The Ben Hogan Award for College and Amateur Golf

The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually to the top male collegiate golfer in the United States, taking into account both college tournament results and other amateur tournaments, as determined by a selection committee. The award is presented by Colonial Country Club (in Fort Worth, Texas), in conjunction with the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and The Friends of Golf organization.

The idea for the award initiated with Tom Harmon, the 1940 Heisman Trophy winner who played a couple seasons in the NFL, then had a career in broadcasting.

The Hogan Award is distinguished from the Jack Nicklaus Award (another male college Player of the Year award) by virtue of its taking into account tournaments beyond just college events. Another way of thinking of the Ben Hogan Award is this: Is goes to the male amateur golfer of the year who plays college golf.

The Ben Hogan Award selection committee includes representatives from the USGA and R&A plus other golf organizations, important amateur tournaments, national and local media, as well as college coaches. Past winners of the award also get a vote during the final round only.

The winner is recognized during the PGA Tour event played annually at Colonial Country Club. The presentation comes during a banquet to which the three finalists for the award are invited.

(Note: There is another well-known Ben Hogan Award presented by the GWAA to golfers for perseverance in battling physical adversity.)

Winners of College Golf's Ben Hogan Award

2023 — Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
2022 — Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
2021 — John Pak, Florida State
2020 — Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine
2019 — Viktor Hovland, Oklahoma State
2018 — Doug Ghim, Texas
2017 — Maverick McNealy, Stanford
2016 — John Rahm, Arizona State
2015 — John Rahm, Arizona State
2014 — Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
2013 — Chris Williams, Washington
2012 — Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
2011 — Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State
2010 — Nick Taylor, Washington
2009 — Kyle Stanley, Clemson
2008 — Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
2007 — Chris Kirk, Georgia
2006 — Matt Every, Florida
2005 — Ryan Moore, Nevada-Las Vegas
2004 — Bill Haas, Wake Forest
2003 — Ricky Barnes, Arizona; and Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State
2002 — D.J. Trahan, Clemson
2001 — Wil Collins, New Mexico
2000 — Chris James, Oklahoma
1999 — Steve Friesen, Nebraska
1998 — Jamie Broce, Ball State
1997 — Jeff Fahrenbruch, Texas
1996 — Mark Wilson, North Carolina
1995 — Trip Kuehne, Oklahoma State
1994 — William Blackmon, Auburn
1993 — Marten Olander, Alabama
1992 — Jon Lindquist, Gustavus Adolphus
1991 — Brian Bridges, Kent State
1990 — Kevin Wentworth, Oklahoma State

A few more notes:

• Jon Rahm, in 2015-16, was the first golfer to win this Ben Hogan Award in back-to-back years. Ludvig Aberg became the second in 2022-23.
• When the award was launched, it recognized the male college golfer who exhibited excellence both on the course and in academics, with equal weight given to both. In 2001, the selection criteria was changed to what it is today, emphasizing outstanding tournament play both in college events and other tournaments. Nominees must still be in good standing academically, however.
• The time period considered during the selection process is roughly the 12 months from one May to the next, given that the PGA Tour Colonial tournament is typically played around May.
• The man the award is named after never attended college.
• For a golfer to be eligible, his college coach must be a dues-paying member of the GCAA, and be paid up on those dues.

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