FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 6, 2021) — The Ben Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced the three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award December Golfer of the Month honor. The trio of honorees are all ranked among the world’s top 30 in the Scratch Players World Amateur Rankings in No. 6 Cole Hammer (Texas), No. 17 Will Holcomb (Sam Houston State) and No. 29 Graysen Huff (Auburn).
Hammer claimed the 2020 South Beach International Amateur by five strokes with a 72-hole total of 267 (-17). Hammer shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s, including a third-round 62. The junior from Houston, Texas, also reached the match play field of 64 at the Maridoe Amateur after tying for 46th in stroke play with a 54-hole total of 233 (+17).
Holcomb was the stroke play medalist at the Maridoe Amateur with a 54-hole sum of 218 (+2). The senior from Crockett, Texas, won medalist honors by three shots in the 96-player field before picking up three match play wins to advance to the event’s quarterfinals. In addition, Holcomb tied for 51st at the South Beach International with a 72-hole score of 284 (E).
Huff, a senior, won the 2020 Patriot All-America Invitational after posting an 8-under total of 202 (65-70-67). He placed first in the event by two strokes in a field of 84 participants. In addition, the native of Eagle, Idaho, advanced to the match play round of 16 at the Maridoe Amateur. In stroke play, he tied for 46th with a three-round total of 233 (+17).
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 Friday (Jan. 8) at noon (CT). The winner of the monthly award will be named on Friday afternoon.
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–
Ben Hogan Award Golfers of the Month
August 2019 – Andy Ogletree, Georgia Tech
September 2019 – Cooper Dossey, Baylor
October 2019 – Chris Gotterup, Rutgers & Peter Kuest, BYU
November 2019 – Parker Gillam, Wake Forest
December 2019 – Noah Norton, Georgia Tech
January 2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine
February 2020 – Ricky Castillo, Florida
July 2020 – Tyler Strafaci, Georgia Tech
August 2020 – Tyler Strafaci, Georgia Tech
September 2020 – John Pak, Florida State
October 2020 – Kyle Hogan, Texas Tech
November 2020 – Ford Clegg, Mississippi State
