FORT WORTH, Texas (Dec. 8, 2020) — The Ben Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced the three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award November Golfer of the Month honor. The trio of first-time honorees includes Ford Clegg (Mississippi State), Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (TCU) and Jackson Suber (Ole Miss).
Clegg shared first place at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate with a school-record-tying three-round total of 198 (-12). The sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., collected his second career collegiate victory by shooting rounds of 66-63-69. The field consisted of all 14 schools from the Southeastern Conference.
Fernandez de Oliveira claimed his first stateside victory with a triumph at the Azalea Invitational. The sophomore from Buenos Aires, Argentina, posted a 72-hole sum of 277 (-7) and won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. His rounds of 71-69-66-71 gave him the win against an 87-player field at the annual amateur event.
A sophomore from Tampa, Fla., Suber claimed co-medalist honors at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate with a 12-under 198 that included a final-round 66. His scorecards also included rounds of 67 and 65. Suber’s three-round total matched the Rebels’ all-time tournament record set by 2018 Ben Hogan Award finalist Braden Thornberry.
The monthly honor counts any college, amateur or professional event 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 Thursday (Dec. 10) at 9 p.m. (CT). The winner will be named on Friday.
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–
