The Ben Hogan Award is arguably the biggest individual award in collegiate golf. Given annually to the most outstanding amateur college golfer, the award is unique in that it considers the players collegiate, amateur and professional competitions during the previous 12-month period. And today, the Award Foundation listed its 10 semifinalist for the 2019 trophy.

They are : senior Will Gordon of Vanderbilt, Texas freshman Cole Hammer, junior Viktor Hovland of Oklahoma State, California senior Collin Morikawa, senior Bryson Nimmer of Clemson, Duke senior Alex Smalley, senior Justin Suh of Southern California, Oklahoma State sophomore Matthew Wolff, senior Brandon Wu of Stanford and Arizona State junior Chun An Yu.

All 10 players are currently ranked among the top 25 in each of the four major ranking systems—Golfstat NCAA Player Ranking, Golfweek/Sagarin Collegiate Individual Ranking, Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking and World Amateur Golf Ranking.

First given in 1990 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, the award was created by former Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon. “Harmon had won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Michigan and it was his dream to have a Heisman Trophy type award given to the top collegiate golfer in the nation,” said Dr. Bill Barnes, a chairman with the Ben Hogan Award Foundation. “So, he talked it over with Eddie Merrins, who is now the Pro Emeritus out at Bel- Air, and Eddie knew Ben Hogan. Mr. Hogan gave them his blessing to use his name.”

The award stayed at Bel-Air Country Club for the better part of a decade but never reached the heights that Tom Harmon had envisioned. Dr. Barnes, a member at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, decided to do something about that.

“I made some calls and then found myself out at Bel-Air Country Club with Eddie Merrins talking about this Ben Hogan Award of theirs that they had been giving out for maybe 10 years,” Barnes said. “They would identify the top amateur golfer in the nation and usually, their top golfer wouldn’t even show up for the award ceremonies. They were a little discouraged out there. So, we told them about the history of Colonial and how this was Ben Hogan’s backyard. They were very interested.”

And with that, a partnership between the Ben Hogan Award and Colonial Country Club was born. The award banquet ceremony is hosted by Colonial each year in May during the PGA Invitational event in Fort Worth. That certainly adds some excitement for the award’s finalists and gives them more reason to attend. The black tie banquet resembles the Heisman presentation, with three award finalists receiving invitations before one winner is ultimately selected.

Along with the award itself, the winner also receives the first invitation to play in the Colonial Tournament the following year. Additionally, a substantial amount of scholarship money is given out to the schools of the finalists. Last year, winner Doug Ghim earned $30,000 in golf scholarship funds for the University of Texas. Finalists Collin Morikawa of Cal and Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss earned their schools $17,500 apiece. In total, over $90,000 of collegiate golf scholarship money was raised by the Ben Hogan Award Foundation last year alone.

Doug Ghim, 2018 Ben Hogan Award Winner

Initially, the award included academic achievement in its original list of standards. Now, the selection committee works closely with the Golf Coaches of America Association (GCAA) and Friends of Golf (FOG) to select its award recipient. The GCAA watch-list usually begins with 20 to 30 total golfers and then that list is cut down to 10 semifinalists. Finally, on May 2nd, that list is whittled down to three finalists, who all receive an invitation to the award ceremony banquet in May.

“The GCAA contributes by identifying the years initial watch-list and then our selection committee is made up of representatives from the PGA, USGA, PGA Tour, Lance Barrow with CBS Sports, Golf Magazine writers…it’s a pretty good who’s who,” said Foundation Chairman Harold Muckelroy. “And one new change this year is that when we narrow it to the final three, all the past winners will have a vote on who is declared the award winner.” The GCAA provides statistics and tournament results to each member of the selection committee to use in casting their final vote.

“It is ultimately each voter’s responsibility to do as much homework as to satisfy their own personal criteria for selecting a winner,” said Hogan Award Foundation Chairman Clif Overcash. Past winners include 2018 Champion Doug Ghim, Maverick McNealy (2017), John Rahm (2015 & 2016), Patrick Cantlay (2012), and Rickie Fowler (2008).

Jon Rahm, 2015 & 2016 Hogan Award Winner and 2019 Banquet Keynote Speaker

The banquet at Colonial has also had a history of providing phenomenal special guest speakers. In the past, the event has had the privilege of hearing from Dan Jenkins, Lance Barrow, Peter Kostis, Bruce Lietzke, Corey Pavin, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Lehman, Jim Nantz, Lanny Wadkins, and Pat Summerall. This year’s guest speaker is Jon Rahm, the only two-time award winner and currently the number eight ranked player in the world.

For more information on the award or to see how you can give to the Ben Hogan Foundation, visit their website here.