Kieron van Wyk, a senior at the College of Charleston, won the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour’s season-opening Farmers Insurance Invitational Sunday at Torrey Pines Golf Course. He became the first amateur golfer since the tour started in 2010 to win an APGA event.
The victory came in a three-man, sudden-death playoff, after van Wyk made par on the 18th hole to finish regulation. The 23-year-old birdied the same hole twice more in a playoff that went two holes.
“I knew I had the game to compete and win out here coming off a good season I had last semester,” van Wyck said. “Yeah, I’m proud of myself. Only good things can come from this.”
The senior shot 3-over-par 75 Saturday followed by a 1-under-par 71 performance Sunday. The three-man playoff was decided after both Luis Gagne and Chase Johnson birdied the 18th after van Wyck ended the 18th with a par.
Although he finished first, van Wyck will not take home the winner’s check of $30,000 from the Farmers Insurance Invitational’s $100,000 purse. The reason? He is an amateur. Instead, Gagne and Johnson will split the first and second-place payouts, each earning $22,500.
“He seems very mature for his age,” said Gagne, a 27-year-old. “He’s very calm, cool and composed. I think he’ll do great things if he keeps progressing.”
Van Wyk earned his spot in the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational since he was the top player in the 2024-25 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking on Oct. 30, 2024. He also secured an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open this March, since he won the White Sands Bahamas Men’s NCAA Golf Invitational.
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