David A. Perkins Bio
David A. Perkins is an American professional golfer from Illinois who competes on PGA Tour Americas, the third-tier professional circuit operated under the PGA Tour umbrella. Born on June 15, 1998, in Peoria, Illinois, he has built his early career around consistent ball-striking and steady tournament results across collegiate, mini-tour, and developmental circuits. He currently resides in Morton, Illinois, and turned professional in 2021 after completing his collegiate career at Illinois State University.
Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing roughly 170 pounds, Perkins entered the paid ranks as a long-hitting, detail-oriented player who progressed quickly from the amateur ranks to the Forme Tour and PGA Tour Canada before settling onto PGA Tour Americas. He has recorded two professional wins, including a breakthrough victory in 2025 that placed him atop the developmental tour’s points standings.
Early Life and Background
David A. Perkins was born on June 15, 1998, to parents Tony and Laureen, and grew up in central Illinois with a household oriented around sports. He attended East Peoria Community High School, where he was a three-sport athlete competing in golf, basketball, and baseball. The demands of three sports shaped his competitive temperament and helped him develop the time-management habits that later supported his golf career.
His high school golf progression was steady and measurable. As a freshman, he averaged 76 strokes over 18 holes. He improved to 74 as a sophomore and to 73.5 as a junior, a season that earned him first-team all-conference honors and a 28th-place finish at the state championship, where he set multiple school records. In his senior year, he averaged 72.5 strokes per round, was named first-team Mid-Illini and all-conference, and placed 12th at the state championship. His performance in high school drew the attention of college coaches and led to an athletic scholarship to play men’s golf at Illinois State University.
Path to Professional Golf
Perkins arrived at Illinois State University as part of the Redbirds golf program and quickly established himself inside the Missouri Valley Conference. As a freshman in 2016–17, he made his college debut at the Badger Invitational, finishing 5-under par in fifth place and earning MVC Tri-Men’s Golfer of the Week honors. He added a 3-under performance at the Firestone Invitational, a ninth-place result at the I-74 Challenge, and a tie for 16th at his first MVC Championship, finishing the year with a 73.2 stroke average.
His game continued to mature through his sophomore and junior seasons, including an 8-under total at the Badger Invitational that ranks among the event’s all-time best rounds. During 2018–19 he earned three MVC Golfer of the Week awards, maintained a spot in Illinois State’s top five scorers, and averaged 72 strokes per round. Because the COVID-19 pandemic cut short his 2019–20 season, Perkins returned for an extra year and posted a 69.39 stroke average in 2020, the lowest single-season average in the MVC since 2003. That year he won the Golfweek Conference Challenge at 10-under par, was named MVC Golfer of the Year and MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and was placed on PING Third Team All-American and the Ben Hogan Award Watch List. He finished his college career in May 2021 with a 72.3 career average and multiple school records.
David A. Perkins Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Perkins turned professional in 2021 shortly after completing his collegiate career at Illinois State University. He entered the Forme Tour and made the cut in both of his starts, an early signal that his college form would translate into professional scoring. He received a sponsor exemption into the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour but missed the cut after rounds of 72 and 70, gaining valuable experience at a higher level.
He earned conditional status on PGA Tour Canada through qualifying school and competed across the Forme Tour, PGA Tour Canada, and PGA Tour Americas while picking up wins on the Minor League Golf Tour. On August 3, 2022, he captured his first major professional title at the 73rd Illinois Open Championship, closing at 6-under par to win by decision and earn $23,168. The victory established him as a legitimate contender on the Midwest’s professional circuit.
PGA Tour Americas Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Perkins continued to build his developmental resume on PGA Tour Americas, the Forme Tour, and PGA Tour Canada, learning the rhythms of full-season tour golf. He finished second at the mid-season qualifying school for PGA Tour Americas, a result that secured exempt status for the remainder of the 2024 season. That same year he ended the season 28th on the points list, a position strong enough to retain membership for the 2025 Latin America Swing of PGA Tour Americas.
His steady 2024 campaign reflected a player refining his course-management skills on a mix of Latin American and North American venues. The retained card positioned him for a full schedule in 2025 and set the stage for the most productive stretch of his professional career to that point.
PGA Tour Americas Era (2025)
Perkins opened the 2025 PGA Tour Americas season with a series of top-10 finishes that immediately moved him up the Fortinet Cup standings. Among his early results was a third-place finish at the Diners Club Peru Open, an indicator that his game travels well internationally. The combination of accurate iron play and patient course management kept him in contention week after week.
On July 2025, he claimed his first PGA Tour-sanctioned victory at the Explore NB Open in Fredericton, Canada, closing at 19-under par 265. The win paid $40,500 and awarded 500 Fortinet Cup points, vaulting him to first place in the developmental tour’s standings. The breakthrough confirmed his status as one of the leading players on PGA Tour Americas heading into the season’s closing stretch.
Driving Style and Strengths
Perkins has built his reputation on accuracy, course management, and the ability to post low scoring totals on birdie-friendly venues. His college scoring averages, including the 69.39 mark set in 2020, point to a player comfortable attacking pins when conditions allow. He pairs a measured temperament with a willingness to take advantage of reachable par-fives, a profile that has produced results on both PGA Tour Americas and developmental circuits.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments in his career include the 2020 MVC Golfer of the Year award, the 2022 Illinois Open Championship win, and his 2025 victory at the Explore NB Open. The 19-under-par total at Fredericton represents his largest professional margin of victory and the result that pushed him to the top of the Fortinet Cup standings.
David A. Perkins Career Wins
David A. Perkins has recorded two professional wins across his career, one on a regional American circuit and one on PGA Tour Americas. His breakthrough title came in 2022 at the Illinois Open Championship, and his first PGA Tour-sanctioned victory followed in 2025 at the Explore NB Open.
PGA Tour Americas Highlights
Perkins has won one PGA Tour Americas event, the 2025 Explore NB Open in Fredericton, Canada, where he closed at 19-under par 265 to earn $40,500 and 500 Fortinet Cup points. The victory moved him to first place in the developmental tour’s standings and served as his first title on a PGA Tour-operated circuit. Earlier in the 2025 season he posted a third-place finish at the Diners Club Peru Open, an early-season highlight that signaled his readiness to contend.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his PGA Tour Americas title, Perkins captured the 2022 Illinois Open Championship at 6-under par, his first major professional victory and a result that announced his arrival on the Midwest professional scene. He has also posted wins on the Minor League Golf Tour, including a playoff decided by an eagle, and recorded multiple top finishes on the Forme Tour and PGA Tour Canada while building his developmental resume.
David A. Perkins Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
David A. Perkins is the son of Tony and Laureen Perkins, who raised him in central Illinois. His parents supported his early sports career across golf, basketball, and baseball during his years at East Peoria Community High School, where his father and mother were a steady presence as he transitioned from a multi-sport high school athlete into a college golf scholarship at Illinois State University.
Personal Life
Perkins resides in Morton, Illinois, and is married to his wife, Kayla. He maintains an active presence on social media, where fans can follow his tournament schedule and off-course life. His roots in the Peoria area and his college ties to Normal, Illinois, have kept him closely connected to central Illinois even as his professional career has carried him across the United States and into Latin America and Canada.
2025 Season Performance
David A. Perkins opened the 2025 PGA Tour Americas season among the circuit’s most consistent performers, piling up top-10 finishes and positioning himself near the top of the Fortinet Cup standings. A third-place result at the Diners Club Peru Open set the tone for a steady run that combined accurate iron play with aggressive scoring on reachable par-fives.
In July 2025, he captured his first PGA Tour-sanctioned victory at the Explore NB Open in Fredericton, Canada, closing at 19-under par 265 for a $40,500 payday and 500 Fortinet Cup points that moved him to first place in the standings. The win confirmed his exempt status for the season’s closing events and put him in position to pursue PGA Tour Americas overall honors.
Perkins entered the latter portion of the 2025 schedule with momentum, a full season of exempt status, and a points lead that gives him control of his own fate. Continued strong play through the Latin America Swing and the season-ending events would put him in line for promotion opportunities to higher-tier tours and reinforce his standing as one of the top American prospects emerging from PGA Tour Americas.