Aug. 7, 2002
ATLANTA — Four of Georgia Tech’s all-time great men’s golf performers, Stewart Cink, David Duval, Matt Kuchar and Bryce Molder were named as members of Atlantic Coast Conference’s 50th Anniversary team announced on Wednesday by the conference office in Greensboro, N.C. The league will be naming top-50 teams for each of its 25 sports as part of the conference’s golden anniversary celebration.
Heading the list of honorees is Molder, who ranks among the top performers in both school and conference history in any sport. Molder is one of only four players to earn first-team All-America honors four times (1998-2001) and was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2001, garnering the Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus, Golfweek and Dave Williams Collegiate Player of the Year Awards. He is the only player in ACC history to be named ACC Player of the Year three times (1999-2001) and was also a four-time All-ACC selection during his career. Molder finished his career at Tech as the NCAA’s all-time leading is career stroke average (70.69) and in 2001 he notched the lowest single-season stroke average ever by a collegiate golfer (69.43). He claimed the ACC’s individual title in 2000 with a score of 72-67-67-206 and helped lead Tech to a pair of ACC team titles during his career. Molder’s eight career wins are tied with David Duval for first on Tech’s all-time list. During his career, Molder was a member of two Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams (1999 & 2001) and was the World Amateur medalist in 2000. In 2001, he was named a recipient of the prestigious NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award as well as being named the Verizon Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.
Joining Molder on the list is Duval, who competed for the Yellow Jackets from 1990-93. One of only four players in history to be named a first-team All-American four times, Duval was the consensus National Player of the Year in 1993 as he captured the Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus and Dave Williams Collegiate Player of the Year Awards. Along with his success on the national stage, Duval is also one of the most decorated performers in the conference’s history as well. He earned All-ACC honors each of his four seasons at Tech and captured the individual ACC crown in both 1991 and 1993. For his efforts, Duval was named ACC Player of the Year in both 1992 and 1993. His eight career wins are tied for the all-time lead in school history and he hold’s Tech’s records for career top-10 (13) and top-20 (14) finishes. Since leaving Tech, Duval has found great success in the professional ranks, capturing the 2001 British Open and twice being selected to both the Ryder Cup (1999 & 2002) and the President’s Cup (1998 & 2000).
The third Yellow Jacket on the top-50 list is Stewart Cink, who starred for the Yellow Jackets from 1992-95. Cink was a three-time All-American in his career, earning first-team honors in 1995 and second-team accolades in both 1993 and 1994. He was the consensus National Player of the Year in 1995, garnering the Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus and Dave Williams Awards. Cink earned All-ACC honors three times in his career (1993-95) and was the conference’s player of the year as a senior in 1995. His five career wins rank fourth on Tech’s all-time list, while his career scoring average of 72.47 is the fifth-best all-time in school history. In the professional ranks, Cink has continued to be successful, as he has been named to both the Ryder Cup (2002) and President’s Cup (2000) teams.
The fourth member of the team from Georgia Tech is Matt Kuchar, who was a standout-performer for Tech from 1997-2000. A three-time All-American, Kuchar earned first-team honors in 1998 and 2000 and third-team recognition in 1997. In 1997, Kuchar captured the U.S. Amateur title and followed that performance by finishing as the low amateur at the 1998 Masters and then placing 14th at the 1998 U.S. Open. A four-time All-ACC selection and the ACC Player of the Year in 1998, he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1997, the first Yellow Jacket player to be so honored. Kuchar won the prestigious Fred Haskins Player of the Year Award in 1998 and was the recipient of the Dave Williams Award as a senior in 2000. In 1998, Kuchar became the third player in school history to capture the NCAA East Regional individual title and he was twice selected to both the Walker and Palmer Cup teams (1998 & 1999) along with the World Amateur Team in 1998. Kuchar’s 71.86 career stroke average still ranks third all-time at Tech.
