FORT WORTH, Texas — The Ben Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced the three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award July Golfer of the Month honor are Jack Gnam of Ole Miss, Mac Meissner of SMU and Tyler Strafaci of Georgia Tech.
Gnam, a sophomore, was the 69th annual W.E. Cole Cotton States Invitational winner, taking the match play title after sharing stroke-play medalist honors. The product of Ridgeland, Miss., rallied to win match play on the 20th hole. Gnam earned the top seed after posting a 36-hole score of 138 (-6) in stroke play.
Meissner, a junior from San Antonio, Texas, claimed the Southern Amateur crown on the first playoff hole. He stormed to victory after firing a tournament-best 6-under-par 66 on the final day. He finished the event with a 7-under score of 281.
Strafaci, a senior from Davie, Fla., won back-to-back events during the month, claiming both the North & South Amateur and the Palmetto Amateur. He joined his grandfather, Frank, as winners at the North & South after recording a 3 & 1 win in the championship match. At the Palmetto Amateur, Strafaci shot a four-round 270 (-10) to win by one shot.
This is the first monthly honor awarded since the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled events in March. The monthly honor counts any college, amateur or professional event played and completed during the month. Winning a monthly award is not a prerequisite to be named a Ben Hogan Award semifinalist, finalist or winner.
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 Friday (Aug. 14) at noon (CT). The winner will be named at the conclusion of the voting period.
The Ben Hogan Award is awarded 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–
