By Pete Kowalski
Vanderbilt’s Jackson Van Paris, a junior from Pinehurst, N.C., will play for the first time at a PGA Tour event at the Puerto Rico Open this week.
Van Paris, who has honed his game at The Country Club of North Carolina, where his family resides and has membership, earned a place in the field at the Grand Reserve Golf Club’s par 72, 7,506-yard Championship Course with his victory this fall at the St Andrews Links Collegiate for a sponsor’s exemption.
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Van Paris is currently ranked No. 30 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com U.S. Rankings.
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.
Van Paris is also roommates at Vanderbilt with the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, Gordon Sargent.
Earlier in 2023, he shot 61 en route to winning the Sunnehanna Amateur. He also holds the course record at The Cradle at Pinehurst, shooting an 18 last summer.
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.