Who is Davis Riley? All you need to know about the American golfer

Davis Riley is currently leading the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge with a score of 9 under, with his second round not yet completed. Riley has one PGA Tour victory under his belt, and his golf career has been on the rise over the last few years.

Riley was born in 1996 in Mississippi, and he was introduced to golf at an early age. He had already emerged as the state's best player in the category by the time he entered high school. In fact, he won the state title four years in a row.

Riley qualified for the US Junior Amateur finals two years in a row (2014 and 2015). Only Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth had previously made it to the final in consecutive years. However, Davis Riley was unable to win either edition, as he was first defeated by Scottie Scheffler and then by his friend Will Zalatoris. Nevertheless, he was named the All-USA Boys Golf Player of the Year by USA Today in 2015 and won a scholarship to join the Alabama Crimson Tide in American collegiate golf.

Later, he was the nation's best collegiate player for his junior year as a sophomore. Riley turned pro at the start of 2019.

A look at Davis Riley's professional career

In 2019, Davis Riley joined the Korn Ferry Tour despite having no status, thanks to sponsor exemptions and Monday qualifiers. His achievements allowed him to receive his Special Temporary Membership after first qualifying for additional competitions.

With that status, he began the 2020 season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Riley achieved his first professional victory during his third tournament of the year, which was the Panama Championship. His win pavedthe way for him to procure a full membership. Unfortunately, his season was interrupted due to COVID-19.

The season resumed after a few months, restructuring his schedule for the rest of the year. Riley earned his second tour victory in July 2020 (TPC San Antonio Championship) and reported five other Top 10s in the 36 tournaments that he played in.

With these performances, Riley earned his PGA Tour card for the 2022–2023 season, although he had already played several tournaments at the highest level. After winning the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in 2023, Riley and his partner, Nick Hardy, were given tour membership until the end of the 2025 campaign. Riley finished the 2022–2023 season with 20 cuts made in 35 tournaments and a T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as his best result (in addition to his win).

In 2024, he has played 14 events with seven cuts made and a top 25 finish at the Texas Children's Houston Open as his best result.