CARLSBAD, Calif. – Confined to a mattress in New York Metropolis final August, Michael Thorbjornsen was about as distant as one might get from the PGA Tour.
Positive, the Stanford senior was nonetheless main the PGA Tour College rankings, however after surgical procedure on his left ankle and already attempting to heal a stress fracture in his again, Thorbjornsen didn’t know when he’d play golf once more.
“I didn’t depart that mattress for 2 weeks,” Thorbjornsen mentioned. “It was type of disgusting, however I couldn’t do something.”
9 months later, and Thorbjornsen isn’t simply again on the course; he’s a card-carrying member of the PGA Tour after ending atop the Class of 2024 rankings and incomes full standing by means of the 2025 season.
“PGA Tour U is, I feel, the most effective packages in all of sports activities,” Thorbjornsen mentioned Monday morning upon receiving his card. “What they’ve finished, making a pathway to the PGA Tour and to those completely different excursions beneath it, it’s enormous. It offers college students and us golfers causes to remain for 4 years, and you’ll’t actually go up on the alternatives that they current to you. … Ending in that No. 1 spot is huge, so simply doing every thing you may each single day, ensuring you’re getting 1% higher each single day, is big.”
Thorbjornsen was having fun with a stellar summer season final 12 months – qualifying for the U.S. Open, tying for 17th on the John Deere Traditional and reaching match play on the Western Novice – when his again harm compelled him out of the U.S. Novice. Already needing to relaxation his again, Thorbjornsen determined to repair his ankle subject; medical doctors eliminated a unfastened bone and repaired a tendon that was maintaining his foot from correctly supinating.
He was in a again brace, crutches and a strolling boot for six weeks. The crutches lasted two extra weeks, and after two further weeks, he transitioned from the boot to an ankle wrap for about two months. Then the again rehab might truly start.
“It was all type of a blur,” Thorbjornsen mentioned. “I performed a whole lot of video video games. I went to all my lessons. I used to be undoubtedly a greater scholar.”
Stanford head coach Conrad Ray visited Thorbjornsen typically when his star participant returned to California a number of weeks post-operation.
“I made positive that I noticed him as a result of he was taking part in a whole lot of video video games and feeling sorry for himself somewhat bit – and rightly so; he had a troublesome deal there,” Ray mentioned. “However he shook it off, and weirdly, he’s higher for it. If he can keep wholesome, he’s discovered a ton about his physique, he’s far more regimented together with his preparation and follow. A few of these challenges can educate you a whole lot of classes. Everybody will say, effectively, you don’t desire a again harm, and yeah, in fact not … however I feel he’s going to do effective taking part in professional golf.”
Thorbjornsen returned to motion in January, making a begin on the DP World Tour and sharing 11th on the Hero Dubai Desert Traditional. Although he hit a number of pace bumps in his first two spring faculty begins (T-71 on the Amer Ari Invitational and T-17 at The Status), Thorbjornsen received the Cabo Collegiate in late February – and the identical week that Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht handed him in PGA Tour U.
Lamprecht was the one participant on the NCAA Championship with an opportunity to dethroning Thorbjornsen, however Lamprecht, who wanted to win and Thorbjornsen end exterior the highest 10, withdrew after simply 18 holes due to his personal again harm.
Thorbjornsen shot 11 over in 54 holes at Omni La Costa and, alongside together with his crew, missed the 54-hole reduce. However he nonetheless confirmed up Monday simply off the 18th inexperienced to obtain his comfort prize.
Thorbjornsen nonetheless isn’t fairly 100% – he says it’ll be one other six months or so. “But it surely feels good to be again taking part in, and day-after-day I’m seeing progress,” he mentioned.
As for his professional debut, Thorbjornsen is teeing it up in subsequent week’s U.S. Open closing qualifier in Canoe Brook, New Jersey. If he doesn’t qualify, he’s hopeful to obtain a sponsor exemption into the next week’s Vacationers Championship. And if that falls by means of, he’s eligible to play the Rocket Mortgage Traditional in late June.
Ray believes Thorbjornsen is greater than prepared for the following degree.
“He’s far more into desirous about what he can management and fewer about what his rating is,” Ray mentioned. “I walked with him the ultimate spherical at regionals (Thorbjornsen shot a bogey-free 64), and he didn’t even take into consideration rating. He was so into each shot, and that’s a talent that the highest gamers on the Tour have.”
Here’s a have a look at the 2024 PGA Tour U graduates (data courtesy of PGA Tour):
FIRST TEAM
By advantage of ending No. 1, Thorbjornsen earned PGA TOUR membership for the rest of the 2024 season and 2025 season.
Gamers who completed Nos. 2-5 within the closing PGA Tour College Rating earned totally exempt Korn Ferry Tour membership for the rest of the 2024 season, in addition to an exemption to Ultimate Stage of 2024 PGA Tour Q-College introduced by Korn Ferry, and the power to simply accept limitless PGA Tour sponsor exemptions for the rest of 2024 and 2025.
1. Micharl Thorbjornsen, Stanford
2. Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech
3. Austin Greaser, North Carolina
4. Matthew Riedel, Vanderbilt
5. Nicholas Gabrelcik, North Florida
SECOND TEAM
Gamers who completed Nos. 6-10 within the closing PGA Tour College Rating earned conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2024, totally exempt PGA Tour Americas membership for 2024, in addition to an exemption to Second Stage of 2024 PGA Tour Q-College introduced by Korn Ferry.
6. William Moll, Vanderbilt
7. Cole Sherwood, Vanderbilt
8. Frederik Kjettrup, Florida State
9. Gustav Frimodt, TCU
10. Karl Vilips, Stanford
THIRD TEAM
Gamers who completed Nos. 11-25 within the closing PGA Tour College Rating earned totally exempt membership on PGA Tour Americas for 2024, in addition to an exemption for Second Stage of 2024 PGA Tour Q-College introduced by Korn Ferry.
11. Mats Ege, East Tennessee State
12. Michael Brennan, Wake Forest
13. Ben Lorenz, Oklahoma
14. Sampson-Yunhe Zheng, Cal
15. Dylan Menante, North Carolina
16. Jonas Baumgartner, Oklahoma State
17. Ryggs Johnston, Arizona State
18. Canon Claycomb, Alabama
19. Herman Wibe Sekne, Purdue
20. Maxwell Moldovan, Ohio State
21. Petr Hruby, Washington
22. Bryce Lewis, Tennessee
23. Santiago De la Fuente del Valle, Houston
24. Ben Van Wyk, Georgia
25. Johnny Keefer, Baylor
