Aug. 28, 2014
St. Andrews, Scotland – Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the No. 1-ranked player in the 2014 World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The 21-year-old from Powder Springs, Ga. has enjoyed an excellent season, amassing five wins in his third year in college golf, including the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The Yellow Jacket senior also finished second in the NCAA Championship and NCAA Raleigh Regional.
Schniederjans reached the third round of the recent U.S. Amateur Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club and was selected for the American Palmer Cup team which faced Europe at Walton Heath in June. Although Europe triumphed by 18 ½ to 11 ½, Schniederjans was his team’s highest points scorer winning three points from a possible four.
As well as a successful season on the college and amateur circuits, Schniederjans has performed well in several professional events. He received an exemption into the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen, where he finished tied for 41st, and played in the Air Capital Classic presented by Aetna on the Web.com Tour, where he finished tied fifth.
He earns exemptions into the 2015 U.S. Open and Open Championship as long as he retains his amateur status.
“I’m very excited about this accomplishment,” he said. “It is something I believed I could achieve. I have gotten better every year since I got to college and hope to continue that in future. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without all the support I have received and all the opportunities I have had to practice and to be able to play good tournaments.
“I know all about the players who have won the McCormack Medal and know my name will always be remembered alongside them. It is going to be really cool to be known as a great amateur before I go on to play professionally.”
The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) award is named after Mark H McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
John Bodenhamer, USGA Senior Managing Director, Rules, Competitions & Amateur Status, said, “We extend our congratulations to Oliver for this tremendous honor. From the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Championships to multiple professional events, he has proven to be a remarkable competitor at many levels, and this award is greatly deserved.”
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “Oliver deserves tremendous credit for the way he has performed this year. He has shown that he can maintain high standards of performance throughout the season and adapt his game to playing in events on links and heathland courses in the UK. It is a great achievement to lead the ranking and he is the latest in a line of very good players to win the medal.”
The World Amateur Golf RankingTM, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The Men’s ranking encompasses more than 2,700 counting events, ranking more than 6,100 players representing 101 countries worldwide. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of more than 1,400 counting events with over 3,000 ranked players representing 74 countries worldwide.
Previous Winners
Men’s: 2014 Ollie 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). Women’s: 2014 Minjee Lee (AUS), 2013, 2012, 2011 Lydia Ko (NZL).
About Georgia Tech Golf
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 20th year under head coach Bruce Heppler. The Yellow Jackets have won 15 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 27 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up four times. Connect with Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GT_Golf). For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
