2023 Jones Cup Invitational, and made the cut in his first PGA Tour start at the 2023 Barbasol Championship.
David has made a splash on the international scene, too, leading the U.S. team at the World Amateur Team Championship in Abu Dhabi and bringing the Eisenhower Trophy home in 2023. He represented the U.S. at the Walker Cup Match in 2023, the World Amateur Team Championship in 2023, and the Palmer Cup in 2023 and 2024.
David finished up his record-setting time with the Tar Heels this May at the Urbana Regional, putting the wraps on a collegiate career boasting five individual titles—a single-season UNC record—and the lowest career scoring average in UNC golf history at 70.13. To top it off, David was also a finalist for the Hogan Award, and won the Haskins Award and the Division I Nicklaus Award. One could say he brought home the hardware!
That’s why we’re proud to partner with David as he begins his career as a professional golfer. We’re excited to see how his playing style translates to the big stage of the PGA Tour— and how he’ll adapt his consistency from his collegiate career to the demands of PGA Tour golf.
Join us in rooting for on him while he sports H&B on Tour.
