Oklahoma State's Preston Stout has been named the 2026 Mark H. McCormack Medal winner, the annual award from the USGA and The R&A that goes to the No. 1 player in the men's World Amateur Golf Ranking.
The medal carries two of the biggest prizes in amateur golf: exemptions into the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and The 155th Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Stout, 22, of Richardson, Texas, climbed to the top of the WAGR on the strength of a junior season in Stillwater that few college players have matched. He won five times individually, capped by the NCAA Division I individual title at Omni La Costa, and claimed his third straight Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes — making him the first three-time champion in conference history and tying Lindy Miller as the only Cowboys to win three league titles.
The hardware piled up accordingly: first-team PING All-America honors for a second straight year, first-team All-America from Golfweek, Big 12 Player of the Year, and finalist nods for the Nicklaus, Hogan and Haskins awards.
Stout also tested himself against the pros this summer, making two cuts in five professional starts, highlighted by a T-15 at the John Deere Classic in July. He made his major championship debut at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, opening with a 72 in difficult wind.
"Being named the McCormack Medal winner is a tremendous honor, and one I'll never take for granted," Stout said, crediting the people around him and adding that the award pushes him to keep raising his own bar.
Next up is a second consecutive Walker Cup appearance at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland, where Stout — one of the first four Americans named to the team — will look to build on a 2-2 record from the USA's 2025 win at Cypress Point that included a 2-and-1 singles victory over Luke Poulter, who returns for GB&I this year. After that, it's back to Oklahoma State for a senior season with Miller's program record of 11 career wins squarely in his sights.
Stout's résumé also includes a 2025 campaign that featured a Northeast Amateur title, stroke-play medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club and a run to the Round of 16, plus a spot on the USA squad at the World Amateur Team Championships in Singapore.
The announcement comes a week after Oregon's Kiara Romero earned the women's McCormack Medal for the second year running before turning professional. The medal is named for IMG founder Mark H. McCormack, a longtime champion of the amateur game.
