Ben Hogan Award Website

Fort Worth, Texas - Three Fighting Illini men's golfers have been named to the 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List, as announced today (Feb. 10) by Colonial Country Club, the Friends of Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America. Seniors Charlie Danielson and Thomas Detry and sophomore Nick Hardy are among the 25 collegiate golfers named to the watch list for the prestigious award. Detry has appeared on the Ben Hogan Award Watch List for three consecutive seasons, while it is the second appearance for Danielson and the first for Hardy. 

Illinois boasts the most honorees on the watch list from an individual school, and it's the seventh consecutive season that Illinois has had one or more golfers named on the watch list. That is the third-longest active behind only Stanford (11 years) and Alabama (nine years).

The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award is issued annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period. The Ben Hogan Award Selection Committee, which votes during each stage of the process, is comprised of leaders in professional, amateur and collegiate golf.

A list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the current list, will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 13. On Tuesday, May 3, that group will be pared down to three finalists. The three finalists will attend a black-tie banquet at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday, May 23, prior to the start of the PGA Tour's Colonial National Invitation Tournament, where the winner will be crowned.

2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List Candidates

Dawson Armstrong – Lipscomb, So., Brentwood, Tenn.

Derek Bard – Virginia, Jr., New Hartford, N.Y.

Sean Crocker – Southern California, So., Westlake Village, Calif.

Charlie Danielson – Illinois, Sr., Osceola, Wis.

Thomas Detry – Illinois, Sr., Brussels, Belgium

Jonathan Garrick – UCLA, Sr., Atherton, Calif.

Nick Hardy – Illinois, So., Northbrook, Ill.

Rico Hoey – Southern California, Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Sam Horsfield, Florida, Fr., Davenport, Fla.

Beau Hossler – Texas, Jr., Mission Viejo, Calif.

Michael Johnson – Auburn, Sr., Birmingham, Ala.

Hank Lebioda – Florida State, Sr., Winter Springs, Fla.

Lee McCoy – Georgia, Sr., Clarkesville, Ga.

Maverick McNealy – Stanford, Jr., Portola Valley, Calif.

Matthew NeSmith – South Carolina, Sr., North Augusta, S.C.

Jordan Niebrugge – Oklahoma State, Sr., Mequon, Wis.

Corey Pereira – Washington, Jr., Cameron Park, Calif.

Jon Rahm – Arizona State, Sr., Barrika, Spain

Antoine Rozner – UMKC, Sr., Paris, France

Matthias Schwab – Vanderbilt, Jr., Rohrmoos, Austria

Robby Shelton – Alabama, Jr., Wilmer, Ala.

Aaron Wise – Oregon, So., Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Adam Wood – Duke, So., Zionsville, Ind.

Cameron Young – Wake Forest, Fr., Scarborough, N.Y.

Will Zalatoris – Wake Forest, So., Plano, Texas