Feb. 8, 2017
@UNLVGolf
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV junior golfer John Oda has been included on the The Ben Hogan Award Watch List, which was announced Wednesday by Colonial Country Club, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The list is comprised of 28 collegiate golfers from 19 universities, including 21 golfers on it for the first time.
The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award presented by Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) is issued annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period. The Ben Hogan Award Selection Committee represents leaders in amateur, collegiate and professional golf.
In addition to Oda, this year's watch list, as determined by the award's subcommittee, includes (in alphabetical order): Sam Burns (LSU), Cameron Champ (Texas A&M), Wyndham Clark (Oregon), Sean Crocker (Southern California), Jared du Toit (Arizona State), Jorge Garcia (Florida), Doug Ghim (Texas), Gavin Hall (Texas), Nick Hardy (Illinois), Rico Hoey (Southern California), Sam Horsfield (Florida), Viktor Hovland (Oklahoma State), Will Long (Auburn), Patrick Martin (Vanderbilt), Maverick McNealy (Stanford), Dylan Meyer (Illinois), Collin Morikawa (California), Chandler Phillips (Texas A&M), Doc Redman (Clemson), Scottie Scheffler (Texas), Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt), Greyson Sigg (Georgia), Jimmy Stanger (Virginia), Sam Stevens (Oklahoma State), Braden Thornberry (Ole Miss), Alejandro Tosti (Florida) and Will Zalatoris (Wake Forest).
Oda, who owns the second-lowest scoring average (71.38) in program history, won two collegiate tournament titles this fall. He has won a total of four in his career, tying him for fifth on the all-time UNLV men's golf chart for most career individual tournament victories.
He is a back-to-back honorable mention All-American and back-to-back PING All-West Region team member. He also has earned All-Mountain West in each of the last two years and has earned numerous academic accolades.
A list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the current list, will be unveiled on April 12, and then will be pared down to three finalists on May 3. The winner will be crowned at a black-tie banquet at Colonial Country Club on May 22, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR's Dean & DeLuca Invitational.
Former Rebel golfers who have earned the same recognition (named to the Watch List) were: Kevin Penner (2013), Derek Ernst (2010, 2012), Eddie Olson (2009) and Seung-su Han (2007, 2008). Ryan Moore was the 2005 Hogan Award winner, which marked the first time a UNLV golfer was named the national player of the year. In 2006, UNLV's Andres Gonzales was a semifinalist for the award.
The latest information on The Ben Hogan Award, its candidates and previous winners is available at TheBenHoganAward.org and on Twitter at @BenHoganAward. The Rebels, ranked No. 21 in the country, who finished first or second in half of their fall tournaments, will open their spring season on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Hawaii.
