David Ford, Jackson Van Paris impress in opening PGA Tour rounds
3/7/2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
Ford shot a 1-under first round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Van Paris shot a 2-under first round at the Puerto Rico Open
Two of the top collegiate golfers in the country are playing in PGA Tour events this week, and both have gotten off to solid starts.
David Ford of North Carolina shot a 1-under 71 in the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, currently sitting T25. He recorded four birdies and three bogeys, and he started his round 2-under through four holes, starting birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie on the first four holes.
He shot 34 on the front nine and 37 on the back nine.
Ford is currently ranked No. 3, and Van Paris is ranked No. 53 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
Ford's path to the API was unique, as each year at the Palmer Cup, a man and woman are voted upon by their peers to receive exemptions into the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and the Amundi Evian Championship for the women. Ford gained the men’s exemption, while Rachel Kuehn of Wake Forest was awarded the women’s honor.
His 2023 Walker Cup teammate Nick Dunlap shot a first-round even par 72 and is currently T34.
Jackson Van Paris shot a first-round 2-under 70 in the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club. He started his round with birdies on the first two holes and then played the other 16 at even par. He is currently T35 in the tournament.
He recorded four birdies and just two bogeys in his round.
Van Paris earned a place in the field with his victory this fall at the St Andrews Links Collegiate for a sponsor’s exemption.
Van Paris holds the scoring record at Pinehurst No. 4 with a 9-under 61 in the opening round of the 2023 North and South Amateur. He went on to win medalist honors and advance to the semifinals. At the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach in 2018, when he was 14, he became the youngest player since Bob Jones in 1916 to win a match.
Also playing in the Puerto Rico Open is San Diego State junior Justin Hastings, who shot a first-round 1-under 71. Hastings recorded five birdies and four bogeys and is T62 after the first round.
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage LIVE SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Full 2025 LPGA Q-School (Q-Series) schedule, results, and leaderboard updates
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Playing with the Stewart Golf Q Follow: Full Hands-Free Cart Review
Nov 18, 2025Can a hands-free electric cart actually improve your round? I put the Stewart Q Follow to the test over 9 holes to find out.
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.Loading latest news...