PGA Players Podcast

In this episode, host Aaron Goldberg welcomes Brendan von Doehren, Vice President at the PGA Tour and Executive Director of PGA Tour University, for an in-depth conversation about the evolution of PGA Tour U and its transformative impact on the pathway from college golf to the pros. Brendan shares insider stories and expert perspective on the program’s origins, the new talent pipeline, and the innovative Accelerated Program that fast-tracks rising stars. With personal anecdotes and data-driven insights, this episode reveals how PGA Tour U is changing the game for athletes and reshaping the future of professional golf. Whether you’re a player, coach, or fan, you’ll find plenty of reasons to tune in and learn about golf’s newest gateway to the PGA Tour.

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Chapters
(00:04) Origins and Vision of PGA Tour U
(02:16) Influence of Other Sports and Draft Models
(04:40) Building a Transparent Pathway to Pro Golf
(06:03) Global Impact and International Player Opportunities
(07:46) Expanding Membership Benefits and Player Transition
(13:23) Introduction and Impact of the Accelerated Program
(22:57) PGA Tour Leadership Support and Business Evolution
(28:48) Coach and University Feedback on PGA Tour U
(31:13) Alumni Success Stories and Lasting Influence

Creators and Guests

Host
Aaron Goldberg
Former Professional Golfer and Private Wealth Advisor, CFP®

What is PGA Players Podcast?

Join Aaron Goldberg, CFP® - a private wealth advisor for AWM Capital and former professional golfer with the Korn Ferry and PGA tours - as he discusses weekly the most important business and financial news professional golfers should know.

Aaron Goldberg: Hey everyone.

Welcome back to the PGA Players Podcast.

I'm your host, Aaron Goldberg.

Today we have a great guest for our
conversation, Brendan von Dorin.

Brendan is a Vice president
at the PGA Tour and Executive

Director of PGA Tour University.

He's also a former college player and
college coach, which gives him some

great perspective for his current role.

Brendan, welcome.

Thanks for being here.

I'm excited to have you back,
and have a conversation about

the evolution of PGA Tour u.

Brendan von Doehren: Thanks Aaron.

Thanks for having me on and,
look forward to the conversation.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

Let's start at the beginning.

it's been, it's pretty crazy
to think it's been five years.

how did PJ Tour you come to exist?

Give us a little background there.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah.

Awesome.

It is kind of crazy how time flies,
but, I would sort of go back to kind

of, the ideation for me came through
a lot of the past experiences as you

sort of referenced in the game, both
playing and coaching, as well as just

kind of other experie in professional
leagues and, you know, a yearning for.

Historical learnings from other sports.

I think early on, you know, a lot
of the drive for me with PGA two RU

was just kind of a passion, I would
say a healthy obsession and kind

of a purpose for really envisioning
something you hope is successful.

But, it really was kind of
an accumulation of thought.

I can't really pinpoint
a time exactly when.

You know, the light bulb moments sort
of came on with PGA Tour U, but really

I think, you know, at a fundamental
level, the approach on really the

initiative was how do we think differently
and kind of modernize the PGA tour's

connection to college golf, which I
would sort of define and categorize

as sort of two separate organizations.

You know, for over six decades that had an
informal relationship up until PGA tour U.

So, you know, the goal for us was,
and sort of is still now, to kind of

create obviously a really powerful,
preeminent property in the sport within

this space that will stand the test of
time and the evolution, you know, five

years ago when we launched to now to
sort of looking forward into the game.

So that was kind of the impetus of
PGA tour u kind of in, in a nutshell.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, it's super
interesting and you brought something

up that I think is great to touch on.

You mentioned experience
in other sports and.

One thing we've talked about in the
past, other sports have a draft.

You know, college players play well.

They kind of showcase their talents and
then those leagues have teams and they're

drafting players into, either directly
into their league, like the NFL and the

N-B-A-N-B-A has the D league, of course.

baseball's a little different.

They're drafting, but then kind
of going through the development

process in the minor leagues.

Maybe touch on that a little bit on how
you use that experience and maybe touch,

use that as a model for building this out.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, I think we, you
know, early on we took it at a wide kind

of cross section of the leagues, you know,
N-F-L-N-B-A and the drafts, and I think.

You know, ours is kind of an
accumulation, a lot of the drafts

sort of scouting and free agency.

Right.

And how you sort of create that pipeline.

But for us it was really kind of
a meritocratic draft, so to speak,

where everything is objective.

It's through, you know,
performance on the golf course.

but it was something that, you
know, we wanted to create kind

of a proprietary tool, right?

And a ranking that we own, we operate.

sort of, feel, you know, as a great
identifier of talent and really use

that kind of as the springboard for,
you know, how players really matriculate

to our tours from the PGA tour, Korn
Ferry tour and PGA Tour Americas.

Aaron Goldberg: That's great.

Yeah, I mean, you touch on it being
a meritocracy and golf's the ultimate

sport where the numbers are what matter.

you can look like a great player.

You can have a beautiful swing, you
have a great putting stroke, but

really all that matters is what the
number is at the end of the day and

what your score is where you finish.

You know, one of the things we
talk about a lot here is, you know,

how do players create, capture and
convert their talents into value?

And I think this is, you know, a
good way of explaining for a college

player, looking at, hey, how do their
results are going to be their results.

They need to work on their game back
home and what their coaches, and

they're gonna have their results.

But the PGA Tour has developed
this program where now.

They can capture some of that talent
and move on to directly on to some of

these tours and have a pa clear pathway
to the PGA tour where, not to age myself

or you, but back when in our days, you
know, you turned, you, you finished

college and you really had the whole
summer to figure out what you were

gonna do and then you went to Q school
and that was really all there was.

There wasn't a pathway.

So I think it's really
interesting to see how.

the clear paths that are set forth
all the way down to, what is it,

25th on the rankings, has some
sort of status at this point.

Brendan von Doehren: Correct.

Yeah.

We've expanded our benefits in the five
years from the first initial class of

20 20, 21 with 15 players now to, you
know, top 25 players and expansion.

and I want to kind of to pivot
on one of the points you said

there, in addition to the ranking.

I think one of the powerful aspects we.

Really kind of a word
that defines PGA two RU.

We hope as we go forward and you
think about players is really

being an aspirational lane and a
pathway for that top talent, right?

We think about players from all
around the world, the different

growth development stages, players
in international federations.

You got a JGA, you come to college, we
transition to professional golf, right?

We want sort of that sense of
those players, see the players

that have come before them.

Sort of the alumni, the player
product, and aspire to be them.

And I think for us in the five years
we've seen the physical sense of that.

When that sort of be, you know, becomes
powerful, it becomes a phenomenon

that sort of is a yields itself.

And, you know, something that we
keep kind of close to our heart

and in our minds of how we're kind
of architecting moving forward.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah,
that's, it's a great point.

I remember, you know, back when I was
playing there, a lot of the universities

and teams had international players,
but I feel like it was maybe the.

A minus B plus players that were coming
over to play, but those A level players

were staying over in Europe, maybe
practicing with their national team

and then finding a pathway to turn
pro on the European tour or trying to

find their way over to the PGA tour.

Eventually now it seems like the
best international players are

coming to college to be able to
get into this type of program or at

least get exposure to the program.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, and we,
you know, across our alumni thus

far, roughly 40% of the players that
have earned performance benefits in

PGA two EU have been international.

So, I mean, that just kind of speaks
to, once again, the migration to the

collegiate game, which I think is
really that, most premier proving

ground and player development
ground of, you know, the resources

and, everything at the disposal.

Of these top universities is
really that attraction point.

And then I think you layer on now the
direct pathways of PGA, tour U it makes

all the sense to, to continue to stay
in school, continue to reap the benefits

and have that transition to pro golf.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, you talk
about staying in school and

have the benefits, I mean.

Looking at some of the facilities
around the country, I, you know,

I'd wanna stay in school for
about eight years at this point.

PGA Tour is very enticing, but man,
some of these facilities look great.

So, add on, coaches handling a lot of
the logistics and, maybe a scholarship.

I'd say in I'd be, van Wilder
for a while and stay in school.

So, That's great.

maybe touch on where we're at now in
terms of what the benefits are going

from number one all the way down to 25.

What does that look like?

Both for the year that
they graduate and beyond.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah.

And I would sort of say just
to kind of drill into that a

little bit where we're at today.

I think, you know, we, I think
positively have really restructured

this transition process when we think
about, kind of positively influencing

the player decision making process.

And the why, the win and the how
you turn pro now I think is way more

structured than when you and I were,
and I think we're seeing the positive

effects really in, you know, the
byproduct of that, of more seasoned,

mature, competitively proven players
that are hitting the ground, running

in the fields, having the successes.

But, right now to answer your question, so
the top 25 players annually, on the final

PGA Tour U ranking following the NCAA
National Championship stroke play portion.

Earn membership benefits onto one
of our tours, starting at the top

with the number one player, to
the PGA tour, the following week.

And they'll exempt, they're exempt for the
current season plus the following season.

So essentially roughly kind of a
year and a half on the PGA tour.

players 2 to 10 are exempt the
following week onto the Korn Ferry tour.

That's been an expansion of
benefits this last class of

2025, for the current season.

And then they have a little bit
of a play in category amongst

themselves for the following year's
access on the Korn Ferry tour.

So again, really kind of strength and
benefits for that top 2 to 10 tier.

And then players 11 to 25, right after
the NCAA National Championship to PGA

Tour Americas for the current season
as well as the following season.

So when you look on aggregate, again, it's
really a nice chunk of players that we've

been able to gradually, strengthen the
benefits, you know, from that first class,

as I said, which were top five of the
Korn Ferry tour and only 15 total players.

we've seen really that rapid
growth kind of in right outta

the infancy of the program.

Aaron Goldberg: That's great.

I mean, to see that 25 players get
some sort of access and I think what's,

I don't wanna say bearing the lead,
but what's not talked about enough is

having a year and a half as opposed
to just the rest of the season.

The.

what I've noticed with whether it be
working with directly with players or

just watching the players that graduate
and move on and kind of tracking their

progress that first season, you're kind
of thrown right into the fire in the

middle of summer and it's fantastic.

It gets your feet wet and you get
ready to go, but it's a, it's an uphill

battle and it is difficult, and I think
we've seen it in a lot of the results.

That it's a good way for the players
to get acclimated to pro golf.

And then we've seen, you know,
you probably have the data behind

this, but seems like we've seen
a ton of success in the year.

You know, 0.5

to 1.5.

their second true year as a pro, they
have a full year to plan out, really

get acclimated and ready to go in
the off season, and then they hit the

ground running in that second year.

It seems like we've seen
a lot of success there.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, I think
you hit on really two success drivers.

We've been able to really kind of identify
to set up, set this up is really the

immediacy and the cadence of events.

Guys get in right away, so that
is the week following ncaa.

You are, boom, you are
transitioning immediately into

our properties for that season.

And then the second aspect is really
that length of membership, that length

of time, which you hit on, right?

It's the balance of those
two that I think has been.

really kind of optimize the
performances that we've seen, whether

it be the immediacy on some, you
know, players winning right outta

the gate to the following year.

You got your feet under you and
you're really able to kind of,

you know, maximize everything.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah.

Yeah.

No, it's great.

I mean, I think the immediacy
gets lost on players sometimes

too, 'cause they're so focused on.

Rightfully so on conference regionals,
nationals, and then all of a sudden, you

know, they make match play as a team.

they're usually at the NCA championship
till Wednesday or Thursday, and then a

lot of 'em are playing US Open sectional.

the next Monday they're playing 36.

And then, oh yeah, by the way,
you're playing either on the PGA

tour or on the Korn Ferry tour event
that week, and it happens fast.

And so a lot of things, you know,
what we've talked to players about is.

Hey, getting your ducks in a row
back in December and January so

that you're not thinking about
any logistics when it comes there.

You don't know what tour
you're going to be on.

Hopefully you're at finishing number one
and on the PGA tour or in that two to 10

category and going to the Korn Ferry tour.

but you're probably going somewhere.

And so have making sure that
logistically you're ready to go, man.

All the, all the training wheels fall
off the day you turn pro and, That's

you wanna have a good team behind you.

But coach, coach is a big supporter
at that point, but he's not,

booking flights or telling you,
where and when to be anywhere.

That's for sure.

Brendan von Doehren: No,
it's definitely a new life.

We've, you know, gotten feedback from
players and you gotta kind of go through

it, yourself, and you gotta learn to adapt
and adjust and you know what works for

you and new courses and all those sort of
variable elements that are so predictable

in college when you play a schedule for
four years in a row in the same courses.

it's been kind of fun to see guys
navigate that, but, second to the

top 25, if I'll just kinda layer
on, is PJ two are you accelerated?

Just wanna touch on that real quick.

so accelerated was launched in 2023, for
really underclassmen kind of, you know,

you think back to really the outliers
of achievement, kind of rare talents and

time that have that kind of stacked up.

And really it's a, it's an intuitive
points table for us across,

performance and professional,
amateur and college golf.

you know, online you can take a
look at all of it, but world rank

and winning events, et cetera.

Once you reach 20 points, you
earn, PGA tour membership.

Three players thus far have achieved that.

Gordon, Sergeant Luke Clanton and Jackson
Koivun Most recently, at the beginning of

this year, in January, 2025, we modified
kinda the points table just a little bit.

I think it gave us a chance to pause in
time and three players kind of earned it

very different ways and avenues, but, a
chance to look at the data, the trends,

the analysis, the path to players, you
know, to ensure, again, when you achieve

something like this, you know, your
body, you know, of work is very wide

right in achievements to attain this.

So I think we're in a good spot with that.

We'll continue, like everything,
whether it be the ranking

or the accelerated table to.

To make adjustments and staying
nimble as we move forward, but again,

accelerated as well as PGA tour U Now
for us, whether you're a freshman or

a senior, you know, across the way
you're playing for something, you know

you have a lane, you have a path for
exceptional talent to the PGA tour.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, no,
you speak to a good point.

I do wanna come back to those
three players in particular

and kind of their path.

But one thing you said about being nimble
and adapting, looking at the data and

being able to adapt the system, you
know, this isn't meant to be a fluff

piece, but credit to you guys and being
nimble and being willing to, adapt as

you go, as opposed to, not just the
PGA tour, but I think pro sports in

general, being very stuck in like,
Hey, this is the system we set up.

We're gonna sit, stick with it, and.

Not only have the benefits expanded,
but I think you, as you've looked at how

the rankings have gone and the players
have gone through it, Hey, how can we

continue to make this better and get
the right players moving up quicker?

And it's been fantastic to see.

So, not really a question, but just,
a thank you for, you know, as a fan

of college golf and as of pro golf and
watching really again, being entrenched

with some of the best players in the
world, wanting to see the best players in

the world get out on the PGA tour faster.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah.

No, I appreciate that.

And we're, you know, we're not
experts in everything, right?

we're just, we're here to listen and learn
and kind of evolve as again, things change

in players and their decision making.

Like this is a kind of a live
kind of aspect of PJ Tour U

that, that we're proud of.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, I mean, it's
amazing to see how young the best

players in the world have gotten.

I, again, I'm not trying to base
this on myself or you, but you

know, even just 10 years ago, like.

40 to 45 was a prime of your career.

And now when I talked to, you know, I
had a conversation, with a player, this

was going back a couple months, but you
know, his comment was, Hey, if I get

to play past 40, I'm gonna be, that's
kind of gravy on top of everything else.

And this is one of the best
players in the world thinking this.

Like it is a different tour now.

And to see Ludvig come out and
win in his first year, some of

these other players win under 23.

You know, Nick Dunlap
winning as an amateur.

Luke Clanton going out
and doing what he's done.

Jackson Koivun currently doing
what he's doing still in college.

You know, it's pretty impressive to
see and it's almost like that glass

ceiling got broken and the amateurs,
the college players, and even just the

first year players, they have no fear.

Like, Hey, somebody else has won.

I can go do it.

Why can't I?

And it's really neat to see what has the,
how has the reception of, the PJ Tour U

program and how quickly players are moving
up, been received by, let's say the, not

necessarily the older PJ Tour players,
but the veteran PJ Tour players out there.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, I think,
you know, a couple aspects of that.

I think number one, sort of we've,
you know, stayed really connected

with our alumni now 103 players
that are, you know, somewhere in

the world of professional golf.

And I think now five years in, we've been
able to see some more proof points on

things, performance of players, right?

that, and this is sort of
a bottom line business.

and what are they achieving?

And how are they, you know, out
there engaging with, you know, other

pros as sort of younger on tour?

And I think, you know, acceptance,
I would say, you know, across the

board for the most part amongst,
you know, the membership bases.

and that's something that we're, you know,
continuing to monitor and stay aware of.

And.

And, more than anything, I think, you
know, as you mentioned, like some of these

top young guys that are really pushing the
envelope historically of achievements, you

know, whether it be or whether it be clan.

I mean, within the last couple clips here,
we're seeing things, in the time of golf

that has stood up and then that transition
to what they're doing in pro golf.

You, I think that really has gained.

you know, the acceptance and the
believability that PGA tour you kind of as

a property, as an engine, as an asset, as
a competitive advantage for the PGA tour.

This is something that, looking forward
is a modernized aspect of the game.

And, you know, yeah.

So we're, you know, but it definitely
helps when you think of 103 alumni.

There's gonna be 200 alumni right?

As we move forward, and it's just
a bit of a numbers game as we think

of, you know, sort of the players.

matriculate into the tour.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, no,
it makes a lot of sense.

I know nobody wants to feel like
their spot's getting taken, but at

the same time, there's not a whole lot
of argument when scores are what do

the talking, and everyone has their
opportunity and, you know, I hate the

phrase play better, but it's true.

Sometimes, you know, at some
point, you know you have to play.

If you have status and you're
out there playing, you have the

opportunity to stay out there.

And these young kids.

They want to get out there too.

it's probably one of the hardest, if
not the hardest professional sport

to play at the highest level because
there's just such limited access.

and you know, this year there's
gonna be a hundred PGA tour cards.

So, it's, that's a very small number for
how many people play golf in this world.

Brendan von Doehren: Yes, absolutely.

Yeah,

Aaron Goldberg: speaking to, like, again,
going back to that accelerated program.

You know, we saw was Gordon Sergeant
the first one to get the, the

Brendan von Doehren: accelerated.

Yes.

Gordon earned accelerated first deferred
his to stay at Vandy for four years.

Came out this past June.

Luke obviously kind of, you
know, earned it his junior year

this past year at Florida State.

And then Jackson secured his, at NCAA
National Championship and had the

option to immediately, again, sort of.

elect to turn professional,
has returned to Auburn, you

know, for his junior year here.

We'll see how it goes.

But, yeah, those are the three
players that have really kind of

achieved it in different ways.

different paths.

Not every path is the right one.

I think a lot of it depends on
timing and obviously performance.

But, Gordon, you know, and kind of
Jackson a lot through the points

table and, you know, world rank.

winning amateur events, et cetera.

Luke was obviously a little bit different.

He kind of lit the world on fire,
from a PGA tour perspective last year.

Accumulated a lot of points and
really kind of was pedaling downhill

it seemed like all summer long and
got to it at Cognizant classics.

So, yeah, going back to what I said,
it's just something that we'll continue

to study and ensure that, you know, the
totality really of all the achievements,

you know, warrants A-A-P-G-A tour card.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, no, I, it, what
I'm impressed with is that it that

incorporates some of the more, summer am
like the bigger world amateur events and

some of the rankings where I know the
PJ Tour University system, the main one.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I
believe for the most part, excludes

those that were talking about.

Just the, for the most part,
just college season and college

events, very intentionally.

Brendan von Doehren: Correct.

Yeah.

PGA Tour U is division one.

Events as well as PGA tour events.

And then, you know, accelerated is
a wider arc of, you know, given it's

kind of a shorter, could be a shorter
sample size given the age of players,

it sort of widens out a 12 month
calendar for, performance evaluation.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

Yeah.

I don't think anybody can argue against,
the three players that have gotten the

or achieved the promotion at this point.

And like you said, in varying ways, but.

it's not, the bar is set plenty
high where it's not like, Hey,

too many guys are getting this.

So that seems really good.

you know, going back to what we were
talking about with the p the current

player, current membership acceptance
of this, there's been a lot of talk

about new PJ Tour leadership and.

I for the better, or I
shouldn't say for the better.

I'm gonna stay agnostic on it.

I'm gonna, I'm gonna ask the question
instead, you know, how has the new

leadership handled and discussed the
PGA Tour University program with you?

What's their support of it and how
do they envision it, supporting

the PGA tour and as a pathway?

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, good question.

And, Brian Ola, our new
CEO at the PGA tour.

and, I, I think just in general,
you know, our leadership group.

through these five years and more
immediately, you know, with Brian.

I think seeing really the importance
of player development, talent

regeneration across our tours, really
the significance for us as a business

in producing future stars and really the
long-term value that these stars like

a Ludwig can create for the enterprise.

And so I think specifically, you know,
for college golf, yeah, I think there's

interest to further entrenching ourselves.

within the fabric of college golf
and the game strengthening our

brand even more than we have.

And I think, you know, we talked about
it early on, but look no further at

really the parallel and comped other
professional sports and, you know, how

they've smartly kind of built these
symbiotic relationships with college

sports and reap the benefits of the
development system and the resources.

And so I think.

You know, again, five years in and
the leadership team, all that is,

you know, how do we continue to
leverage that harder for our entire

enterprise across all our tours?

So, yeah, I think there's definitely
support and look forward to continuing

to, you know, evolve our brand, evolve
our reach, within the college game.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

No, it's good to hear.

You know, I think of it as from a
business perspective and, and no

large corporation is not thinking
about either research and development

or what's their next, you know, what
does their next five years look like?

How do we develop as a company?

And, this seems like the natural
evolution for the PGA tour of.

Their r and d or their investment
into their future as opposed

to, Hey, these players are good.

They're gonna figure out
a way onto the PGA tour.

And then it's every man for
themself, which is kind of true.

But at the same time, thinking as a
business going forward and this new

enterprise, you know, how do we elevate
that and how does, I shouldn't say

we, how does the PJ Tour elevate that?

You know, giving the best players the.

The opportunity to get out there.

They're not given anything.

They're earning it.

So, it's really neat to see, and
they're giving out, they have a lot

of resources behind them as well.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, absolutely.

No, we're looking forward to
kind of, again, with the next

5, 10, 15, 20 years holds.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah.

What do you think, you know, as you,
this is probably speculation, but let's

even stick with the next five years.

how does that play out?

You know, what would you like to
see, what do you think could happen?

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, I think it's
really more from a macro perspective,

like how do we continue to advance
the life cycle of the property.

the first five years I would categorize
as rapid growth just out of the gates

performance benefits us as a brand
like the market to understand you.

we got advanced past that
early lifecycle into kind of

more mature, you know, growth.

and for us, I think it's continuing
to build the property, new auxiliary

properties potentially underneath the
PGA Tour U umbrella to grow the brand.

You know, beyond the competitive
aspect of PGA Tour U, I think one

specific focus for us, which we have
not embarked on, is really kind of

the events side of, college golf.

you know, how do we kind
of formalize relationships?

With some of the top existing events
in the country that have, you know,

been the fabric of college golf for
25 years and add elevated courses with

brands, you know, how do we provide
kind of support resources to those

events to, you know, elevate the
preparatory environment even more.

And, you know, the Jackson Koivuns
and the other top elite players at

these events, how are we kind of
touching, having a better touch point

with those, from an event basis?

and then, you know, second to that,
I think within the event space

one day, you know, potentially
have our own and operated event.

you know, where we again, kind of control
aspects of it and, you know, the media

and you know, the monetization of it.

Just e everything as a whole.

Like that makes a lot of sense for us.

We gotta figure out the
timing, to be right and, you

know, you got kind of one up.

One opportunity to get
outta the gates with that.

So we want to make sure
it's done, the way we want.

But really, I think to answer your
question, like the lifecycle is gonna

evolve beyond just the performance
benefits, you know, and kind of

transcend more to a business property
for us, you know, for the enterprise.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, that sounds great.

I could see, you know, having PGA
tour U majors or something like

that, that are involved in college
golf, whether it be the existing

events, something you all create.

But having added value there, both from
a development standpoint, a business

standpoint, where you are creating a
profitable business, entity or adding

to the profitable business entity.

And also maybe it's, you know, it's adding
to the points and adding to the, you

know, access to the tour for the players.

Brendan von Doehren: absolutely.

we're kind of excited we're, you know,
moving in that direction and kind

of more to come on a lot of that.

But, Yeah, if I thought where
we'd be in the first five years,

I didn't think we'd be here.

I didn't know where we'd be.

But, be kind of even more exciting
at the 10 year anniversary.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, I'm very interested
to see, and I hope we have that

conversation at the 10 year anniversary.

how is the, I know in the beginning,
coaches were very accepting a PGA tour

U, but didn't maybe have, you know,
same thing as like thrown into the fire.

We're not quite sure
exactly what's going on.

How has their, what's their feedback
been, I guess, over the last

five years and where it's at now?

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, I think, I
think a lot of it is, you know, within the

five years in our program changes, whether
it be the benefits or our point system

adjustments, you know, without getting
into the weeds, like I think we've done

a good job in a sense of understanding.

Uniqueness of college golf is,
there's the individual aspect,

there's the team aspect, right?

That kind of coexist at the same time,
whether it be at the NCAA national

championship or regular events.

And so, you know, we've been mindful and
cognizant that those dynamics are in play.

We've got, you know, a ranking
now that provides access that,

that wasn't there six years ago.

That's kind of determining a
lot of decisions for players.

but I think, you know, an
interesting aspect we have seen is.

Now we've got the 103 alumni that have
represented a lot of these universities.

this is a powerful recruiting
tool for coaches, you know, and

sort of how many alumni have you
produced and where are they at now?

And I think we want to kind of build on
that, but that's taken a life of its own.

When you think of.

A lot of these top schools, you know,
and from our earlier, early classes,

the Davis Thompsons, the ROEs, the
Kevin Hughes, you know, tho Jacob

Bridgeman, Joe Heisman, like now they're
4, 3, 4, 5 years into their career.

you know, their connection to their
universities and kind of how they

speak about PGA tour u it's bringing
kind of a life of its own from

both the college, coach perspective
as well as current players.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think it's.

What in, in talking to other coaches and
hearing their take, you know, it seems

it's an opportunity for them to capitalize
on and you accept that and it's, Hey,

we're gonna be one of the best player,
one of the best teams in the country.

We wanna get the best players in the
country and we want to showcase that

they can get to the next level as well.

You know, young juniors, when they're
looking at college colleges to go to, they

wanna see if they can get to the PGA tour
and no better way to look at it than this.

So it's really interesting.

it's funny you mentioned that some
of those names that, you know, you

think of them as like veteran PGA
tour players now and you forget that

they even went through PGA tour you.

and that it's exciting to see like
it's been around that long now that

those are players that are out on the
PG tour, they're winning and kind of

establish themselves and it's not just
that hot young player that just got out.

we're, you know, you're five years in.

It's

Brendan von Doehren: ''Yeah, we're
five years for those and I think just,

you know, more recent kind of shahin
examples and he is about ready, you

know, to, to change to the PGA tour now.

But Johnny Keffer coming outta Baylor,
you know, is our 25th player in 2024.

and, you know, kind of hit, you know, the
ground running on Americas, number one out

there now, number one on our points list.

and Michael Brennan is kind
of on the same trajectory.

Just got three win.

Promotion and be on Korn
Ferry tour next year.

So, you know, regardless, we're
seeing sort of where you're at

in the ranking to some aspects.

You know, all these are such proven
players that really just kind of

need to get in that good rhythm, have
the opportunity, and you know, we're

seeing the success of these guys and
see where they're at, you know, and

kind of five years down the line.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, it's funny
you bring up Johnny Keefer.

I remember sitting there at the
last day of stroke play, at LaCosta.

I just happened to live right by it and,
Was sitting there and saw Johnny and,

you know, he was sweating it out on, Hey,
am I gonna finish 25th, 24th, 26th, have

zero status, have status And, you know, he
played well and earned that 25th spot and

then took full advantage of it, obviously,
and really has not looked back since.

So, it's great to see and that it's a
testament to what the platform that they

have, as they get in, as a pro golfer.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, absolutely.

No, it, those two kind of names, you
know, most recently and, excited to

see how Johnny does on the PGA tour.

Aaron Goldberg: Yeah, I think, I
think his game's gonna translate.

Brendan von Doehren: I do too.

Aaron Goldberg: it'll be fun to see.

one, one question that I wanted
to circle back to, that I think

I, I don't have clarity on.

You mentioned the two through
10 get the Korn Ferry tour

status for this year, and then.

Is it next year as well or is
there, you said there's like

a points race in between 'em.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah, so, we'll
get into the weeds a little bit.

So basically, players from each
class, so two to 25, are in a mini

play category, a PG tour, U category,
where we take the combined points

of PGA tour, FedEx cut points.

As well as Korn Ferry tour points,
equally weighted one to one.

we total those at the end after RSM
Classic and the top five players

in that total PGA tour U Points
category earn membership onto the

Korn Ferry tour the following year.

So that's sort of that little mini where,
you know, we capture and again, sort

of re-identify the best of that group
versus two to 10, you know, or two to

seven automatically the following year.

Allows for an opportunity if a player
from PGA tour Americas Monday qualifies

into a PGA tour event or a Korn Ferry
tour event and, you know, gets on a roll

and top 20 fives or top tens, right?

and accumulates points like we sort
of want to capture that player and

rightfully so, he is, you know,
played maybe better than the rest.

And so, that's sort of a PGA two U
total points category that you can

find online that we keep updated
every week with, the combined points.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

Okay.

Speaking of online, you know, if people
have more questions, I'll put the link

in the show notes, to the website.

Is that the best place for them to go?

is the website and it seems like there's
a lot of information there these days.

Brendan von Doehren: Yeah,
we've got all information.

We've got kind of storylines, we've
got our, you know, rules and regs.

If you're your players, we've got our
ranking updates, every Wednesday that

come out kind of around noon Eastern
time, through the cadence of the

fall and the Spring College season.

So check those out, both on
social and then you'll see the

long form ranking, on our.com

page.

Aaron Goldberg: Great.

All right.

Well, Brendan, this has been great.

Really appreciate you coming on and.

Sharing the updates and kind
of the backstory of PJ Tour

University and where we're at now.

I think this has been a great conversation
for myself, but for everybody else

that's gonna be listening, so looking
forward to seeing you out there.

Looking forward to having a,
this next conversation, maybe,

at the 10 year anniversary.

but appreciate your time and, everything
you do for college, golf and the

aspiring, pros on the pathway up.

Brendan von Doehren: Awesome.

Thank you so much for having me.

I really appreciate it.

And let's do this, 10 years.

Aaron Goldberg: Sounds good.

All right, thanks everyone.