Sixth-annual event set for Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26 at Torrey Pines Golf Course; Invitational will take place in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open® and air on Golf Channel
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (January 15, 2025) – Officials from the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African American and other diverse golfers to excel in professional golf, have revealed the 18-player field for the sixth-annual APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational. The event aims to showcase and support talented minority golfers as they compete at the highest levels of the sport.
This 36-hole event will kick off the APGA Tour’s 2025 season, with a field of the Tour’s top players competing on the Torrey Pines North Course on Saturday, January 25, and the South Course on Sunday, January 26. The event will take place in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open, with Sunday’s final round broadcast live on Golf Channel for the fourth consecutive year from 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. PT.
Farmers®, the PGA TOUR and the APGA Tour continue to prioritize helping remove barriers to entry for golfers and creating development opportunities on and off the course. The organizations are also focused on helping players have access to the tools and resources necessary to elevate their career paths and business acumen. The total purse for the Farmers Insurance Invitational is $100,000, with $30,000 awarded to the tournament winner.
“We are proud to return to Torrey Pines for the sixth-annual APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational,” said APGA Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Ken Bentley. “This event provides a phenomenal, world-class experience for our players paired with an incredible opportunity to engage with PGA TOUR players on an elite golf course. We look forward to another celebration of remarkable talent and a great kickoff to the 2025 APGA Tour season in San Diego.”
The 18-player field includes the following players, along with how they qualified:
Per APGA Tour regulations, players in the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational field must be full-time members of the 2024 APGA Tour unless otherwise stated below.
Top player in the season-ending 2023-24 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking (as of May 22, 2024)
- Cole Stevens
Top six eligible players from the final 2024 APGA Cisco Cup points list (as of August 13, 2024)
- Chase Johnson
- Luis Gagne
- Brian Ohr
- Jarred Garcia
- Kevin Hall
- Andrew Walker
Top three eligible players from the final 2024 APGA Farmers Fall Series standings* (as of November 14, 2024)
- Troy Taylor II
- Wyatt Worthington
- Donald Kay
Top player in the 2024-2025 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking (as of October 30, 2024**)
- Kieron van Wyk (a) (College of Charleston)
Top player from the 2024 APGA Cisco Junior Series presented by APGA Tour and Cameron Champ Foundation final ranking (Nov. 14, 2024)
- Roman Solomon (a)
Six APGA Tour players as nominated by APGA Tour and approved by the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational exemption committee (as of November 17, 2024)
- Gregory Odom, Jr.
- Jaime Lopez Rivarola
- John Baptiste Hakizimana
- Aaron Beverly
- Aaron Grimes
- Michael Bradham
Additional Criteria:
*Not otherwise qualified through the above Cisco Cup standings
**players are eligible to receive this exemption one time during their college career
(a) – player is an amateur
APGA Player Profiles
Below you will find brief player profiles on five standout individuals who will compete in the field this January, including Chase Johnson, Troy Taylor II, Michael Bradham, Kieron van Wyk and Cole Stevens. If you would like to view biographies for all 2025 Farmers Insurance Invitational participants, please click here.
A top performer in 2024, Chase Johnson was named APGA Tour Player of the Year for the second year in a row, after earning the most combined points in APGA Tour competitions throughout the Cisco Cup Series, the APGA Farmers Insurance Fall Series and two Cisco Invitational events. A few of Johnson’s notable accolades from last season include winning the 2024 Cisco Cup Championship title, becoming the fourth Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption to make the cut at The Genesis Invitational and securing a victory at the APGA Ascension Classic.
In his first full season on the APGA Tour, Troy Taylor II also fared well, finishing as the overall champion of the Farmers Insurance Fall Series in November. Consistent play throughout the season resulted in six top-10 finishes in nine starts and his first professional win at the APGA Tour Farmers Fall Series event in Seaview, New Jersey this past October.
Another consistent force on the field, Michael Bradham had a memorable 2024, culminating the season as recipient of the prestigious Adrian Stills Award presented by Cisco, named for APGA Co-founder Adrian Stills and given to the player who best embodies qualities of character, sportsmanship, courage and giving back to the game and community. His consistency led to a top-three finish in the Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale, which built upon his earlier successes on the NTPGA Players Tour with two top-25 finishes.
College of Charleston senior Kieron van Wyk earned a spot in the 2025 Farmers Insurance Invitational by finishing on top of the 2024-2025 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking as of October 30, 2024. This season marked the third consecutive year van Wyk was named First Team All-CAA (Coastal Athletic Association), and in 2022, he was named Individual CAA Champion, making him the first Black golfer in CAA history to win medalist honors at the league tournament. His success on the course is a testament to his consistent excellence and impact on collegiate golf.
Cole Stevens, a graduate student at Augusta University, earned a top spot on the 2023-2024 Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking, landing him a spot in the 2025 Farmers Insurance Invitational. Last season, he was named Southland All-Conference First Team and secured the Southland Conference Men’s Golf Player of the Year title.
In addition to the Farmers Insurance Invitational, APGA Tour professional Willie Mack III received a sponsor exemption to compete in the PGA TOUR’s 2025 Farmers Insurance Open, scheduled to take place Wednesday, January 22 – Saturday, January 25, 2025 at Torrey Pines Golf Course. The exemption is also part of Farmers Insurance’s continued commitment to the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour and its work to increase diversity in golf.
The support of the APGA Tour and its players is part of an ongoing effort from Farmers Insurance to help advance its commitment to growth in the game of golf. The national insurer provides support for APGA Tour and the APGA Foundation to help provide assistance for players at all stages of their journey. To learn more about the APGA and how to support, please see here.
About the APGA Tour
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Board of Directors works to accomplish this by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner city young people. In addition to conducting 18 tournaments awarding over $1 million in prize and bonus money in 2024, the APGA has organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their goals in professional golf.
