Getty
Cole Rueck plays his shot on the 10th hole during the 2024 Collegiate Showcase prior to The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 12.
The Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase is back, and once again it will offer one of the most compelling pathways in golf: a chance for a collegiate standout to earn their way directly into a PGA Tour start. Played in conjunction with the Genesis Invitational, the Showcase blends elite amateur competition with real professional stakes.
Now entering its 12th edition in 2026, the Collegiate Showcase has become a must-watch prologue to one of the PGA Tour’s marquee weeks. Playing at Riviera Country Club, groups will tee off from both holes 1 and 10 between 7:00 and 8:39 a.m. PT, setting the stage for a fast-paced morning of competition.
A Direct Line to the PGA Tour
At the heart of the Showcase is a simple but powerful incentive: the low collegiate finisher earns an exemption into the Corales Puntacana Championship (July 16-19), providing a direct bridge from college golf to the PGA TOUR.
But the opportunity doesn’t stop with the student-athletes. Each featured collegiate golfer is paired with three amateurs representing their university, creating a hybrid format that rewards both individual excellence and team collaboration. While the college player competes for medalist honors and the PGA Tour exemption, the three amateurs play a best-ball round as a team.
The stakes on the amateur side are significant as well. The top three-person team earns a $50,000 donation to their school’s golf program, making the Showcase a meaningful fundraising opportunity that directly supports the future of collegiate golf. It’s a format that aligns competitive ambition with community impact, and one that continues to attract strong university participation year after year.
To register for the Collegiate Showcase, it costs $36,000 per team. According to the Genesis Invitational website, this “can be paid by alumni/donors, or the university.”
Since its debut in 2015, the Collegiate Showcase has built an impressive track record as a launchpad for future stars. Past winners include Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, Sahith Theegala, and Michael Brennan – all of whom have gone on to record victories on the PGA Tour.
Cole Rueck made history last year when he won back-to-back Showcases, the first time a player has done that in Collegiate Showcase history.
Format, Flow, and What to Watch For
The morning shotgun-style structure ensures a steady rhythm of play from the opening tee shots through the final putts. Fans can expect a concentrated window of action, highlighted by aggressive scoring as collegiate players chase medalist honors and amateurs work to post low best-ball numbers.
Here is the full list of tee times for the Collegiate Showdown on Monday:
Hole #1
7:11 a.m. – Ben Jordan (Woffard University)
7:22 a.m. – Avinash Lyer (San Jose State)
7:33 a.m. – Ivan Barahona (San Jose State)
7:44 a.m. – Kristof Panke (University of Wyoming)
7:55 a.m. – Brody Leid (University of Wyoming)
8:06 a.m. – Carter Loflin (University of Georgia)
8:17 a.m. – Jaden Dumdumaya (University of Southern California)
8:28 a.m. – Gavyn Knight (Boise State University)
8:39 a.m. – Cole Rueck (Boise State University)
Hole #10
7 a.m. – Manuel Barbachano (George Washington University)
7:11 a.m. – Alejandro Formosa (Columbia University)
7:22 a.m. – Yannick Malik (East Tennessee State University)
7:33 a.m. – Gavin Tiernan (East Tennessee State University)
7:44 a.m. – Gabriel Palacios (University of Utah)
7:55 a.m. – J.P. Odland (Santa Clara University)
8:06 a.m. – Jacob Goode (University of Washington)
8:17 a.m. – Jack Murphy (University of Washington)
8:28 a.m. – Grady Millar (University of Washington)
8:39 a.m. – Finn Koelle (University of Washington)
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
More Heavy on Golf
Loading more stories