The 22nd edition of the PGA University Championship — the National Championship for PGA Golf Management University Programs — will be held Nov. 11-13 at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
The Championship, supported by Srixon/Cleveland Golf, will begin with practice rounds and a welcome dinner on Monday, Nov. 11, followed by two days of 36-hole, team stroke play competition. Teams of five players from 17 PGA Golf Management University programs will compete, with the four lowest scores counting toward each team’s total each round.
The field is competing for the Jones Cup, which is named after the first PGA Golf Management University Program Director at Mississippi State, Dr. S. Roland Jones, who held the position from 1985 until his passing in 1997. The event provides a platform for participants to display professionalism, integrity, character and camaraderie —all characteristics Dr. Jones instilled in PGA Golf Management students.
“The PGA University Championship is an excellent showcase of the dedication and skill of our future PGA of America Golf Professionals,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, Director of Golf at Country Club of Lansing in Michigan. “Mid Pines is a classic gem among North Carolina’s spectacular golf courses, having previously hosted many national competitions including the 2023 PGA Team Golf Championship and 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur. We look forward to a great event highlighting the exceptional sportsmanship and competitive spirit that drive the next generation of golf industry stars.”
“It has been an exciting year for our program after winning our first ever PGA University Championship,” said Sam Houston State PGA Golf Management Program Director Dr. Rich Ballinger, PGA. “We are excited to return and defend our title and see friends and create new relationships with students from the other PGA universities. We are all very thankful to the PGA of America for supporting this event. It is a great way to showcase our university programs and bring more awareness to them. Our students are all aspiring PGA Golf Professionals and love to compete and this is the marquee event of the year.”
All participating universities in the PGA University Championship are accredited by the PGA of America to offer the PGA Golf Management University Program for aspiring PGA of America Golf Professionals. There are currently over 1,600 students enrolled in the program nationwide.
Students in PGA Golf Management University Programs study a combination of golf- and business-related subjects; serve a minimum of 16 months in on-course internships within the golf industry; and are eligible for direct election to PGA of America membership upon graduation and eligible employment.
The 11th green at Mid Pines. (Photo by Matt Hahn)
A rarity among Donald Ross masterpieces, Mid Pines remains exactly as the world-renowned architect built it in 1921 and impeccably restored by Kyle Franz in 2013. The renovation was honored as GOLF Magazine’s Best U.S. Resort Renovation and Restoration of the Year, and Mid Pines is ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.
