National college golf awards, including the National Coach of the Year, Arnold Palmer Award, Softspikes Freshman of the Year, Jack Nicklaus Award and PING All-America, were announced today by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
The Western Athletic Conference picked up many of the national and regional awards.
The WAC landed two Regional Coaches of the Year. Tulsas
Bill Brogden was named the Central Region Coach of the Year. Brogdens Golden Hurricane won the WAC Championship as well as advanced to the NCAA Championship, where they tied for ninth. The Golden Hurricane won two events this season, including the title at the Matlock Invitational in February.
Mike Watney of Fresno State was named Southwest Region Coach of the Year. Watney earned the award by helping the Bulldogs to a third-place WAC finish and a 21st place finish at the NCAA Championship. Fresno State earned seven top-five finishes in the 2002 season, landing outside the top ten, once.
The 2001-02 PING All-America teams have also been selected. Players receiving All-America honors must have either been named to a PING All-Region team or finished in the top-15 individually at the NCAA Championships. The 2001-02 PING All-America First Team is Bill Haas, Wake Forest; Ryan Hybl, Georgia; Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State; Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech; Graeme McDowell, UAB; D.J. Trahan, Clemson; Camilo Villegas, Florida;
Nick Watney, Fresno State; Lee Williamson, Purdue and Oliver Wilson, Augusta State.
Leading the way for the WAC is Fresno States
Nick Watney. Watney, a junior from Dixon, Calif., earned first-team PING All-America honors by finishing out of the top-10 only once in 15 tournaments this season. In those events, he finished first or second in seven of them, including three wins. The 2002 WAC Player of the Year and first team all-Conference member is also 2002 U.S. Palmer Cup team selection. Watney was also a Ben Hogan Award Finalist, with the award going to the best golfer in the past year.
In addition to Watney,
Jonathon Echols of Fresno State and
Franklin Hatchett of SMU were both named PING All-America honorable mentions. Echols, a first-team all-WAC member, tied with teammate Watney for fourth at the 2002 WAC Championship, as well as landed five top-20 finishes this season. Hatchett, who is also an all-WAC first teamer, played his way to the 2002 NCAA Championship by being the highest finisher at regionals not attached to an advancing team. Finishing tied for 38th, Hatchett was one of seven players to shoot a 66 in the event.
For a complete listing of all the award winners
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