Gordon Sargent

Gordon Sargent

Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent has earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the world’s best men’s amateur player.

Sargent, a rising junior at Vandy, receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort and The Open at Royal Troon.

Those tournaments would mark the third and fourth majors for Sargent, who earlier this year became the first amateur since 2000 to accept a special invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and also qualified for the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

Sargent was the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open with a four-round total of 284, finishing tied for 39th overall.

“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,” Sargent said in a release. “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.”

Sargent won a pair of tournaments earlier this year, posting a 17-under-par total to capture the Mason Rudolph Championship and carding a 15-under-par 201 to claim the individual title at the John Hayt Invitational.

The Birmingham, Ala., native was a member of the U.S. team that in June won the Arnold Palmer Cup, an international competition for college golfers.

Sargent will compete for the U.S. team against Great Britain and Ireland in the 49th Walker Cup at St. Andrews next week.

In 2022, Sargent became the ninth freshman to win the NCAA Division I individual men’s golf championship, making a birdie on the first hole of a four-man playoff.

“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 U.S. Golf Association 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.”