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Gordon Sargent awarded McCormack medal as world's leading amateur golfer

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The R&A
23 Aug 23
3 mins
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Gordon Sargent of the United States of America has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading man in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®).

The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst and The 152nd 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, is really cool,” 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 honoured to be receiving the medal.”

Masters success

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 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June, finishing tied-39th and earning the low amateur honour in his second major championship appearance. So far this season, he 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 earlier this year. Last year, the 20-year-old 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. He also won the Mossy Oak Collegiate that year and represented the United States of America in the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championships.
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Gordon Sargent - USA

“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 honoured to be receiving the medal.”

Force in the amateur game

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. “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.” “Gordon has shown that he is a force in the amateur game, and we’re proud to see him accept this honour 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.” 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.

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