An influx of talent is joining the 2025 rookie class thanks to a historic year on PGA TOUR University that graduated three players straight to the TOUR, beginning this week at the RBC Canadian Open.

Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent will both make their TOUR debuts this week, having earned their cards through the PGA TOUR U Accelerated program. Meanwhile, David Ford will join them as the third of an uber-talented trio. Ford earned his card through the standard PGA TOUR University Ranking.

The three hot-shot college golfers will infuse energy into a rookie class that has struggled to make its mark this season. Of the 32 rookies, only Karl Vilips has won a TOUR event. That could change with Clanton, Sargent and Ford now on the TOUR week in and week out. Ahead of their debuts, here are the five rookies that will define the rest of the season.

Luke Clanton

Short of winning a PGA TOUR event as an amateur – as Nick Dunlap did last year – no golfer in recent memory will make their TOUR member debut with more success on TOUR than Clanton.

The RBC Canadian Open is his first pro start, but Clanton, 21, has acted and played like a pro for the better part of two years. He finished runner-up twice last year, first at the John Deere Classic and again at the RSM Classic. He earned his PGA TOUR card through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated Program with a made cut at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches earlier this winter. All in all, Clanton made 13 starts as an amateur with six top 20s and just three missed cuts.

Clanton is the headliner in a historic PGA TOUR University class, which graduated two others straight onto the TOUR. But unlike those two (we will get to them in a second), who are largely unproven at the TOUR level, Clanton is already a proven contender.

Two years ago, Ludvig Åberg joined the TOUR midway through the season through PGA TOUR U, won within his first six months, made a run at Rookie of the Year (he finished second to Eric Cole), and qualified for the Ryder Cup. All those same accomplishments seem possible for Clanton.

Gordon Sargent

Once considered the jewel of this PGA TOUR University class, Sargent’s star has fallen after a rough senior year, but he remains one of the most fascinating rookies to join the TOUR in recent memory.

Two years ago, Sargent was playing a practice round at the Masters with Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy. McIlroy called Sargent one of the better amateurs he had ever seen. Months later, Sargent became the first golfer to earn his card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated. He’s a former NCAA individual champion and SEC Player of the Year. He has all the college bona fides that are indicative of a supreme talent.

Yet, Sargent, 22, begins his PGA TOUR career on uneven footing. He amassed just one top-20 finish in 10 amateur starts dating back to last summer and was left off of Vanderbilt’s starting lineup in the SEC Tournament.

Can the start of his pro career reawaken the phenom? After deferring his status and returning for his senior year, Sargent officially turned pro ahead of this week and will make his pro debut in Canada.

David Ford

While Clanton and Sargent earned their cards before their senior year through the Accelerated program, Ford followed in the footsteps of Ludvig Åberg and Michael Thorbjornsen through the traditional PGA TOUR University pathway, winning five times in his senior year to climb to No. 1 in the rankings and secure his card.

Ford was No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking when he turned pro, behind only Clanton and Jackson Koivun (who also earned his TOUR card through Accelerated, but is deferring his status until 2026).

Ford led the University of North Carolina to three NCAA top-five finishes, the 2024 ACC Championship and 17 team titles during his career. He leaves the program with the school record in scoring average, rounds in the 60s, wins and as the only Tar Heel to have won the ACC Player of the Year.

Ford, 22, has played four TOUR events in his career. He made his pro debut at the Charles Schwab Challenge on a sponsor exemption. He will make his TOUR member debut this week in Canada.

Off the back of a program-best five-win season, the sweet-swinging lefty is in position to hit the ground running on TOUR. It would take a lot, but can he put himself in the mix for Rookie of the Year? He will need to chase down the next man on this list.

Karl Vilips

Can the presumptive favorite for PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year close it out in the second half of the season? Vilips, 23, is the leading candidate to take home the award, leading all rookies in the FedExCup standings. He’s also the only rookie to win this season (the Puerto Rico Open), further bolstering his case.

Vilips’ resume isn’t infallible, though. He’s missed three straight cuts after his win and has only one other top-10 (a T4 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans). Vilips’ approach play has kept him competitive, but he’s below average statistically off the tee and on the greens. Unlike last year, when Nick Dunlap had a firm stranglehold over the award before the calendar turned to February, this Rookie of the Year race is wide open.

Vilips is the frontrunner for now. Will that change?

Rasmus Højgaard

Will Højgaard be the only rookie to play for either side at the Ryder Cup this September? That’s how the current race is trending.

Højgaard is fourth in the European Ryder Cup points list and in position to nab one of the automatic qualifier spots. Only Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka are higher on the points list. That’s heady territory for the 24-year-old Dane, who, after finishing second in the DP World Tour’s 2024 Race to Dubai, made the jump to the PGA TOUR this season. Højgaard’s talent was on display early in the season, contending at the WM Phoenix Open for three rounds before a so-so final round dropped him into a tie for 12th. Alongside his twin brother, Nicolai, the Højgaards finished runner-up at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.

Without the experience of previous Ryder Cups or the built-up credibility in major championships, Højgaard will need to maintain strong form to automatically qualify or garner consideration for a captain’s pick on the European Team. That makes these next two months crucial for the burgeoning rookie to prove his merit.