Super-talented American amateur David Ford is excited with just over a week till he makes his DP World Tour debut at the January 16th commencing Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the famed Emirates Club in Dubai.
Ford, 22, was a member of the victorious 2023 USA Walker Cup team and capped that year being named ACC Player of the Year. A year earlier in 2022, he was honoured as the ACC Freshman of the Year.
He earned the Hero Dubai Desert Classic invitation by finishing the fall portion of the collegiate golf schedule ranked No. 1 in the PGA Tour University rankings.
This will be the fourth consecutive year the top-ranked player is being invited to play in the Rolex Series event.
American amateur David Ford and making his pro debut at next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic – Image University of North Carolina
“I am honored and humbled to receive this opportunity to play in my first DP World Tour event at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January,” said Ford earlier last month in an article on www.goheels.com
“Thank you to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Tour and PGA Tour University for the chance to compete alongside the top talents in the world and further develop my game.”
The Georgia-born lefty plays with the North Carolina University ‘Tar Heels’ and his amateur wins include: 2022-23 season Jackson T. Stephens Cup, 2023 Williams Cup and the back-to-back 2024 Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational and the 2024 Williams Cup in October last year.
While he will competing in Dubai, Ford is no stranger to the UAE having shot an eight-under par 64 to lead the U.S. team with Nick Dunlap and Gordon Sargent to victory in the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy, the World Amateur Team Championship, in Abu Dhabi.
As mentioned above he was a member of the 2023 USA Walker Cup winning side, losing his two opening matches but defeated Ireland’s Alex Maguire in the Sunday afternoon singles that helped his team win by three points on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Ford made his PGA Tour debut at the 2023 Barbasol Championship and made the cut to finish T58th while he contested two events last year, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and RSM Classic but sat out the weekend rounds.
