THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Christo Lamprecht, the world’s top-ranked amateur player, is one of 40 of the nation’s most accomplished collegiate golfers across all levels who have been named to the watch list for the 2023 Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank. The joint announcement was made Friday by the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
The Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank annually awards the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months.
In the last year, Lamprecht won The Amateur Championship and finished as the low amateur at The Open Championship, ascending to the top position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and earning exemptions into the fields of the upcoming Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open. He also represented his home country of South Africa in the Arnold Palmer Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship. The 6-foot-8 senior won two collegiate events in the fall, the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational and the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.
Christo Lamprecht won The Amateur Championship last summer and two collegiate events in the fall. (photo courtesy of the R&A)
The 2024 Ben Hogan Award watch list, as determined by the award’s subcommittee, includes J.M. Butler (Auburn), Cameron Cappuzzo (Methodist), Tiger Christensen (Arizona), Wenyi Ding (Arizona State), John Driscoll (Arkansas), Mats Ege (East Tennessee State), David Ford (North Carolina), Maxwell Ford (North Carolina), Gustav Frimodt (TCU), Nick Gabrelcik (North Florida), Gaspar Glaudas (Indian Hills CC), Alex Goff (Kentucky), Austin Greaser (North Carolina), Max Herendeen (Illinois), Petr Hruby (Washington), Ben James (Virginia), Johnny Keefer (Baylor), Algot Kleen (East Tennessee State), Jackson Koivun (Auburn), Michael La Sasso (Ole Miss), Christo Lamprecht (Georgia Tech), Hunter Logan (Mississippi State), Christiaan Maas (Texas), Dylan Menante (North Carolina), Maxwell Moldovan (Ohio State), William Moll (Vanderbilt), Omar Morales (UCLA), Sebastian Moss (Louisville), Sangha Park (UT Permian Basin), Luke Powell (UCLA), Matthew Riedel (Vanderbilt), Gordon Sargent (Vanderbilt), Herman Sekne (Purdue), Cole Sherwood (Vanderbilt), Neal Shipley (Ohio State), Preston Summerhays (Arizona State), Will Thompson (East Central CC), Michael Thorbjornsen (Stanford), Brendan Valdes (Auburn) and Jack Whaley (Dalton State).
The list includes 21 seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen. Sargent and Thorbjornsen were two of the three award finalists last year, while David Ford, Gabrelcik, Greaser and Lamprecht were semifinalists in 2023. Seven schools have multiple golfers on the watch list, led by North Carolina and Vanderbilt with four each. Auburn has three, while Arizona State, East Tennessee State, Ohio State and UCLA each have two members.
This year’s list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the watch list, will be unveiled Friday, April 19. That group will be pared down to three finalists on Thursday, May 2. The finalists will attend a black-tie dinner Monday, May 20, at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, where the winner will be crowned.
The Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank has honored the outstanding amateur collegiate golfer at Colonial Country Club since 2002. Prior to its move to Fort Worth, the original Ben Hogan Trophy, which was awarded based on a different list of criteria, was issued at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles beginning in 1990.
Recipients of the Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank have combined to accumulate 85 worldwide victories, including 64 PGA TOUR wins, and have amassed more than $395 million in prize money on the PGA TOUR. Additionally, the group has appeared in 17 Ryder Cups and a dozen Presidents Cups.
Past recipients are Ludvig Aberg (‘22, ‘23), Ricky Barnes (‘03), Patrick Cantlay (‘12), Matt Every (‘06), Rickie Fowler (‘08), Doug Ghim (‘18), Bill Haas (‘04), Viktor Hovland (‘19), Chris Kirk (‘07), Hunter Mahan (‘03), Maverick McNealy (‘17), Ryan Moore (‘05), John Pak (‘21), Jon Rahm (‘15, ‘16), Patrick Rodgers (‘14), Kyle Stanley (‘09), Nick Taylor (‘10), Sahith Theegala (‘20), D.J. Trahan (‘02), Peter Uihlein (‘11) and Chris Williams (‘13).
Since 2002, the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has awarded over $875,000 in scholarships to more than 30 universities. For more information on the Ben Hogan Award presented by PNC Bank, visit TheBenHoganAward.org and follow @BenHoganAward on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 29th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 72 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 33 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 (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
