The postseason is underway in college golf, and after this week’s NCAA Regionals, the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship field is set for May 28-June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
With that championship field set, the race for the Haskins Award is wide open and white hot. A handful of players have shone throughout the season as front-runners for the Haskins Award, which honors the player of the year in men’s college golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the college golf media.
The players are listed alphabetically. Players on the Haskins Award Watch List were selected by a panel of Golfweek and Golf Channel writers.
Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk
Haskins Award Watch List
Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
Aberg came out firing in the spring with a T-1 at the Prestige and T-5 at the Cabo Collegiate at TPC San Antonio. He enters the national championship on a T-6, T-1, 4, T-4 run. If there’s a tournament, he’s contending.
Texas Tech golfer Ludvig Aberg tees off on the 14th hole of PGA West Greg Norman Golf Course at The Prestige golf tournament in La Quinta, California, on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Vickie Connor/The Desert Sun via USA TODAY NETWORK
Jacob Bridgeman, Clemson
The Tiger junior defended his title at the Palmetto Intercollegiate and won the Camp Creek Seminole Invitational to start the spring. Most recently was runner-up at the Collegiate Invitational @ CC of Birmingham and fifth in stroke play at the ACC Championship. Helped Clemson advance to national title with T-19 finish at Kingston Springs Regional.
Clemson’s Jacob Bridgeman. (Photo: Meaghan Frazier, Clemson Athletics)
Eugenio Chacarra, Oklahoma State
Shot three rounds in the 60’s at two different tournaments this spring alone, and finished in the top 10 seven times, with five in the top five. He might not be as consistent as some other players on this list, but Chacarra is as good as it gets when his game is on, and he’s got the confidence to go with it.
Oklahoma State’s Eugenio Chacarra. (Photo: Oklahoma State Athletics)
Pierceson Coody, Texas
Won the George Hannon in the spring to go with four other top-three finishes. Was the top finisher half of the time on one of the nation’s best teams.
Texas freshman Pierceson Coody at the 2019 NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. (Photo: @TexasMGolf)
Alex Fitzpatrick, Wake Forest
Had a strong spring with consecutive fourth-place finishes at the Arizona Intercollegiate and at home at the Wake Forest Invitational before winning the Valspar Collegiate with rounds of 67-66-68. Finished T-2 at the Cle Elum Regional.
Alex Fitzpatrick of Team Great Britain and Ireland lines up a shot on the 13th hole during Sunday singles matches on Day Two of The Walker Cup at Seminole Golf Club on May 09, 2021 in Juno Beach, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Wake Forest’s Alex Fitzpatrick. (Photo: Wake Forest Athletics)
Nick Gabrelcik, North Florida
The freshman’s career got off to a hot start with three wins in the spring: Sea Best Invitational, General Hackler Championship and The Hayt. Finished runner-up at ASUN Championship.
Won’t be competing at the national championship.
North Florida’s Nick Gabrelcik. (Photo: North Florida Men’s Golf)
Noah Goodwin, SMU
Goodwin’s worst finish of the spring was a T-21 against a strong field at The Prestige. Ended the spring with a win at the Stillwater Regional to tie a bow on a season with five top-five finishes in seven events.
South Carolina’s Ryan Hall. (Photo: South Carolina Athletics)
Ryan Hall, South Carolina
Earlier this spring I wrote: “The junior has been Mr. Consistent for the Gamecocks this spring, with top-5 finishes at the Gators Invitational and LSU Invitational, as well as a T-6 at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in the fall.”
Mr. Consistent became Mr. Champion with wins at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational and Albuquerque Regional. Hall went 68-68-69 to win regional and punch his ticket to the national championship as an individual.
South Carolina’s Ryan Hall. (Photo: South Carolina Athletics)
John Pak, Florida State
Pak won the Calusa Cup and earned six top-five finishes. His worst finish? T-12. In fact, just look at these results: T-7, T-12, 2, T-3, T-7, T-3, 1, T-5, 4. Enough said.
Florida State’s John Pak. (Photo: Ross Obley)
David Puig, Arizona State
Puig started the spring with a pair of wins, cooled off (but still finished inside the top 30) before finishing strong down the stretch with three strong top-10 finishes at the ASU Thunderbird Collegiate (T-6), Pac-12 Championship (T-8) and Albuquerque Regional (8).
Arizona State golfer David Puig tees off on the 10th hole of PGA West Greg Norman Golf Course at The Prestige golf tournament in La Quinta, California, on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Vickie Connor/The Desert Sun via USA TODAY NETWORK
Davis Thompson, Georgia
The senior earned fall finishes of T-4 at the Blessings, T-5 at Vanderbilt and T-6 at the Jerry Pate. Struggled (by his standards) at times this spring but the No. 4 amateur finished third in stroke play at the SEC Championship and won the Tallahassee Regional, outplaying No. 3 Pak on his home course by six strokes.
Davis Thompson hits a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Golf Club – West. (Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
