Kristopher Stiles named Pathway Player into the 2024 collegiate showcase
The Genesis Invitational announced today that Kristopher Stiles of San Jose State University has been named the 2024 Pathway Player into the tournament’s Collegiate Showcase. Stiles will compete alongside a field of collegiate golfers at The Riviera Country Club on Monday, February 12. New in 2024, the Collegiate Showcase champion will earn an exemption into the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open, held July 11-14 at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.
Continuing to build upon the tournament’s history of inclusion, the Pathway Player invitation is awarded annually to a collegiate golfer with a minority background who excels on the golf course and academically.
“The Genesis Invitational is honored to present the 2024 Pathway Player invitation to Kristopher Stiles,” Tournament Director Mike Antolini said. “He grew up near Riviera, and we’re excited to have Kris compete in his home state against a deep field of collegiate athletes. We are proud to support Kris on his path toward a professional golf career.”
A Southern California native, Stiles’ family first took him to a driving range at the age of five after seeing him swing a virtual club while playing a round of Nintendo Wii Golf. Quickly finding out he was natural at the sport, a year later he would compete and place second in his first golf tournament at Rancho Vista Golf Club in Palmdale. By the age of 13, Stiles would become a three-time California State Junior champion and considered one of the top junior golfers in the country. Currently a senior at San Jose State, he continues to achieve success in golf, fueled by his passion for the sport and the unwavering support of his coaches and family.
“I feel very grateful to participate in the Genesis Invitational Collegiate Showcase and take great pride in being recognized as the 2024 Pathway Player,” Stiles said. “I can’t wait to hit the course at Riviera and take on some great competition while representing the Spartans.”
Before heading to Riviera, Stiles played at last month’s APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational, competing with this year’s Charlie Sifford Exemption recipient Chase Johnson. Stiles and San Jose State University will join a diverse and experienced field of collegiate programs from around the country taking part in the 2024 Collegiate Showcase:
| School | Collegiate Player* |
| Boise State University | Cole Rueck |
| Columbia University | Nathan Han |
| Princeton University | Riccardo Fantinelli |
| San Jose State University | Kristopher Stiles; Caleb Shetler |
| University of Southern California | Shane Ffrench |
| University of Texas Permian Basin | Sangha Park |
| University of Washington | Petr Hruby; Chuan-Ti Lin; Bo Peng; Taehoon Song |
| The University of Wyoming | TBA |
| Wake Forest University | Michael Brennan; Andrew McLauchlan; Daniel Sheedy |
| *Players subject to change |
Marking the 10th anniversary of the Collegiate Showcase, 15 teams consisting of one collegiate player and three amateurs are set to kick off tournament week for The Genesis Invitational. This year, the winning collegiate golfer will receive the opportunity to compete in the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open, a co-sanctioned PGA TOUR & DP World Tour event. The Collegiate Showcase also features a pro-am competition with teams comprised of three amateurs representing the college athlete’s school. The pro-am teams compete against each other in better ball play, with the winning team earning a $50,000 donation to the school’s golf program.
Previous Collegiate Showcase winners include Jack Wall (2023, Texas Tech University), Michael Brennan (2022, Wake Forest University), Angus Flanagan (2021, University of Minnesota), Sean Yu (2020, San Jose State University), Lukas Euler (2019, University of Kentucky), Scottie Scheffler (2018, University of Texas), Sahith Theegala (2017, Pepperdine University), Charlie Danielson (2016, University of Illinois) and Will Zalatoris (2015, Wake Forest University).