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MALIBU, Calif. — Three of the top junior players in the country will compete for the Pepperdine men’s golf team next year, as announced by Head Coach Michael Beard and the program on Wednesday.
Pepperdine’s 2026 recruiting class includes Ayden Fynaut, of Fresno, Calif.; Luke Ringkamp, of Palm Desert, Calif.; and Kailer Stone, of Alameda, Calif. The trio is not only Pepperdine’s best recruiting class in program history, but also one of the best in the nation. Pepperdine ranks No. 8 in the Golf Channel and College Golf Commits recruiting class rankings.
“All three players we have signing for 2026 are great players with strong resumes,” Head Coach Michael Beard said. “They will be assets to not only our program, but Pepperdine University as a whole. They have proven to be elite junior golfers, and I believe have the tools to excel at the collegiate level. All three have won AJGA events and are currently ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 in the state of California in the TUGR and Golf Channel junior golf rankings. Coach Nick Robinson and I look forward to having this trio join our program in the fall! “
Currently, Fynaut, Ringkamp and Stone are the top three recruits in the state of California, according to The Universal Junior Golf Rankings (TUGR) and Golf Channel. Right now, Ringkamp is ranked No. 9, Fynaut is No. 8 and Stone is No. 26 in TUGR’s class of 2026 rankings. In the Golf Channel rankings, Ringkamp is No. 16, Stone is No. 19 and Fynaut is No. 22.
The trio of Waves will join a Pepperdine program that is currently ranked No. 15 in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches’ Poll and No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings. While the Waves will lose Mahanth Chirravuri, Brady Siravo and Joshua Koo to graduation, the class of 2026 signees will join a team that is expected to bring back six players next year.
Ayden Fynaut
Fresno, Calif.
Ranked No. 9 in the Rolex Junior Golf Rankings and No. 2 in the state of California, Ayden Fynaut is enjoying a breakout season in 2025. He is a Rolex Second-Team Junior All-American and has finished in the top-10 nine times this year with two wins.
The Fresno native reached the round of 16 in stroke play at the US Junior Amateur after placing sixth in the stroke play portion. Later in July, he placed fourth at the Junior PGA Championship with a four-round score of 12-under 273. He was also the 2025 AJCA Open Champion, plus he won the 2025 AJGA Visit Fresno Championship earlier this year. Additionally, he had top-15 finishes at the 2025 Junior Players Championship and the PING Invitational.
All told, Fynaut has 36 top-10 finishes and 12 wins in his junior golf career.
“I chose Pepperdine because of the amazing golf program it has, and I know it’s going to be the next step to get me to the PGA Tour,” Fynaut said. “The vibes of the school and the coaches make me feel like I’m at home.”
Luke Ringkamp
Palm Desert, Calif.
The top recruit in California according to the Golf Channel and Rolex Junior Golf Rankings, Luke Ringkamp earned Rolex Junior All-America Second Team honors after putting together a solid 2025 campaign, which included winning one AJCA Open and one Toyota Tour Cup title. He is currently ranked No. 9 in TUGR’s class of 2026 rankings and No. 14 in the Rolex Junior Amateur Golf Rankings.
This year, Ringkamp placed sixth at the 126th Southern California Golf Association Amateur, plus he placed sixth at the Junior Players Championship, fifth at the PING Invitational and fifth at the 107th Western Junior Championship. This year, he has one AJGA win at the Jim Click Automotive/HSL Properties Championship, held in Tucson, Ariz.
All told, Ringkamp has 36 top-10 finishes and 13 tournament wins, including the 2024 California State Junior Amateur Championship, which he won with a 6-under 138.
“I chose Pepperdine because the coaches are experienced, the campus overlooks the ocean in every direction, and the whole place has a beachside energy that fits who I am,” Ringkamp said. “It also gives me the best chance to grow my career with elite facilities and a proven path to the PGA Tour. It’s an environment that already feels like home.”
Kailer Stone
Alameda, Calif.
Checking in at No. 26 in the TUGR World Junior Rankings and No. 9 in the class of 2026, Kailer Stone has 32 top-10 finishes and seven career amateur wins, including back-to-back NorCal Junior Championship titles in 2024 and 2025. He is one of three players to win back-to-back NorCal Junior Championship titles in the event’s 96-year history.
Earlier this year, Stone had a ninth-place finish at the Junior PGA Championships and made the round of 16 in stroke play at the US Junior Amateur Championships. During that tournament, he led after the first round.
In 2024, Stone had a top-15 finish at the PING Invitational after placing sixth at the Junior Players Championship. That year, he was the 2024 AJGA Open Champion, in addition to winning his first NorCal Junior Championship title.
“When deciding where to attend college, I was looking for a place that had support, a sense of family, and a top-ranked program,” Stone said. “I found all of this at Pepperdine. Pepperdine has everything — from the facilities, coaching, community and courses, which will help me become the best version of myself on and off the course.”
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ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN’S GOLF
Pepperdine men’s golf has ranked among the elite collegiate golf programs in the nation, having won the NCAA Championship in 1997 and 2021. The program has won 24 WCC championships while reaching 28 NCAA Regionals and 14 NCAA Championships. With 30 All-American selections, the Waves currently have four active members of the PGA TOUR in 2025.
