Ludvig Aberg finished off a win at the Sun Bowl Marathon All-America Golf Classic, a 54-hole event at El Paso Country Club in El Paso, Texas
Ludvig Aberg was a welcome infusion of talent for Texas Tech this fall. The Swede entered his freshman season in Lubbock, Texas off a run to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur then proceeded to compete in the Red Raider lineup in each of the team’s four fall starts. Texas Tech won three of those events.
On Tuesday, Aberg finished off a win at the Sun Bowl Marathon All-America Golf Classic, a 54-hole offseason event at El Paso Country Club in El Paso, Texas, for the nation’s top collegians.
Aberg put in his work early, going 14 under in his first 36 holes. He put together an impressive six-birdie streak on the back nine of his opening round. His 7-under 28 on that side helped him to an opening 62. When he followed that with a bogey-free, 5-under 66 in the second round, Aberg all but clinched it.
Aberg wasn’t quite as sharp in the final round, but even with two bogeys in his final four holes, he still was able to finish at 13 under for a four-shot victory on Louisville junior Matthias Schmid, the reigning European Amateur champion.
Aberg credited a devotion to his putting over the past month.
“My putting was really strong, especially in the first round on Monday,” he told the El Paso Times. “Overall, I felt like I played well and had a good effort. Putting was something I really wanted to be better at and I felt good about that part of the game. I really liked this course. As a golfer, you can be aggressive at the tee. This is such a strong tournament and there is a lot of history here. I really enjoyed my time playing it.”
Behind Schmid, Arkansas senior Mason Overstreet and Arkansas State senior Zan Luka Stirn tied for third at 8 under.
Georgia sophomore Trent Phillips had a final-round, 4-under 67, the best round of the day, to climb into a tie with Oklahoma senior Garett Reband.
Reband’s Oklahoma teammate Quade Cummins won the event a year ago, but this week tied for 24th after stringing together three consecutive rounds of even-par 71.
Women’s college golf will look a little different in the spring with five of the top players gone. These are the remaining front runners.
In women’s college golf, the mid-season exodus is old news. It happens almost every year after LPGA Q-School. This winter, five top players will leave their teams to turn professional with the start of the 2020 LPGA and Symetra Tour seasons. Those players include Albane Valenzuela and Andrea Lee from Stanford, Sierra Brooks from Florida, Frida Kinhult from Florida State and Jennifer Chang from USC.
Their departure not only changes the landscape for teams hoping to make a postseason run, but also vacates some headlines for players in the running for individual postseason awards.
The ANNIKA Award Presented by Stifel goes to the top player in college women’s golf, as selected by college golfers, coaches and members of the golf media. This is the first edition of the ANNIKA Award Watch List since those five players have announced plans to turn professional.
Get to know a few of the up-and-comers who will have the opportunity to step up in the spring season. Interestingly, half of the 10 players highlighted below are freshmen. Alison Lee (UCLA) and Leona Maguire (Duke) were the first two recipients of the ANNIKA Award as freshmen in 2014 and 2015, respectively, but a newcomer hasn’t claimed the honor since.
Golfweek/Sagarin Ranking: 9 Golfstat Ranking: 36 Scoring Average: 72.14 Par 3 Average: 3.04 Par 4 Average: 4.11 Par 5 Average: 4.71
Belac balanced her own LPGA Q-School run with the fall college season, advancing to second stage but falling short of an LPGA card. The senior from Slovenia had respectable top-25 finishes in two of the fall’s strongest fields, the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Windy City. She was medalist at the East Lake Cup on the strength of a 3-under 69 in qualifying and went 1-1 in her head-to-head matches that week.
The Stanford men’s and Duke women’s golf teams celebrated their 2019 national championships at the White House with President Trump.
Before the Stanford men’s and Duke women’s golf teams break for the holidays, they traveled to the nation’s capital to celebrate their respective 2019 national championships.
The Blue Devils and the Cardinal were honored at the White House on Friday along with several other NCAA Championship teams from last year.
Duke won its seventh national title at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in May after defeating Wake Forest, 3-2, in match play. Stanford won its ninth title in program history with a 3-2 win in match play over Texas at Blessings.
According to the school, Duke has visited the White House three times, having also received invitations in 2005 and 2007 from President George W. Bush for having won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 NCAA titles under coach Dan Brooks.
Ahead of the White House ceremony on Friday, the teams posted photos from around Washington D.C. and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on their respective Twitter accounts.
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season. In the Division III poll, Carnegie Mellon earned seven first-place votes to sit at the top spot. University of Redlands earned the …
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season.
In the Division III poll, Carnegie Mellon earned seven first-place votes to sit at the top spot. University of Redlands earned the No. 2 spot with four first-place votes followed by Washington University in St. Louis in third with one-first place vote. George Fox University and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps earned the fourth and fifth spots on the newest poll.
The top 25 teams in the Division III WGCA Coaches Poll can be seen below.
Division III WGCA Coaches Poll
Rank
University (First Place Votes)
Points
1
Carnegie Mellon University (7)
294
2
University of Redlands (4)
284
3
Washington University in St. Louis (1)
265
4
George Fox University
259
5
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
252
6
Methodist University
239
7
Williams College
220
8
Pomona/Pitzer
218
9
New York University
216
10
Rhodes College
192
11
Bethel University
172
12
St. Catherine University
158
13
Washington and Lee University
145
14
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
138
15
Carleton College
137
16
Illinois Wesleyan University
114
17
Amherst College
101
18
Centre College
90
19
Middlebury College
84
20
Oglethorpe University
81
21
Denison University
70
22
DePauw University
50
23
California Lutheran University
49
24
Saint Mary’s College (IN)
25
25
Gustavus Adolphus College
13
Others Receiving Votes: Berry College (12); Wellesley College (9); University of Wisconsin-Stout (5); Christopher Newport University (3); Carthage College (2); Southwestern University (1); University of St. Thomas (1); University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (1)
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season. The University of Indianapolis kept its No. 1 ranking in the latest Division II poll, followed by Nova Southeastern University, …
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season.
The University of Indianapolis kept its No. 1 ranking in the latest Division II poll, followed by Nova Southeastern University, University of Findlay, Dallas Baptist University and Lynn University respectively in the top five.
The top 25 teams in the Division II WGCA Coaches Poll can be seen below.
Division II WGCA Coaches Poll
Rank
University (First Place Votes)
Points
1
University of Indianapolis (10)
319
2
Nova Southeastern University (2)
308
3
University of Findlay
279
4
Dallas Baptist University (1)
278
5
Lynn University
262
6
University of Tampa
245
7
Rollins College
242
8
Barry University
228
9
Saint Leo University
221
10
Florida Southern College
204
11
Wingate University
193
12
California State University San Marcos
188
13
Simon Fraser University
164
14
Lee University
157
15
West Texas A&M University
153
16
Limestone College
152
17
Arkansas Tech University
125
18
Grand Valley State University
119
19
St. Edward’s University
82
20
Midwestern State University
74
21
Lenoir Rhyne University
65
22
University of North Georgia
46
23
University of Central Missouri
34
24
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
21
25
University of Central Oklahoma
18
Others Receiving Votes: Augustana University (South Dakota) (17); University of Missouri-St. Louis (15); University of Arkansas, Monticello (6); Academy of Art University (5); Sonoma State University (3); Flagler College (1); Texas A&M University – Commerce (1)
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season. In the Division I poll, Texas claimed the No. 1 spot by unanimous vote with Arizona State, Wake Forest, Kent State and Arizona …
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) revealed Friday the final WGCA Coaches Polls of the fall 2019-20 season.
In the Division I poll, Texas claimed the No. 1 spot by unanimous vote with Arizona State, Wake Forest, Kent State and Arizona rounding out the top five.
The top 25 teams in the Division I WGCA Coaches Poll can be seen below.
Division I WGCA Coaches Poll
Rank
University (First Place Votes)
Points
1
Texas (16)
400
2
Arizona State
368
3
Wake Forest
349
4
Kent State
346
5
Arizona
334
6
USC
333
7
Stanford
318
8
South Carolina
281
9
Florida
278
10
Mississippi
248
11
Duke
240
12
Alabama
236
13
Illinois
176
14
Oklahoma State
172
15
Michigan State
164
16
LSU
158
17
Arkansas
150
18
Oregon
131
19
UCLA
127
20
Vanderbilt
117
21
Kentucky
61
22
Virginia Tech
60
23
Houston
44
24
North Carolina at Charlotte
33
T25
Auburn
20
T25
Baylor
20
Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi State (12); Florida State (11); Oregon State (6); Texas Tech (5); Furman (1); Oklahoma (1)
With the first half of the college season complete, the Golf Coaches Association of America has released its fall Arnold Palmer Cup ranking.
With the first half of the college season in the books, the Golf Coaches Association of America has released its fall Arnold Palmer Cup ranking. The top six men and top six women from the final ranking in the spring for both the United States and International(12 total players) will be among the 24 individuals selected to compete in the Arnold Palmer Cup. The 2020 matches will be played at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland on July 3-5.
The rankings are compiled using Golfstat’s NCAA Player Ranking as a base. Bonus points are awarded for wins and high finishes, while a player is penalized in the ranking for poor finishes. The ranking also contains a strength of schedule component.
The remaining six men’s and women’s spots for the United States will consist of five committee selections, including at least one non-Division I golfer and a coaches pick. The balance of the International team will include the men’s and women’s winners of The R&A Scholars Tournament, four committee selections and a coaches pick.
The next Arnold Palmer Cup Ranking will be announced Feb. 20, 2020.
At this point, we know little about how the USGA will react. A statement released after the NCAA’s vote did little to clarify the matter.
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Back in September, news out of California stirred up a college athletics debate across the country.
When California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that will make it easier for college athletes in the Golden State to profit from their name, image and likeness, it wasn’t simply a matter of opening the door for students to make some extra cash. The problem with the new law is that the concept has always been a big no-no for student-athletes under the NCAA umbrella.
Surely the NCAA and its army of legal representatives would never agree to this, right?
Wrong. The NCAA’s policy makers voted “unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.”
We all should be careful here because the NCAA release did not provide much detail. The NCAA used the word “benefit,” but what does that actually mean? It’s doubtful college athletes will be allowed to wear school uniforms or be linked to their school in any way when benefiting or profiting from their name, image or likeness.
The NCAA also announced these rule changes would be put in place no later than January 2021. That means we have a full year to learn more about how lenient the NCAA will be with this concept. There are other things to consider when talking about how a college golfer could benefit, too.
“It all hinges on how the USGA and R&A respond,” Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton said. “This name, image and likeness, I would expect, will jeopardize a collegiate golfer’s amateur status in their eyes. If they don’t change their definition of an amateur, then this is a moot point for college golf.”
Forward Press podcast: Host David Dusek and college golf insider Lance Ringler take a deep dive into the NCAA’s decision and what it could mean for the future of college golf.
The USGA and R&A have guidelines in place that go against what will soon be permissible by the NCAA. In other words, golf’s governing bodies likely would deem any player who benefits from the sport to no longer be an amateur. Those governing bodies do allow golfers to receive free equipment and such, but they certainly can’t be paid for endorsing those products – or anything else, for that matter – because of their relationship with the sport.
Will those rules apply to NCAA golf? Could a player be ineligible to compete in the Masters yet still be eligible to compete in the Western Intercollegiate?
“I guess you could see golfers choose to earn money on their name, image and likeness, while choosing to play collegiately from the months of September to June, then choose to not play the summer amateur circuit,” said Virginia coach Bowen Sargent. “But I think that would be for a select few athletes who stand to earn a substantial, life-changing amount of money.
“The other more likely or probable scenario would be a senior who might take advantage of the rule knowing he’s turning pro after NCAAs.”
At this point, we know little about how the USGA will react. A statement released Oct. 29 after the NCAA’s vote did little to clarify the matter.
“We have been reviewing these same issues for some time,” Thomas Pagel, the USGA senior managing director of governance, said in a statement. “It’s clear that this topic has the potential to impact many amateur sports, including golf. It will continue to be a primary area of discussion as we review the Rules to reflect the modern game, while still staying true to the spirit behind what it means to be an amateur golfer.”
It’s doubtful the USGA would change its view of an amateur golfer. But then again, I don’t think many people expected the NCAA to do what it did.
The question remains: What do student-athlete benefits look like in college golf?
Critics don’t see how this will dip down into a non-revenue sport like golf. Oh, but it could – maybe not to the tune of life-changing money, but certainly enough to pad a college kid’s bank account.
In fact, golf may be the one non-revenue sport in which this change could go a little deeper than most think. A lot of decision-makers play golf. A lot of boosters play golf. A lot of boosters who are prominent business owners play golf.
“I have known a lot of people or boosters who are not always looking for something in return, they are just looking to help our program provide for the student-athletes,” said New Mexico coach Glen Millican.
He’s not wrong. Every staff member in a college athletic department probably knows a booster who fits that description, and now those types of supporters can directly help student-athletes.
That person, for example, may own a local car dealership and want to have a Saturday afternoon fun day on the car lot. To drum up business, he or she pays a local college golfer to hit some chip shots on a green set up in the showroom. Or how about this: That dealer decides to give the player a car to drive around town for the year.
How about a player who is planning to play professionally holding a golf outing to raise money during his or her final year of college golf?
What about a local course paying female college golfers to attend the weekly Thursday night ladies’ clinic to give swing tips to boost attendance?
Today that’s a violation, but it probably wouldn’t be when the NCAA’s new rules kick in.
Think back to Matt Kuchar’s career at Georgia Tech or Ryan Moore’s time at UNLV. More recently, Oklahoma State’s Matthew Wolff is a great example. Each could have benefited nicely in his final year of college golf.
Where could this new rule have the most traction? For incoming athletes who have a significant following on social media accounts such as Instagram and Tik Tok, and thus a valuable reach. Just last year USC’s Muni He had north of 100,000 followers on Instagram and likely could demand a decent amount of money from a company wanting to reach that audience.
The single biggest concern with the NCAA’s new rules could be in relation to recruiting.
“That’s going to be one of the biggest challenges in coming up with real bylaws,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement.
At the end of the day, California’s new law and the NCAA’s subsequent discussions to explore compensation options for student-athletes certainly have created buzz. They also leave many unanswered questions and a year to get it figured out.
This story originally appeared in the October issue of Golfweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Methodist’s title didn’t come easy considering that some of the team’s chasers made a legitimate push on the back nine to catch them.
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There’s another layer to Methodist University’s golf programs. The Monarchs men’s and women’s teams, which compete on the NCAA Division III level, have won a total of 37 national titles. What might go overlooked is the strength of this school’s Professional Golf Management program.
This week, players on in that program teamed up to win the school’s first PGA Jones Cup title when they combined for a 25-over team score that left them 11 shots ahead of runners-up Penn State and Central Oklahoma.
Mississippi State and the event’s defending champion, Florida Gulf Coast, tied for fourth at 617. The 36-hole event was played on the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club.
“We haven’t always played well down here historically, yet we had a different feeling about this group,” said Bob Bruns, the Director of Methodist’s PGA Golf Management Program. “They’re fun to be around, but they’re also talented and experienced.”
Three of the players on Methodist’s Jones Cup squad had previously played for the varsity men’s team (Larkin Gross, Lucas Spahl and Anthony Panepento), which last captured the national title in 2018.
“We went to dinner last night with a bunch of our PGM guys that graduated before us that are working in Jupiter. Some had played on previous PGA Jones Cup teams and they let us know that this was important,” said Gross, who logged a team-best 2-under 142 total that earned him individual medalist honors. “So, it feels really good to be able to accomplish this. We made a difference (on behalf of the program), which is really cool.”
Methodist’s title didn’t come easy, especially considering that some of the team’s chasers made a legitimate push on the back nine to catch them.
“At one point on the back 9, (defending champion) Florida Gulf Coast was right there, Penn State was within four shots and Central Oklahoma was in the mix all day,” said Bruns. “Earlier this morning, Maryland-Eastern Shore actually tied us. So our job as coaches was to keep our squad calm and get them settled in. To see them respond as they did made this even more gratifying.”
The PGA Jones Cup is named for the first PGA Golf Management University Program Director at Mississippi State, Dr. S. Roland Jones, who held the position from 1985 until his passing in 1997.