WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue senior Herman Sekne is ranked No. 17 in the initial 2023-24 PGA Tour U. rankings, the PGA Tour announced Wednesday afternoon.
PGA Tour U. (all players are eligible) players earn points based on college, amateur and professional golf and will earn PGA Tour membership if they amass at least 20 "accelerated points". Accelerated points are given for winning season-ending awards (Haskins Award, Hogan Award, etc.), ranking in the top 5 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), tournament wins (NCAA Championship, U.S. Amateur, etc.) or participating in one of the following national team competitions (Walker Cup, Palmer Cup, World Amateur Team Championship).
To be elevated, eligible players must exhaust four years of collegiate eligibility or complete four years of college academics, with a minimum of two years of collegiate athletics.
The No. 1 ranked player next June in PGA Tour U. rankings earns PGA Tour membership for the remainder of the current season and benefits range all the way down to players ranking 11th through 20th earning full membership on the PGA Tour Americas tour.
Sekne is currently ranked No. 28 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and already has international match-play experience under his belt this summer, competing for the European squad in the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup in June. He will play in the prestigious Bollanack Trophy on Aug. 3-5 – a Ryder Cup-style competition between the best players in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
He finished fourth this summer at the elite Sunnehanna Amateur and with his WAGR ranking, will qualify for the U.S. Amateur in August in Colorado.
Last June, Sekne became Purdue's first All-American since 2002 (Lee Williamson) and was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second straight season in May. He was selected as the Big Ten Golfer of the Week three times while owning seven top-10 finishes in 10 events. His seven career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors are the fourth most in Big Ten history.
He finished tied for ninth at the Big Ten Championships, but set the tournament record, a school record and a Galloway National course record with a 9-under par 62 in the second round.
The Oslo, Norway, native became just the fifth player in school history with at least three victories when he earned co-medalist honors three weeks ago at the Boilermaker Invitational, leading the Boilermakers to a stunning, come-from-behind victory over No. 11-ranked Oklahoma by one shot.
Sekne totaled a 54-hole tally of 11-under par 202 (69-69-64) to earn the victory. He birdied his final two holes to rally for the medalist share and his 202 score is the fourth-best tournament score in school history, while his 64 in the final tied for the third-lowest round in Purdue history.
He posted a school-record 14 rounds in the 60s, while his seven top-10 finishes are second in school history, coming in just 10 events played. He owned a 70.41 stroke average, ranking first in school history – almost a half-stroke better than Williamson in second place (70.78).
Sekne's career stroke average of 71.66 is tops in school history, more than a stroke better than second place (Austin Eoff – 72.82). He has set the career record for most rounds in the 60s (25) and ranks tied for seventh in career top-10 finishes with 13, coming in just 27 events played.
PGA Tour U. (all players are eligible) players earn points based on college, amateur and professional golf and will earn PGA Tour membership if they amass at least 20 "accelerated points". Accelerated points are given for winning season-ending awards (Haskins Award, Hogan Award, etc.), ranking in the top 5 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), tournament wins (NCAA Championship, U.S. Amateur, etc.) or participating in one of the following national team competitions (Walker Cup, Palmer Cup, World Amateur Team Championship).
To be elevated, eligible players must exhaust four years of collegiate eligibility or complete four years of college academics, with a minimum of two years of collegiate athletics.
The No. 1 ranked player next June in PGA Tour U. rankings earns PGA Tour membership for the remainder of the current season and benefits range all the way down to players ranking 11th through 20th earning full membership on the PGA Tour Americas tour.
Sekne is currently ranked No. 28 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and already has international match-play experience under his belt this summer, competing for the European squad in the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup in June. He will play in the prestigious Bollanack Trophy on Aug. 3-5 – a Ryder Cup-style competition between the best players in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
He finished fourth this summer at the elite Sunnehanna Amateur and with his WAGR ranking, will qualify for the U.S. Amateur in August in Colorado.
Last June, Sekne became Purdue's first All-American since 2002 (Lee Williamson) and was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second straight season in May. He was selected as the Big Ten Golfer of the Week three times while owning seven top-10 finishes in 10 events. His seven career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors are the fourth most in Big Ten history.
He finished tied for ninth at the Big Ten Championships, but set the tournament record, a school record and a Galloway National course record with a 9-under par 62 in the second round.
The Oslo, Norway, native became just the fifth player in school history with at least three victories when he earned co-medalist honors three weeks ago at the Boilermaker Invitational, leading the Boilermakers to a stunning, come-from-behind victory over No. 11-ranked Oklahoma by one shot.
Sekne totaled a 54-hole tally of 11-under par 202 (69-69-64) to earn the victory. He birdied his final two holes to rally for the medalist share and his 202 score is the fourth-best tournament score in school history, while his 64 in the final tied for the third-lowest round in Purdue history.
He posted a school-record 14 rounds in the 60s, while his seven top-10 finishes are second in school history, coming in just 10 events played. He owned a 70.41 stroke average, ranking first in school history – almost a half-stroke better than Williamson in second place (70.78).
Sekne's career stroke average of 71.66 is tops in school history, more than a stroke better than second place (Austin Eoff – 72.82). He has set the career record for most rounds in the 60s (25) and ranks tied for seventh in career top-10 finishes with 13, coming in just 27 events played.