Oliver Betschart, a 15-year-old local prodigy, has qualified for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and will become the youngest player to compete on the PGA Tour since 2014, following his victory in a 54-hole local qualifier.
At Glance
‣ 15-year-old Oliver Betschart is the youngest player to qualify for the PGA Tour since 2014
‣ Betschart won the Port Royal Golf Club Championship in 2022
‣ Other young players have also competed on the PGA Tour, with the youngest being Don Dunkelberger at 11 years old in 1937
‣ The youngest player to participate in a DP World Tour event is Ye Wo-Cheng at 12 years old
The Butterfield Bermuda Championship will feature a young talent, 15-year-old Oliver Betschart, who recently qualified for the event. Betschart’s final round 68 at the 54-hole local qualifier secured his spot in the tournament, making him the youngest player to compete on the PGA Tour since 2014. He expressed his excitement, saying, “This has been my goal for the whole year, and now it’s finally true and it’s hard to accept it but I am really excited.” After coming close to qualifying last year, Betschart emphasized the importance of holding his nerve during his final round, which included five birdies. This achievement follows Kenny Leseur’s appearance in the 2019 tournament at the age of 15 and six months.
Another promising youngster, Billy Davis Jr, competed at the World Wide Technology Championship the week prior, continuing the trend of young talents on the PGA Tour. Betschart will be joined by two other Bermudians, Eric West and Scott Roy, who also made it through the local qualifier. While Betschart’s accomplishment is noteworthy, several players have competed on the PGA Tour at a younger age in the modern era. For example, Michelle Wie West played in the 2004 Sony Open at just 14 years, three months and seven days old.
The golf world was also captivated by Guan Tianlang, who competed in the 2013 Masters at the age of 14 and became the youngest player to make the cut at a men’s Major. Tianlang also made the cut at a PGA Tour event, finishing 71st at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Additionally, Andy Zhang and Lorens Chan, both in their early teens, also participated in PGA Tour events.
For the youngest player ever to compete in a PGA Tour event, one would have to look back to 1937 when Don Dunkelberger played in the Chicago Open at the age of 11, though he withdrew from the tournament after an opening round of 103. On the DP World Tour, Ye Wo-Cheng holds the record for the youngest participant at the age of 12. The tournament will certainly be an exciting opportunity for Betschart and an opportunity for golf fans to witness the talent of young players on the tour.
