Florida A&M University (FAMU) senior Mulbe Dillard IV wrapped up his collegiate career by finishing tops in the final Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Collegiate Ranking.
Dillard earned an exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour’s REX Hospital Open, June 3-6, at TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, N.C.
“I appreciate everything the APGA, PGA Tour University and Korn Ferry Tour have done for this opportunity to play in the REX Hospital Open, to be exposed to a lot of great golfers, and to compete with them,” said Dillard. “It was a lot of hard work. I’m just happy that hard work is going to be put to good use and that I’m going to be able to show that a kid from the south side of Chicago, who went to an HBCU, is going to be out there competing with some of the best golfers in the world.”
Dillard, who had two top-10 finishes in three starts on the APGA Tour as an amateur, solidified his spot atop the APGA Collegiate Ranking when he finished tied for 28th in his final college start at the NCAA Division I Tallahassee Regional.
“I am super proud of him and how hard he has worked,” said Mike Rice, FAMU head golf coach. “I am also proud to have three other guys finish inside the top five. These players have continued to improve all season and have excelled on and off the golf course.”
Dillard’s achievement wasn’t the lone FAMU accomplishment as his teammates, Mahindra Lutchman (third), Cameron Riley (fourth) and Prince Cunningham (fifth), also finished inside the top five. Michigan State’s Andrew Walker earned the second spot to round out the inaugural class of the APGA Collegiate Ranking.
All five players receive APGA Tour membership and entry into this season’s tournaments, starting with the APGA Tour event at TPC Louisiana, May 31-June 1.
“The path of professional golf has never been stronger for Black golfers, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the top players in this year’s APGA Collegiate Ranking,” said Ken Bentley, co-founder and CEO of the APGA Tour. “This year’s inaugural class is an important step forward as the APGA Tour continues to grow and provide opportunities in professional golf to Black players.”
The APGA Collegiate Ranking was announced in October 2020 through a partnership between PGA Tour University and the APGA Tour. Eligible players are Black golfers from NCAA Division I, II or III programs – including HBCUs – who exhaust a minimum of four years of college eligibility.
