NORMAN, Okla. – The GCAA, in cooperation with the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, announced that Illinois senior golfer Ryan Voois is one of three finalists for the 2026 Byron Nelson Award, given annually to collegiate golf's outstanding scholar-athlete of the year. The winner will be announced on June 15 and receive an exemption to play in the PGA TOUR's THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in 2027 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.
Voois is joined on the elite list by SMU's Will Sides and Georgia Tech's Hiroshi Tai. Last year, Voois' former teammate Jackson Buchanan became the first Byron Nelson Award recipient in the history of the Fighting Illini program.
Voois graduated last week with a Bachelor of Science in finance and a 3.98 GPA from Illinois' renowned Gies College of Businsess. The Ladera Ranch, Calif., native completed his collegiate career at the NCAA Athens Regional on Wednesday, finishing T28. Voois led the Fighting Illini this season in stroke average (70.31), spring scoring average (70.29), average team finish (2.4), and tied for the team lead in top-10 finishes (five). The 70.31 is fourth-best in single-season program history. He finished inside the top 20 eight times in 2025-26, including a victory at the Hal Williams Collegiate on February 17. Voois shot a 15-under 195 (66-63-66) that included a career-low 63 (-7) during the second round and was the second-best 54-hole tournament score in program history, one stroke behind 2025 Byron Nelson Award recipient Jackson Buchanan. Improving his scoring average each season and finishing with the fourth-lowest career scoring average in program history (71.49), Voois is a two-time PING Midwest Region honoree and was a 2024 PING Honorable Mention All-American.
A two-time Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar, Voois is involved immensely in the community. He has served at the Eastern Illinois Foodbank all four years he's been in Champaign, packing freezer boxes, sorting and organizing food, packing boxes to be shipped, and loading and unloading distribution trucks. He has volunteered all four years with the Illinois DIA Holiday Cards for Kids, writing cards that go to kids in hospitals, and families in need. Voois has volunteered this year with Cookies and Cards for Nurses and Strides Shelter, teaming up with other student-athletes to deliver cookies and cards made for the nurses at Carle Hospital and packing daily necessities for residents at the shelter. Volunteering with the I Read I Count program organized by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce for three years, Voois has helped one elementary school student who is behind in reading or math for one hour at a time catch up by teaching developmental reading or math skills. With the DREAAM Love of Sports Shootout each of the last two years, Voois has talked to classes about the value of education and the power of sports, refereed a basketball game, and helped organize a basketball practice. Voois also spent two years with the International Prep Academy in Champaign as a Spanish tutor while also volunteering at Field Day and "La Caminata", a walkathon-type event at which the school raises money through donations and pledges for student actives and school programs. With the Tinervin Family Foundation from 2022-24, Voois sorted and packed 500 boxes containing non-perishable food items and loaded them onto delivery trucks. Voois has also volunteered during the University of Illinois' Campus Walk for Suicide Awareness, gathering signs, food, and spirit to heighten suicide awareness while walking around the university's campus.
Before enrolling at Illinois, Voois was a junior coach for First Tee – Orange County. He was a student in the program and thoroughly enjoyed giving back and making an impact on kids' lives by volunteering as a coach and educator.
About the Byron Nelson Award
Awarded annually since 2002, the purpose of the Byron Nelson Award is to select the outstanding Division I, II, III, or NAIA scholar-athlete of the year. The recipient, a graduating senior, is recognized for their achievement in the classroom, on the course, and in their community. Past winners include Jackson Buchanan (Illinois), Christo Lamprecht (Georgia Tech), David Nyfjäll (Northwestern), William Knauth (Carnegie Mellon), McClure Meissner (SMU), John Murphy (Louisville), Ryan Lumsden (Northwestern), Matthew Perrine (Baylor), Maverick McNealy (Stanford), Stephen Behr (Clemson), Anders Albertson (Georgia Tech), Brandon Hagy (Cal), Brinson Paolini (Duke), Dylan Frittelli (Texas), Cyril Bouniol (Abilene Christian), Brendan Gielow (Wake Forest), James White (Georgia Tech), Mike Van Sickle (Marquette), Nathaniel James (Washington & Lee), Sam Korbe (Tulsa), Roberto Castro (Georgia Tech), Zack Robinson (Oklahoma State), Michael Putnam (Pepperdine), Billy Hurley (Navy), Troy Matteson (Georgia Tech), and Jason Allred (Pepperdine).
