Ken Kong Named Semifinalist for Jack Nicklaus Award

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Sophomore Ken Kong was one of 30 semifinalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top player in NCAA Division III Men's Golf, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced today.

Kong earned the honor after being ranked in the top five in the nation in the GolfStat computer rankings this season, while picking up individual medalist honors at the final two regular season championships for the Stags, the West Cup and the second SCIAC regular season championship. He won SCIAC #2 by four strokes and then took the West Cup title by seven strokes, shooting two of the only three rounds under 70 over the three days. 

Two Stags have previously been bestowed with the Jack Nicklaus Award. Tain Lee earned it in 2010, while Brad Shizegawa captured it three years later in 2013, both after winning the individual NCAA Division III Championship. 

Division III finalists for the award will be named May 14 and Nicklaus Award recipients will be announced May 30, with the honor presented by Jack Nicklaus at a ceremony during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR's Barbasol Championship, held July 18-21, at the Champions at Keene Trace in Lexington, Ky. The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 1 at The Ohio State University Golf Club's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio - the same club where Jack Nicklaus played collegiate golf for the Buckeyes. 

Kong and the CMS men's golf team will continue their season at the NCAA Division III Championships next week in Nicholasville, Kentucky, with the opening round getting underway on Tuesday, May 14, with the fourth and final round on Friday, May 17.


Division III Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol Semifinalists
Andrew Abel, Illinois Wesleyan
Jacob Arnett, Oglethorpe
Matthew Christl, Southwestern (TX)
Henry Gee, Huntingdon
Josh Gibson, Hope
Sam Goldenring, Williams
Larkin Gross, Methodist
Emmet Herb, St. Thomas (MN)
Josh Hill, Guilford
Ben Johnson, Illinois Wesleyan
Ken Kong, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Colin Laszlo, Wittenberg
Jason Li, Carnegie Mellon
Drew Mathers, Huntingdon
James Mishoe, Guilford
Matt Organisak, Emory
Cade Osgood, Southwestern (TX)
Brian Peccie, Washington & Lee
Drew Pershing, Illinois Wesleyan
Will Rosenfield, Trinity (CT)
Logan Ryan, Emory
Stephen Shephard, Huntingdon
Dan Shepherd, Methodist
Luke Smith, Hardin-Simmons
Sutherland Stith, Southwestern (TX)
Colin Uecker, Texas Lutheran
Cameron Willis, Wittenberg
Rob Wuethrich, Illinois Wesleyan
Connor Yakubov, Emory
Eric Yiu, Emory