GOLFWEEK STAFFRickie Fowler, Jamie Lovemark and Michael Thompson have been named the finalists for the Ben Hogan Award. The honor is presented to the top men’s college golfer based on performance in collegiate and amateur competition over the past 12 months.
Fowler, an Oklahoma State freshman, was named the 2007 Big 12 player of the year after winning the conference championship and the Olympia Fields Illini Invitational. He has finished no lower than eighth in his nine starts this year. Last summer, Fowler won the Sunnehanna Amateur and Players Amateur and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Western Amateur. Fowler also won three matches in the United States’ victory at the Walker Cup.
Lovemark, a USC sophomore, has four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in college events this season. He advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur and made the cut in two PGA Tour and one Nationwide start; he lost to Chris Riley in a playoff at the Showdown at Somerby. Lovemark was a member of the victorious Palmer and Walker cup teams.
Thompson, a senior at Alabama, has finished in the top 10 in all eight events he has played this season. Thompson was named the SEC player of the year after winning the conference championship and finishing scond three other times. In amateur competition, Thompson won the Greystone Invitational and was runner-up at the Players Amateur and U.S. Amateur.
The Hogan Award banquet will be held May 18 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, with the award recipient named that evening. The 1964 U.S. Open winner and former CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi will be the keynote speaker.
Posted: 5/9/2008
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