Gordon Sargent, 20, of Birmingham, Ala., has won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®.
The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. and The Open at Royal Troon.
“It’s really special to have won the McCormack Medal, especially when you see the names of the golfers who have won it before, and everything that comes along with it, including the major exemptions,” said Sargent. “This achievement definitely means a lot to me. It’s a goal that I’ve had set for a while, and it gives me a lot of confidence now that I’ve achieved it. I’m really honored to be receiving the medal.”
The American rose to the top of the men’s ranking in February this year after winning the John Hayt Invitational by seven shots. In April, he became the first amateur since Aaron Baddley in 2000 to accept a special invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and then went on to win the Mason Rudolph Championship by eight shots in the following week.
Sargent was a member of the team from the United States of America which won the Arnold Palmer Cup in June and in the same month he qualified for the U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, finishing T39 and earning low amateur honors in what was his second major championship appearance.
So far this season, Sargent has also recorded six top-ten finishes in college events and will compete for the United States of America against Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup at St. Andrews next week as well as for the USA Team in the World Amateur Team Championship in October. He has also received invitations to play in the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR.
Last year, Sargent won the NCAA Division I Individual Championship after making birdie on the first hole of a four-man playoff, becoming the ninth freshman to win the NCAA individual title.
“Gordon has shown that he is a force in the amateur game, and we’re proud to see him accept this honor and reap the benefits of all that comes with it,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “All of us at the USGA look forward to watching him compete at St. Andrews next week, and know he’ll be a presence in our championships for years to come.”
“To perform consistently at such a high level and deliver outstanding performances reflects the hard work and dedication that Gordon has applied as an elite amateur golfer. We look forward to seeing his career continue to prosper in the years ahead.”
Professor Steve Otto, chief technology officer at The R&A, said, “Gordon is a thoroughly deserving winner of the McCormack Medal and we would like to congratulate him on this significant achievement.”
The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses over 3,500 counting events, ranking 4,520 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,300 counting events with more than 3,322 ranked players from 85 countries.
For more information visit usga.org and RandA.org.
About the USGA The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.
The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. and The Open at Royal Troon.
“It’s really special to have won the McCormack Medal, especially when you see the names of the golfers who have won it before, and everything that comes along with it, including the major exemptions,” said Sargent. “This achievement definitely means a lot to me. It’s a goal that I’ve had set for a while, and it gives me a lot of confidence now that I’ve achieved it. I’m really honored to be receiving the medal.”
The American rose to the top of the men’s ranking in February this year after winning the John Hayt Invitational by seven shots. In April, he became the first amateur since Aaron Baddley in 2000 to accept a special invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and then went on to win the Mason Rudolph Championship by eight shots in the following week.
Sargent was a member of the team from the United States of America which won the Arnold Palmer Cup in June and in the same month he qualified for the U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, finishing T39 and earning low amateur honors in what was his second major championship appearance.
So far this season, Sargent has also recorded six top-ten finishes in college events and will compete for the United States of America against Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup at St. Andrews next week as well as for the USA Team in the World Amateur Team Championship in October. He has also received invitations to play in the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR.
Last year, Sargent won the NCAA Division I Individual Championship after making birdie on the first hole of a four-man playoff, becoming the ninth freshman to win the NCAA individual title.
“Gordon has shown that he is a force in the amateur game, and we’re proud to see him accept this honor and reap the benefits of all that comes with it,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “All of us at the USGA look forward to watching him compete at St. Andrews next week, and know he’ll be a presence in our championships for years to come.”
“To perform consistently at such a high level and deliver outstanding performances reflects the hard work and dedication that Gordon has applied as an elite amateur golfer. We look forward to seeing his career continue to prosper in the years ahead.”
Professor Steve Otto, chief technology officer at The R&A, said, “Gordon is a thoroughly deserving winner of the McCormack Medal and we would like to congratulate him on this significant achievement.”
The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses over 3,500 counting events, ranking 4,520 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,300 counting events with more than 3,322 ranked players from 85 countries.
For more information visit usga.org and RandA.org.
About the USGA The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.
About The R&A
References in this document to The R&A are to R&A Rules Limited. Together The R&A, based in St. Andrews, Scotland, and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions but with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 36 million golfers in 144 countries and with the consent of 159 organizations from amateur and professional golf.
The R&A aims to invest £200 million in developing golf over a decade and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. For more information visit http://www.randa.org
