The race for college golf's top individual honor is already taking shape. The Haskins Foundation has released the 2026-2027 Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel Preseason Watch List, naming 25 of Division I's premier players as early contenders for the award that annually recognizes the nation's top male collegiate golfer.
The Preseason Watch List is the first of several lists the foundation will release over the course of the season, each one a fresh snapshot rather than a running tally. A player does not need to appear on an earlier list to be named to a later one, so the field of contenders will continue to move as results come in through the fall and spring.
Florida leads the way with three honorees
No program is better represented than Florida, which placed three players on the list in Luke Poulter, Zack Swanwick and Jack Turner. Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter, headlines a Gators contingent that gives Florida the strongest single-team showing in the preseason.
Five other programs landed a pair of honorees apiece: Arizona State (Nguyen Anh Minh, Connor Williams), Auburn (Josiah Gilbert, Logan Reilly), North Carolina (Carson Bertagnole, Niall Sheils Donegan), Oklahoma State (Eric Lee, Preston Stout) and Texas Tech (Adam Bresnu, Tim Wiedemeyer). Florida State's Tyler Weaver gives the state of Florida a fourth player on the list.
Seven names carry over from last spring's list
Seven players return from the 2026 Spring Watch List, a sign of the staying power at the top of the college game: Adam Bresnu (Texas Tech), Ryder Cowan (Oklahoma), William Jennings (Alabama), Preston Stout (Oklahoma State), Harry Takis (San Diego State), Tim Wiedemeyer (Texas Tech) and Connor Williams (Arizona State).
A Walker Cup connection
The preseason list also intersects with the biggest week on the amateur calendar. Stanford's Jay Leng Jr., named to the watch list, is competing in this week's Walker Cup at Lahinch, underscoring how quickly this group's summer form is carrying into the college season.
Full 2026-2027 Fred Haskins Award Preseason Watch List
Listed alphabetically:
Kihei Akina, BYU
Nguyen Anh Minh, Arizona State
Daniel Bennett, Texas
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
Adam Bresnu, Texas Tech
Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Max Herendeen, Illinois
William Jennings, Alabama
Eric Lee, Oklahoma State
Jay Leng Jr., Stanford
Tyler Mawhinney, Vanderbilt
Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame
Luke Poulter, Florida
Logan Reilly, Auburn
Niall Sheils Donegan, North Carolina
Preston Stout, Oklahoma State
Zack Swanwick, Florida
Harry Takis, San Diego State
Jack Turner, Florida
William Walsh, Pepperdine
Tyler Watts, Tennessee
Tyler Weaver, Florida State
Tim Wiedemeyer, Texas Tech
Connor Williams, Arizona State
About the Fred Haskins Award
First presented in 1971, the Fred Haskins Award is given annually to the top male U.S. collegiate Division I golfer, as voted on by players, coaches, members of the college golf media and past Haskins Award winners. Past winners have gone on to capture 33 major championships and more than 400 professional titles worldwide. Named in honor of longtime Country Club of Columbus head professional Fred Haskins, the award is managed by the Columbus, Georgia-based Haskins Foundation and serves as the men's counterpart to the ANNIKA Award, which honors the top female Division I collegiate golfer.
The Watch List will be promoted across the foundation's channels at @thehaskinsaward, with additional coverage from Golfweek, Golf Channel and The Back of the Range. AmateurGolf.com will track the race through the fall and into the spring as the foundation narrows the field on its way to naming the 2026-2027 Fred Haskins Award winner.
