The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Golf senior Toni Hakula named to 2014 The Ben Hogan Award Watch List
02.05.2014 | Men's Golf
2013 British Am runner-up Toni Hakula is the fifth Longhorn since 2011 to appear on the annual watch list.
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Texas Men's Golf senior Toni Hakula has been named to the 2014 The Ben Hogan Award Watch List as announced today by the selection committee. The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually to the top men's performer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period.
Hakula, the 2013 British Am runner-up, has three Top 20 finishes out of his four events this season including a season-best tie for eighth place at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational. A key member of the 2012 NCAA Championship team, Hakula leads the Longhorns with a 72.00 stroke average entering the spring season. In December 2013, Hakula finished second at the Patriot All-America Invitational following a six-hole playoff.
Hakula's selection to The Ben Hogan Award Watch List marks the fourth straight year a Longhorn has made an appearance on the prestigious list. He follows the likes of former Texas All-Americans Brandon Stone (2013), Dylan Frittelli (2012), Jordan Spieth (2012) and Bobby Hudson (2011). Matthew Rosenfeld (2004-05) and Jason Hartwick (2002, '04) round out the seven members of the Texas Men's Golf team that have appeared on previous watch lists.
The 2014 The Ben Hogan Award Watch List includes: Hakula, Anders Albertson (Georgia Tech), Julien Brun (TCU), Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas), Corey Conners (Kent State), Ian Davis (Oklahoma State), Bryson Dechambeau (SMU), Thomas Detry (Illinois), Greg Eason (UCF), Joey Garber (Georgia), Oliver Goss (Tennessee), Gavin Green (New Mexico), Brandon Hagy (California), Chase Koepka (USF), Denny McCarthy (Virginia), Trey Mullinax (Alabama), Jordan Niebrugge (Oklahoma State), Cheng-Tsung Pan (Washington), Taylor Pendrith (Kent State), J.T. Poston (Western Carolina), Patrick Rodgers (Stanford), Ollie Schniederjans (Georgia Tech), Robby Shelton (Alabama), Bradley Shigezawa (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps), Joel Stalter (California), Scott Vincent (Virginia Tech), Michael Weaver (California), Cory Whitsett (Alabama), Cameron Wilson (Stanford) and Bobby Wyatt (Alabama).
A list of 10 semifinalists will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 16, and then will be narrowed down to three finalists on Wednesday, May 7. The winner will be crowned at a banquet at Colonial Country Club on Sunday, May 18, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
The award, which was first issued in 1990 and also included academic achievement in its original list of standards, revised its criteria for the 2001-02 collegiate season to its current standard of honoring the outstanding amateur collegiate golfer.
Since that time, the winners have been: D.J. Trahan (Clemson, 2002), Ricky Barnes (Arizona, 2003), Hunter Mahan (Oklahoma State, 2003), Bill Haas (Wake Forest, 2004), Ryan Moore (UNLV, 2005), Matt Every (Florida, 2006), Chris Kirk (Georgia, 2007), Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State, 2008), Kyle Stanley (Clemson, 2009), Nick Taylor (Washington, 2010), Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State, 2011), Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, 2012) and Chris Williams (Washington, 2013).