Former McConnell Golf Scholar Caleb Surratt Earns Spot in First U.S. Open
Caleb Surratt of Legion XIII GC hits his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of LIV Golf Miami at the Trump National Doral on Saturday, April 06, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Photo: Mike Stobe/LIV Golf
Former McConnell Golf scholar Caleb Surratt will make his major championship debut this week after earning a place in the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Surratt secured his spot in golf’s national championship through final qualifying at Dallas Athletic Club in Dallas, Texas, where he posted rounds of 70 and 69 before prevailing in a six-man playoff for the final berth. He birdied the first playoff hole to punch his ticket to one of the game’s biggest stages.
Many McConnell Golf members have followed Surratt’s journey for years. A standout junior golfer who grew up in Indian Trail — a suburb of Charlotte, playing golf at Providence Country Club — Surratt went on to star at the University of Tennessee, earning first-team All-America honors and winning the SEC individual championship. He turned professional in 2024 and now competes for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team on LIV Golf.
Surratt’s U.S. Open appearance marks another milestone in a career filled with accomplishments, but for those who watched him develop as a young player through the McConnell Golf scholarship program, it is especially rewarding to see him competing alongside the best players in the world.
McConnell Golf congratulates Caleb on reaching his first U.S. Open and wishes him the best this week at Shinnecock Hills.
25 Things You Didn't Know About Caleb Surratt
Caleb Surratt of Legion XIII hits his shot on the 10th hole during the final round of LIV Golf Team Championship Dallas at Maridoe Golf Club on Sunday, September 22, 2024 in Carrollton, Texas. Photo: Pedro Salado/LIV Golf
The youngster is earmarked as one of the stars of the future – here are some things you may not know about him.
Caleb Surratt is one of the rising stars of the amateur game, with plenty of expectation that he will ultimately go on to have a successful professional career. Here are some things you may not know about the up and coming American, who joined LIV Golf in 2024 as part of Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team.
1. Surratt hails from Indian Trail in North Carolina.
2. His father, Brent, was a professional long-drive player.
3. Caleb took up the game when he became curious by the collection of drivers in the garage of the family home and was eager to use them.
4. Surratt was a member of the 2021 US Junior Ryder Cup team. However, the match was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
5. He finished runner-up at the 2022 US Junior Amateur Championship.
6. He attended the University of Tennessee before turning pro.
7. He was selected for the US Walker Cup team in 2023, where he excelled, winning three of his four matches at The Old Course, St Andrews to help his team to a 14.5-11.5 victory over Great Britain and Ireland.
8. He was on the Haskins Foundation's Fred Haskins Award preseason watchlist for 2023-24. The award honours the best college golfer in the US, with previous winners including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas.
9. Surratt was the first Tennessee University player to receive first-team All-America honors.
10. By July 2022, Data Golf ranked him as the top amateur in the world.
11. He won the 2023 SEC Championship individual title – the first freshman to achieve the feat since Justin Thomas in 2012.
First place team champions, Kieran Vincent of Legion XIII GC, Captain Jon Rahm of Legion XIII GC, Caleb Surratt of Legion XIII GC and Tyrrell Hatton of Legion XIII GC pose for a photo with the Team trophy after the final round of LIV Golf Miami at the Trump National Doral on Sunday, April 07, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Photo: Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf
12. He made three appearances on the PGA Tour as an amateur, with a T65 at the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship and further starts at the 2023 American Express and Farmers Insurance Open.
13. That PGA Tour debut included a 64 in the second round. Unfortunately, he followed that up with an 85, which, according to statistician Justin Ray, was the largest swing since John Daly carded 63 followed by 86 in the 2012 Shriners Children's Open.
14. At the end of 2023, he had four amateur wins among 21 top-10 finishes.
15. By the same point, he had achieved a career high of sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
16. He is a member of Team Callaway while Adidas is his apparel partner.
17. Surratt's coach Brennan Webb told Global Golf Post in May 2023: “He has such a professional outlook at 18 years old. I know never seen that from an 18-year-old before.”
18. He turned professional in January 2024.
Caleb Surratt of Legion XIII GC reads his putt during the first round of LIV Golf Miami at the Trump National Doral on Friday, April 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida. Photo: Chris Trotman/LIV Golf
19. He joined LIV Golf at the same time as turning pro in January 2024, where he became a member of Jon Rahm's new Legion XIII team. “The opportunity to turn pro and be a part of Jon Rahm’s team is truly a special opportunity that is a great fit for me. I’m excited about the chance to compete and begin my professional career here in Mayakoba,” he said.
20. He lives in Weddington, NC, 15 miles southeast of uptown Charlotte.
21. He has three second place finishes on the LIV/Asian Tours.
22. He got married to his girlfriend, Kayla, in 2024.
23. He was a first team All-American at Tennessee his Freshman year, SEC Freshman of the Year and won the SEC Tournament by six shots.
24. He was a McConnell Golf junior scholar at Providence Country Club in Charlotte, NC, one of the youngest to be accepted into the program as he joined in his 8th grade year.
25. He has two goldendoodles.
Inside the Ropes with Caleb Surratt
McConnell Golf connected with Caleb Surratt for an exclusive Q&A about his career, influences, and experiences on and off the course. Read the Interview.