TPC Myrtle Beach was designed to challenge the game’s best players, and the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship has delivered exactly that.
Now entering its 11th year, the DJ World Junior has brought a procession of elite junior talent to the Tom Fazio design. Many of those players have gone on to become stars at the college and professional levels.
As the tournament begins its second decade, here is a look at 10 of the biggest names who have competed at TPC Myrtle Beach.
No. 1 – Akshay Bhatia
Bhatia turned professional shortly after winning the 2019 DJ World Junior and has quickly established himself as one of the PGA Tour’s best young players. The California native has already captured two PGA Tour titles and currently sits inside the top 40 of the Official World Golf Rankings, validating the promise he showed at TPC Myrtle Beach.
No. 2 – Jacob Bridgeman
The Clemson alum never won the DJ, but he did triumph at The Genesis Invitational, recording his first PGA Tour win at a signature event. While Bridgeman isn’t a household name, he has been playing outstanding golf with three top 10s in 2026.
No. 3 – Michael Brennan
Brennan delivered one of the most memorable finishes in tournament history when he eagled the 18th hole to edge Bhatia and win the 2018 DJ World Junior title. 2025 was Brennan’s breakout year on the professional level as he won three times on the PGA Tour Americas before triumphing on the big tour last fall at the Bank of Utah Championship.
No. 4 – Nick Dunlap
The 2021 DJ World Junior champion burst onto the national scene when he won the 2024 American Express as an amateur, becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event in more than three decades. Dunlap followed that breakthrough with another victory later that season at the Barracuda Championship. Dunlap has battled his driver over the last 18 months, but if he gets it straightened out, expect to see his name at the top of PGA Tour leaderboards.
No. 5 – Luke Clanton
Clanton was a regular contender at the DJ World Junior, but he solidified himself as a player to watch by recording four top-10 finishes in just eight PGA Tour starts in 2024, earning his card while still playing as an amateur. The Florida State standout is widely viewed as one of the brightest young stars in the game.
No. 6 – Jackson Koivun
The 2023 DJ World Junior champion is a name golf fans will be hearing for years to come. Still just 20 and starring at Auburn University, Koivun has already secured a future PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program. In 2025 he played seven PGA Tour events and posted three top-10 finishes. Don’t be surprised if Koivun emerges as one of the game’s best players in the next five years.
No. 7 – Blades Brown 
Brown turned professional at just 17 and quickly made an impact on the Korn Ferry Tour. The Tennessee native has already shown he can compete with the game’s biggest names, highlighted by a final-group appearance alongside Scottie Scheffler at the 2026 American Express. At only 18 years old, expect to see him competing with the game’s best sooner rather than later.
No. 8 – David Ford
This University of North Carolina alum hasn’t enjoyed the splash moments like those above him on this list, but he has the look of a guy who will be on tour for a long time. He earned his full-time card this year and has made cuts in three of four events.
No. 9 – David Puig
After competing in the DJ World Junior, Puig went to Arizona State, where, following the lead of former Sun Devils Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, he later joined LIV Golf. Puig is currently 11th in LIV individual standings but his most significant professional accomplishment was a win at the 2025 BMW Australian PGA Championship. If the golf ecosystem ever comes back together, Puig has the look of a future European Ryder Cup member.
No. 10 – Caleb Surratt
The runner-up finish in the 2020 DJ World Junior, Surratt took LIV’s bag of cash and left the University of Tennessee in 2024. His progression has been slower than anticipated – he has struggled mightily at the beginning of 2026 – but Surratt remains a talent.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior has quickly established itself as one of the premier junior tournaments in the world, consistently attracting the next generation of elite talent. As the championship returns to TPC Myrtle Beach, the field will once again feature players hoping to follow in the footsteps of the stars who first made their mark on the Tom Fazio design.
Players featured from top to bottom: Akshay Bhatia, Nick Dunlap, and Blades Brown
