FORT WORTH, Texas (March 3, 2020) – The Ben Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced that three of the top 10 golfers in the World Amateur Golf Rankings – Florida’s Ricky Castillo, Florida State’s John Pak and Georgia’s Davis Thompson – have been selected as the finalists for the Ben Hogan Award February Golfer of the Month honor.
All three players are also members of the Ben Hogan Award watch list, which was announced two weeks ago. Castillo (August) and Pak (September) are the first golfers to be named as a monthly finalist multiple times since the honor began in August. Thompson is the second Bulldog to be tabbed, joining teammate Trent Phillips (November).
Castillo, a freshman, won both collegiate events he entered during the month for his first career college victories. Over his six rounds, he carried a 66.5 scoring average with a low round of 63. The native of Yorba Linda, Calif., started with a win at the Sea Best Invitational, shooting an 8-under par 202 over 54 holes. He followed that up with an eight-shot victory at the Florida Gators Invitational with a score of 197 (-13).
Pak, a junior from Scotch Plains, N.J., collected a pair of collegiate victories during February. Pak shot a 15-under score of 201 to claim the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate by six strokes. He then won his second straight tournament thanks to an 11-under score of 205 at the Seminole Intercollegiate. In addition, Pak finished with a share of 21st place at the Jones Cup Invitational (221, +5).
Thompson, a junior, started the month by earning a nine-shot victory at the prestigious Jones Cup Invitational amateur event. His three-round total of 203 (-13) established a new all-time tournament record. In addition, Thompson was the top amateur finisher at the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open, where he tied for 99th at 147 (+3). The Auburn, Ala., product also shared 32nd at the collegiate Puerto Rico Classic (216, E).
The February Golfer of the Month will be announced on Thursday. 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 Thursday at noon (CT).
In line with the yearly Ben Hogan Award, voters consider all college, amateur and professional event results. Winning a monthly award is not a prerequisite to be named a Ben Hogan Award semifinalist, finalist or winner. Past monthly winners include: Georgia Tech’s Andy Ogletree (August), Baylor’s Cooper Dossey (September), Rutgers’ Chris Gotterup and BYU’s Peter Kuest (October), Wake Forest’s Parker Gillam (November), Georgia Tech’s Noah Norton (December) and Pepperdine’s Sahith Theegala (January).
On Thursday, June 4, the Ben Hogan Award will be awarded 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–
