Haskins Award: Preseason watch list for 2022-23 season
The bad news? School is back in session for student-athletes across the country. The good news? College golf is officially back, as well.
After a busy summer amateur schedule, it’s time to focus back in on the college game. What better way to celebrate than with preseason award watch lists?
The Haskins Award honors the player of the year in college men’s 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
Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
Finalist last year for the award despite a rough fall season. Aberg bounced back in the spring to win at the Prestige and Big 12 Championship. Earned three straight top-five finishes at the Valspar Collegiate (T-3) and Cabo Collegiate (T-5) and Aggie Invitational (2). Won the Ben Hogan Award last year and was a first team All-American.
Sam Bennett, Texas A&M
The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion will have even more swagger on his side for his final season this year. Won the Louisiana Classics and had six top-five finishes in nine starts last year and is always in the mix for the Aggies.
Fred Biondi, Florida
The fifth year is back after a strong season last year that featured a pair of wins at the Gator Invitational and Calusa Cup and two more runner-up finishes. Currently first in the PGA Tour University preseason rankings.
Michael Brennan, Wake Forest
Was on the watch list after a strong season last year that featured consecutive wins at the Old Town Club Collegiate and Colonial Collegiate, then earned a PGA Tour start at the Genesis Invitational after winning the Genesis Collegiate Showcase. Finished as a second team All-American.
Ben Carr, Georgia Southern
The runner up at the 2022 U.S. Amateur is primed for a big year at Georgia Southern. Carr was an honorable mention All-American and first team All-Sun Belt player after top eight finishes in nine 12 starts.
Ricky Castillo, Florida
A second team All-SEC selection, Castillo featured in the Gator lineup in all 12 tournaments for the third straight season and led Florida in under par rounds (16), birdies (114), eagles (5) top-5 finishes (4) and top-10 finishes (5).
Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Illinois
Dumont de Chassart is looking to win the Big Ten Golfer of the Year award for a third consecutive year and is coming off a strong season that earned him second team All-American honors. Led the conference in stroke average and finished the season with a program-record mark of 70.08 thanks to seven top 10 finishes in 12 starts.
Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Arkansas
Was runner up at the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship and a third team All-American thanks to six top 10 finishes.
David Ford, North Carolina
Was a second-team All-American and ACC Freshman of the Year last season for the Tar Heels and tied for fifth at the NCAA Championship. Expect an ever bigger step forward this season.
Nick Gabrelcik, North Florida
Second team All-American earned three wins at the Sea Best Invitational, The Hayt and ASUN Championship to highlight nine finishes in the top 10.
Austin Greaser, North Carolina
U.S. Amateur runner up in 2021 and had a strong season last year with two wins at Olympia Fields and the NCAA Yale Regional and five top 10 finishes. Won the 2022 Western Amateur.
Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech
At 6-foot-8, the big man has even bigger game. Lamprecht was a third team All-American and All-ACC selection last season thanks to six top-10 finishes in 12 events.
Bryce Lewis, Tennessee
For the second consecutive season Bryce Lewis earned three top 10 and six top 25 finishes and was second team All-SEC. Won the 2022 Sunnehanna Amateur.
Dylan Menante, North Carolina
Big time player transfers to North Carolina where he’ll look to win national championships on both the east and west coasts after his success with Pepperdine in 2021. Two-time All-American and WCC Player of the Year. Defended his title at the Northeast Amateur.
William Mouw, Pepperdine
Looking to become a four-time All-American in 2022-23. Was All-WCC first team and earned six top-10 finishes last season and will be a leader on a Pepperdine squad now short on experience.
Gordon Sargent, Vanderbilt
The SEC Freshman of the Year ended his spring with a win at the Mossy Oak Collegiate, a runner-up at the SEC Championship, a T-4 at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional and a win at the national championship. He’s a top favorite to win the award this season.
Cole Sherwood, Vanderbilt
Sargent’s teammate isn’t living in the shadow. Sherwood was a finalist for the Haskins Award last season and won both the Mason Rudolph Championship and Cabo Collegiate, where his 61 set a program 18-hole record. Finished top five at the Prestige (4) and Linger Longer Invitational (T-4) and was named first team All-SEC.
Brian Stark, Oklahoma State
It’s Stark’s time to shine in Stillwater. The senior was a third-team All-American last season and All-Big 12 selection, as well, thanks to four top-10 finishes.
Preston Summerhays, Arizona State
Was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and capped his season with a stellar 7-and-5 drubbing of last year’s Haskins winner, Oklahoma senior Chris Gotterup, in the quarterfinals. Earned eight top-10 finishes in 13 tournaments and should have a big season with a legitimate shot at the national championship as Grayhawk Golf Club in Phoenix hosts for the final year.
Caleb Surratt, Tennessee
The freshman finished runner-up at the 2022 U.S. Junior this summer and is currently ranked 22nd in the world before ever hitting a shot in college golf.
Michael Thorbjornsen, Stanford
Expect Thor to have a big season for Stanford. As a sophomore last season he was an honorable mention All-American and first team All-Pac-12 selection thanks to a consistent season with six top-10 finishes. After a strong summer the featured a top 10 at the Western Amateur and an impressive fourth-place finish at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, the junior will have some confidence this fall.
Hugo Townsend, Ole Miss
Townsend transfers to Ole Miss after a four-year career at Boise State where he was named Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Year in 2021. The Swede finished inside the top 20 in all five of the fall events last season for Boise State, including a second place finish at the Oregon State Invitational and third place showing at the Little Rock Invitational and was a co-medalist this summer at the 2022 U.S. Amateur.
Travis Vick, Texas
With the Brothers Coody and Cole Hammer gone, it’s on Vick to help Texas defend its title this season. The senior is as good as it gets, as seen with his six top 10 finishes that included a runner-up finish at the NCAA Norman Regional.
Patrick Welch, Oklahoma
Head coach Ryan Hybl is going to have to rely on Welch this season. The senior was an honorable mention All-American last year and an All-Big 12 team member after winning at the East Lake Cup. He’ll need to improve on just six top-20 finishes if the Sooners are going to be title contenders once again this season.
Jiri Zuska, Louisville
Zuska finished inside the top 10 four times in 12 starts last season and then had a strong summer with a fourth place finish at the Sunnehanna Amateur, runner up at the Southern Amateur and sixth place finish at the Pacific Coast Amateur. Those summer performances earned him some unique playing opportunities.