FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 8, 2021) — A trio of golfers who won multiple starts last month have been named the finalists for The Ben Hogan Award’s October Golfer of the Month honor. The three golfers, all first-time honorees, are Nick Lyerly (UNCG), RJ Manke (Washington) and Herman Sekne (Purdue).
Lyerly, the Southern Conference Golfer of the Month, won consecutive tournaments in a seven-day period, taking the Wolfpack Intercollegiate and the Grandover Collegiate. At the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, he posted three under-par rounds to finish with a 10-under total of 206. The senior from Salisbury, N.C., then shot a 202 (-14) at the Grandover Collegiate en route to a two-stroke win. For the month, Lyerly carried a 68.00 scoring average over six rounds.
Manke, the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month, claimed medalist honors at both the Fighting Irish Classic and the Oregon State Invitational while leading Washington to a pair of team victories. The senior from Lakewood, Wash., fired a 12-under 198 (67-67-64) for a one-shot victory at the Fighting Irish Classic. He also tallied a 9-under 204 during his five-shot win at the OSU Invite. Manke logged a 67.00 stroke average across six rounds in October.
Sekne, a sophomore from Oslo, Norway, collected consecutive Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors thanks to wins at the Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate and the Purdue Fall Invitational. He earned a seven-shot triumph at his home tournament with an 11-under 205. At Rich Harvest Farms, his birdie at the last earned him a one-shot victory (205, -11) and gave the Boilermakers the team title by one. Over the two events, Sekne had a 68.33 scoring average.
The Ben Hogan Award’s monthly honor counts any college, amateur or professional event completed during the month. Fifteen total ballots are eligible to be cast, with 12 coming from members of the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation and Friends of Golf and three social media fan ballots. Those votes are issued to the top vote getter on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, with the contests open through Wednesday, Nov. 10 at noon (CT). The winner of the monthly award will be named following the close of voting.
The Ben Hogan Award is given annually to the top men’s college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions over the previous 12 months. The Ben Hogan Trophy was first issued by the Friends of Golf at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles in 1990. In 2002, The Ben Hogan Award moved to Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, and revised its criteria to its current standard of honoring the outstanding amateur and collegiate golfer.
–www.TheBenHoganAward.org–