FORT WORTH, Texas (May 24, 2010) – Fresh off a dominating NCAA regional performance, Washington can claim the nation’s player of the year, too.
Senior Nick Taylor was honored May 24 with the Ben Hogan Award, which recognizes college and amateur competition for the past 12 months. Taylor received the award at Colonial Country Club, site of this week’s PGA Tour event where the late Hogan called home.
Georgia junior Russell Henley and Alabama sophomore Bud Cauley were the other finalists.
Cauley, who earlier this year had planned to turn professional, told Golfweek that he will return to Tuscaloosa in the fall.
Taylor, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, is No. 3 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings and No. 6 in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Rankings. He was low amateur (T-36) at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, shooting a second-round 65 that tied the Open mark for low round by an amateur. Taylor also won last year’s Sahalee Players Championship and was medalist and runner-up at the U.S. Public Links.
Taylor recently was named the Pac-10’s co-Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive season. He finished in the top 10 in nine of 12 starts this year, with a 70.9 scoring average.
He and the Huskies, who won the NCAA West Regional by 29 shots, end their season next week at the NCAA Championship in Ooltewah, Tenn.
To view the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Rankings profiles of the three finalists, please click on the links below:
Nick Taylor - view profile>
Russell Henley - view profile>
Bud Cauley - view profile>