FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 2, 2020) — The Ben Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced that Texas’ Pierceson Coody, Wake Forest’s Mark Power and Georgia Tech’s Tyler Strafaci are the three finalists for the Ben Hogan Award August Golfer of the Month honor. All three golfers are ranked among the top 25 in the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.
Coody, a junior, picked up the title at the 118th Western Amateur courtesy of a wire-to-wire 2&1 victory in the championship match. He swept through four match play rounds by scores of 2&1, 5&4, 1-up and 2&1. The product of Plano, Texas, finished 10th during medal play with a four-round total of 284 (-4). In addition, Coody competed in the stroke play portion of the U.S. Amateur.
Power, a sophomore from Kilkenny, Ireland, had three top-5 finishes. He was runner up for the Brabazon Trophy at the 74th English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, falling in a playoff after a four-round 274 (-10). He also reached the match play semifinals at the 125th Amateur Championship following a share of 18th place in stroke play, and tied for fourth place at the Golfing Union of Ireland’s Mullingar Scratch Trophy with a 211 (-5).
Strafaci, the reigning Ben Hogan Award July Golfer of the Month, rallied from five holes down in the 36-hole final match to take the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship by virtue of a 1-up score. It was Strafaci’s fourth straight 1-up victory among his six match play wins. The senior from Davie, Fla., advanced to match play by tying for 36th in stroke play (143, E). He also competed in the stroke play portion of the Western Amateur.
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 (Sept. 4) 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–
