Tag: Mark H. McCormack Medal

Luke Clanton wins Mark H. McCormack Medal as world’s top amateur, eyes PGA Tour card

Clanton earns spots in two majors thanks to the achievement.

To say it has been the summer of Luke Clanton may be an understatement.

Five made cuts in six PGA Tour events, three of those being top-10 finishes, the first amateur to do so since Jack Nicklaus in 1961. A runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. Three collegiate wins dating to the spring.

On Wednesday, Clanton was awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2024 World Amateur Golf Ranking.

“Winning the McCormack Medal is an honor I will cherish forever,” Clanton said in a release. “This award represents not just my efforts, but also the incredible family support I have. This will inspire me to keep pushing boundaries and to pursue my dreams with even greater determination. I’m proud to join the ranks of those who have achieved this distinction.”

Next summer, Clanton earned exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont and the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The American rose to the top of the men’s ranking after a Round of 64 victory at the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club last week. Over the summer, Clanton became the first amateur to record consecutive top 10s on the PGA Tour since 1958. A week after finishing T-10 in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, the Florida State first-team All-American finished runner-up in the John Deere Classic. He most recently recorded a solo fifth place finish at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

Clanton also made his U.S. Open debut at Pinehurst and became the first amateur in championship history to record consecutive rounds in the 60s with back-to-back 69s in the second and third rounds. He would finish T-41.

Luke Clanton hugs his caddie after finishing No. 18 during Round 3 of Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

During this past collegiate season at Florida State University, Clanton finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and fifth in the NCAA Stanford (Calif.) Regional, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Championship, where they fell to Auburn in the championship final. Clanton shared runner-up honors with five other golfers in the NCAA Division I Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort’s North Course, one stroke behind winner Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech. Clanton went 2-1 in match play, losing to Auburn’s JM Butler in the championship match, 2 and 1.

Now, Clanton turns his sights toward earning a PGA Tour card, which he could do before finishing his junior year.

Thanks to PGA Tour University Accelerated, players earn points based on their accomplishments in college, amateur and professional golf, and they will earn PGA Tour membership if they amass at least 20 points by the end of their third year of NCAA eligibility. Clanton is at 14 points, and there’s a good chance he gets to 20 by next spring.

He gets points for every made cut and top 10 in PGA Tour events. Three points are also up for grabs for every major college golf postseason award. For majors, he gets points for competing in them, making the cut and placing top 20.

It’s likely Clanton will get a few more Tour starts, and he’s guaranteed spots in two major championships. Dominate the college level this season, win some awards, and Clanton could join Gordon Sargent as players to earn a Tour card and making the jump after the NCAA Championship next May.

Lottie Woad wins Mark H. McCormack medal as world’s top female amateur

Woad is the first female winner of the McCormack Medal from England.

Lottie Woad, who’s set to begin her third season at Florida State this fall after representing the GB&I team at the Curtis Cup, has been named winner of the Mark H. McCormack medal, the United States Golf Association and R&A announced Wednesday.

The McCormack medal is given to the leading female player in the 2024 World Amateur Golf Ranking. Ingrid Lindblad won the award last year.

Woad is the first female winner of the McCormack Medal from England. She also receives exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills and next year’s AIG Women’s Open.

“I’m really happy to have won the McCormack Medal,” said Woad. “It rounds off a successful year for me and I’m honored to be named alongside the previous recipients of the medal.

“It was always a goal of mine to reach number one and become the world’s leading amateur golfer. It’s taken a while to get there but it’s nice to see all the hard work pay off and achieve this milestone.”

Earlier this year, the 20-year-old became the first European golfer to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in dramatic fashion after going birdie-birdie over the final two holes to clip USC’s Bailey Shoemaker by one shot.

She has amassed three victories in her collegiate career, including last fall at the Annika Intercollegiate. Woad has also recorded three second-place finishes, including the 2024 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.

Gordon Sargent wins Mark H. McCormack Medal as world’s best male amateur golfer

Golf fans will get a few more chances to see the rising star next season on the game’s biggest stages.

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Golf fans will get a few more chances to see rising star Gordon Sargent next season on the game’s biggest stages.

The 20-year-old junior at Vanderbilt was announced as the winner of the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading male in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking. The honor earns Sargent exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst and the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.

“It’s really special to have won the McCormack Medal, especially when you see the names of the golfers who have won it before, and everything that comes along with it, including the major exemptions,” said Sargent in a statement. “This achievement definitely means a lot to me. It’s a goal that I’ve had set for a while, and it gives me a lot of confidence now that I’ve achieved it. I’m really honored to be receiving the medal.”

Sargent became the first amateur since Aaron Baddeley in 2000 to accept a special invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament, doing so last April. He then finished as the low amateur (T-39) at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June. The native of Birmingham, Alabama, will represent the United States in both the Walker Cup next week and the World Amateur Team Championship in October.

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Ingrid Lindblad wins Mark H. McCormack medal as world’s top female amateur

Lindblad becomes the first golfer, male or female, from Sweden to win the McCormack Medal. 

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Ingrid Lindblad, who’s set to begin her fifth season at LSU this fall, has been named winner of the Mark H. McCormack medal, the United States Golf Association and R&A announced Wednesday.

The McCormack medal is given to the leading female player in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking. Rose Zhang won the past three McCormack medals.

Lindblad receives exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania as well as the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews.  

“It’s an honor to receive this medal,” Lindblad said in a release. “Looking back at past recipients, it’s amazing to see what they have accomplished and to join them on this list. I am honored to have received this award and I believe it’s a receipt of all the hard work I’ve put into this game” 

Lindblad has had a stellar college career, winning 11 times for LSU, including the 2022 SEC individual championship, as well as two SEC Player of the Year honors. In that time, she has earned 33 top-10 finishes and is a four-time All-SEC team selection. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020. She’s a four-time Golfweek first-team All-American.

In addition, Lindblad has shined on the international stage. She won the 2021 European Ladies Amateur Championship and earned low-amateur honors at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open with a T-11 finish that included a first-round 65, setting the all-time amateur scoring record for the championship. She won the World Amateur Team Championship with Sweden in 2022, earned a runner-up finish at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and a runner-up finish at the 2023 European Ladies Amateur. She has competed in six major championships, making the cut in two.  

With the award, Lindblad becomes the first golfer, male or female, from Sweden to win the McCormack Medal. 

The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded the sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf. 

Rose Zhang breaks Leona Maguire’s record for most time ranked No. 1 in World Amateur Golf Ranking

Zhang has spent 136 weeks as the world’s leading female amateur golfer.

What can’t Rose Zhang do?

She has won just nearly every prestigious tournament an amateur can. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which she captured earlier this month. The U.S. Girls’ Junior. The U.S. Women’s Amateur. The NCAA individual title.

And Wednesday, she gets to tack yet another accomplishment to her resume: most weeks as the No. 1 golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Zhang has spent 136 weeks as the world’s leading female amateur golfer, surpassing the total of 135 weeks that Leona Maguire set in 2018. The record for male amateur golfers is 87 weeks, held by Keita Nakajima of Japan.

The sophomore at Stanford ascended to the No. 1 position in WAGR in September 2020. She also bested Lydia Ko’s record of 130 consecutive weeks by remaining at the top ever since.

“It’s an unbelievable honor and a testament to a lot of hard work not just by me but by my team as well,” Zhang said in a release. “Passing names like Lydia and Leona on any list is incredible; they’ve both gone on to have such impressive professional careers and are great role models in golf. I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received and look forward to continuing to pursue my dreams in this game.”

Zhang is a three-time winner of the Mark H. McCormack Medal, coming in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as the world’s leading women’s amateur golfer. Only  Maguire and Ko have won the award three times previously.

“I want to congratulate Rose on this amazing achievement,” Maguire said in a release. “It takes so much hard work and determination to become the world’s number one amateur golfer and to consistently hold that position for a record-breaking number of weeks shows just how good a golfer Rose really is. She is a future star of the game.”

On Tuesday at the Pac-12 Championships at Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, she broke the 36-hole scoring record. Entering the final round, she is at 9 under with a four-shot lead. If Zhang were to hold on to win, it would be her 10th victory, setting a new Stanford record for wins by a women’s golfer in a career. Zhang is currently tied with Andrea Lee at nine.

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Keita Nakajima makes amateur golf history as first male two-time winner of the Mark H. McCormack Medal

Nakajima has held the No. 1 amateur ranking for a record 83 weeks.

Keita Nakajima has made amateur golf history.

The 22-year-old from Japan is the first male player to be awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal twice as the world’s top men’s amateur golfer and has held the No. 1 ranking for a record 83 weeks. Nakajima and 2020 winner Takumi Kanaya are the only Japanese players to be awarded the medal.

“It is a great honor to receive the McCormack Medal again,” said Nakajima via a release. “The excitement I felt when I saw the medal in Dubai last year is still fresh in my memory. Seeing it again in Paris (at the World Amateur Team Championship) will be really wonderful.

“I appreciate the opportunities I have been given thanks to the medal. I hope I have created a pathway for not only Japanese players but all Asia-Pacific players to pursue the dream they have.”

Established in 2007, the McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Open and 2023 British Open.

“On behalf of the USGA, I would like to extend our congratulations to Keita for earning the prestigious McCormack Medal,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer for the USGA. “He is creating history with his second award and has played unbelievable golf over the past two years. Nakajima has an impeccable record on a worldwide level and all of us at the USGA look forward to watching him excel as his career continues.”

Previous recipients

2021 – Keita Nakajima (JPN)

2020 – Takumi Kanaya (JPN)

2019 – Cole Hammer (USA)

2018 – Braden Thornberry (USA)

2017 – Joaquin Niemann (CHI)

2016 – Maverick McNealy (USA)

2015 – Jon Rahm (ESP)

2014 – Oliver Schniederjans (USA)

2013 – Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG)

2012 – Chris Williams (USA)

2011 – Patrick Cantlay (USA)

2010 – Peter Uihlein (USA)

2009 – Nick Taylor (CAN)

2008 – Danny Lee (NZL)

2007 – Colt Knost (USA)

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Stanford’s Rose Zhang wins Mark H. McCormack medal as world’s best female amateur golfer for third consecutive year

Rose Zhang’s decorated amateur career reached another milestone on Wednesday.

What do Rose Zhang, Leona Maguire and Lydia Ko have in common? The trio are all three-time Mark H. McCormack Medal winners.

Zhang, a rising sophomore at Stanford, won the McCormack Medal as the world’s best female amateur golfer for the third consecutive year, it was announced Wednesday. The award is given annually by the USGA and R&A to the top-ranked female player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Zhang has spent 101 consecutive week at No. 1 and is approaching Ko (130 weeks) and Maguire (135 weeks) on the all-time list.

“My amateur career continues to be incredibly rewarding and humbling,” said Zhang. “To be named the McCormack Medal recipient for the third time is a testament to the work I’ve put in and the support of those around me. This caps an incredible year and motivates me even further for the season ahead.”

As a freshman last year at Stanford, Zhang won the NCAA individual title by three shots and was named the winner of the 2022 ANNIKA Award, given annually to the player of the year in women’s college golf.

“Rose continues to do things in the amateur game we haven’t seen in quite some time,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s Chief Championships Officer. “Her talent on the course is unmatched, but more importantly, the role model she is for the younger generation and the way she represents the game is admirable and inspiring. All of us at the USGA congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing what’s next for her.”

“Rose has performed to a an extremely high level over the last three years and consistently demonstrated just how talented she is as a golfer. I congratulate Rose on the remarkable achievement of winning the McCormack Medal for the third consecutive year,” added the R&A’s Chief Technology Officer, Professor Steve Otto. “She has made a substantial contribution to amateur golf around the world and thoroughly deserves this recognition. We look forward to seeing her success continue.”

Previous recipients

2022 – Rose Zhang (USA)

2021 – Rose Zhang (USA)

2020 – Rose Zhang (USA)

2019 – Andrea Lee (USA)

2018 – Jennifer Kupcho (USA)

2017 – Leona Maguire (IRE)

2016 – Leona Maguire (IRE)

2015 – Leona Maguire (IRE)

2014- Minjee Lee (AUS),

2013 – Lydia Ko (NZL)

2012 – Lydia Ko (NZL)

2011 – Lydia Ko (NZL)

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Keita Nakajima becomes second consecutive Japanese golfer to win Mark H. McCormack Medal as world’s top male amateur

For the second consecutive year, the top honors in amateur golf go to Japan.

For the second consecutive year, the top honor in amateur golf goes to Japan. Keita Nakajima, the 21-year-old winner of this summer’s Japan Amateur, has been awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Nakajima has spent the past 17 weeks (and 30 total weeks since November 2020) atop the ranking. A year ago, compatriot Takumi Kanaya, who has since turned professional, earned the honor.

Nakajima has made a series of appearances in Japan Golf Tour Professional events over the past year in addition to top-20 finishes in the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup and Japan Open Championship. He was runner-up at the 2018 Asia-Pacific Amateur.

“I am so excited and happy to have won the 2021 Mark H McCormack Medal,” said Nakajima. “Heading into university, my goal was to be the number one player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. I want to give many thanks for the support of my family, university, national team coaches and teammates. Without them, I could not have achieved this. I am also very proud and honoured to be awarded the medal following Takumi Kanaya.

“My next goal is to demonstrate my abilities on the world stage with confidence and hopefully follow in the footsteps of my fellow Japanese players including Hideki Matsuyama, Nasa Hataoka, Takumi Kanaya, and Yuka Saso.

“Thank you again to everyone who has supported me and to The R&A and USGA for their work in promoting amateur golf around the world. Arigato!”

Nakajima teed it up at the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pennsylvania) Country Club last week but missed the cut to math play.

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Rose Zhang is the Mark H. McCormack medal winner for the second consecutive year

Reigning U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Rose Zhang has amassed her latest accolade and has joined an elite club in doing so.

Rose Zhang has amassed her latest accolade and has joined an elite club in doing so. The 18-year-old has been named the Mark H. McCormack Medal winner for the second consecutive year. The award is given annually by the USGA and R&A to the top-ranked female player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Zhang is only the third player to win multiple McCormack medals, joining Lydia Ko (2011-13), of New Zealand, and Leona Maguire (2015-17), of the Republic of Ireland.

Last month, Zhang added another USGA honor to her collection when she won the U.S. Girls’ Junior. It was a tall task coming in as the favorite. Last week, she bowed out in the first round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she was the defending champion.

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Since first receiving the McCormack Medal in October 2020, Zhang has competed in three LPGA majors, making the cut in the Amundi Evian Championship last month. She missed the cut in the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Women’s Open after tying for 11th in the ANA Inspiration last fall.

She has spent 47 straight weeks as the No. 1 player in the world, and her schedule doesn’t get any lighter from here. Zhang is set to play next week’s AIG Women’s British Open and represent the U.S. in the Curtis Cup at the end of the month. She will be a freshman at Stanford this fall.

“To receive any award with the USGA and The R&A’s names on it is incredible, so to have it happen a second time is both rewarding and humbling,” Zhang said. “The work I’ve put into my game over the past few years has truly been paying off, and I am so grateful to all who have supported me along the way. I look forward to continuing to reach new heights as I take my game to the collegiate level.”

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