June 3, 2003
BIRMINGHAM, ALA – Georgia Tech senior Troy Matteson has been named National Amateur of the Month for May by the Southern Golf Association following his runaway performance to win individual honors at the NCAA East Regional. The SGA stages the prestigious, 100-year-old Southern Amateur, scheduled next month at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.
Matteson, from Austin, Texas, virtually lapped an elite field with many of the nation’s top-ranked college golfers, taking medalist honors with his 15-under-par total in the 54-hole event. Matteson was seven strokes clear of the field after his closing 66 at the Auburn (AL) University Golf Club.
Matteson capped off his collegiate career later in the month by being named to the college coaches’ All-America team for the third time and winning the Byron Nelson Award for his combined athletic and academic achievements.
Although the SGA award was established as an individual reward, honorable mention for May went to the entire Clemson University team for winning the East Regional and NCAA Championship. It was an unprecedented decision by the selection panel. Clemson’s triumphs were truly team efforts. Although no Tiger could seriously challenge Matteson individually, three Clemson players finished in the top ten to push the Tigers to the East Regional title. A similar non-medalist group effort gave Coach Larry Penley his first NCAA championship a week later.
The monthly SGA award is determined by a blue-ribbon selection panel of national golf officials, golf journalists and college coaches. The award will be doled out March through October and is part of the SGA’s move toward a more national profile. This is the first year the Southern Am and the Southern Juniors were open to entries nationwide, resulting in a record number of applications prior to the late May deadline for both tournaments.
