The honor Thursday Sun Devil Jon Rahm (Bachelor of Arts, Communications, 2016) received has the name of another one of golf's all-time greats attached to it, just like the Ben Hogan award he has claimed twice.
One day after receiving an exemption into the John Deere Classic (Aug. 8-14 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois) and just weeks removed from becoming the first two-time winner of the Ben Hogan Award, Rahm has won the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol.
The Nicklaus Award recognizes the top players at the Division I, II, III, NAIA and NJCAA levels. Rahm, John Coultas (Florida Southern), Addison Lambeth (Huntingdon), Peter French (Johnson & Wales (FL)) and Kerry Sweeney (Eastern Florida State) eaned the award.
The really cool part of it? Jon gets a trip to Columbus this weekend to shake hands with Jack Nicklaus. He becomes just the second Sun Devil to earn the award, as Phil Mickelson won it three times from 1990-92.
In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship, held July 14-17, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika, Ala. The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 4 at storied Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio — the same club where Jack Nicklaus learned the game of golf as a young boy.
Mr. Nicklaus will recognize the Nicklaus Award recipients Sunday at 10 a.m. ET during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Barbasol Recipients Announced - https://t.co/HD4pCshKK0 @BarbasolShave @jacknicklaus
— GCAA (@GolfCoachesAssn) June 2, 2016
“We are honored to sponsor the Jack Nicklaus Award and to offer the Barbasol Shootout winner an exemption into the Barbasol Championship.” said Tom Murray, President and CEO of Perio Inc., the parent company of Barbasol. “To earn the exemption, regardless of Division, offers a unique and life-changing opportunity to play in a PGA TOUR event.”
Rahm, the Division I Nicklaus Award recipient, will also receive an exemption to the 2017 Memorial Tournament.
Rahm became the first Sun Devil to earn first-team All-America honors twice in a career since Alejandro Canizares did the same in 2003 and 2006 earlier in the week. That nod pushed the Sun Devil all-time first-team All-America honors to 25, behind only Oklahoma State (57), Houston (30) and Florida (28), since the GCAA began recognizing All-Americans in 1958.
√ @littleJRmaza 53 tourn./165 rounds
— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) June 1, 2016
70.21 avg
77 rounds in 60s/117 par or better
156 counters
671 birdies/39 eagles pic.twitter.com/IAs87UxLgT
Also an honorable mention All-America pick in 2013 and 2014, Rahm became the second Sun Devil -- and the first since Chris Hanell in 1997 -- to record a top-10 finish in every outing in a season as he notched the feat in all 13 tournaments. His nation's best 69.41 stroke average is the seventh-best in NCAA history after firing a 69.15 last year, third-best. He posted nine top-five finishes and in 41 rounds shot par or better 35 times (22 rounds in the 60s) this season.
First wave of sponsor exemptions for #JDC16 - Meet the Class of 2016: https://t.co/u9kvftcAoU pic.twitter.com/DcSqhz3Bjl
— John Deere Classic (@JDCLASSIC) June 2, 2016
Not only did he lead the nation in scoring average (69.41), according to Golfstat he also was the nation's leader in score versus par (-1.78), par-4 scoring (3.93) and birdies (171) and was second to NCAA champion Aaron Wise of Oregon (4.45) in par-5 scoring (4.51).
He ended his 53-tournament career with a 70.21 stroke average in 165 rounds. He posted 77 rounds in the 60s and 117 of his rounds were par or better. His score counted in 156 of this 165 rounds (.945). He posted 671 birdies and 39 eagles in his collegiate career.
SUN DEVIL TWO-TIME FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS
Jon Rahm: 2015 and 2016
Alejandro Canizares: 2003 and 2006
Todd Demsey: 1993 and 1994
Phil Mickelson: 1989-92 (four-time selection)
Billy Mayfair: 1987 and 1988
Jim Carter: 1983 and 1984
Howard Twitty: 1970 and 1972
BEST NCAA SEASON STROKE AVERAGE
Bill Haas, Wake Forest, 2003-04, 68.93
Maverick McNealy, Stanford, 2014-15, 69.05
Jon Rahm, Arizona State, 2014-15, 69.15
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2004-05, 69.29
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2003-2004, 69.38
Jon Rahm, Arizona State, 2015-16, 69.41
Patrick Rodgers, Stanford, 2013-2014, 69.41
JON RAHM’S 11 COLLEGIATE WINS
2016 NCAA Albuquerque Regional (May 16-18)
2016 Pac-12 Championship (April 29-May 1)
2016 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Apr. 2-3)
2015 Tavistock Invitational (Oct. 18-20)
2015 NCAA San Diego Regional (May 14-16)
2015 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Apr. 3-4)
2015 Duck Invitational (Mar. 23-24)
2014 Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 20-21)
2014 ASU Thunderbird Invitational (Mar. 21-23)
2013 San Diego Classic (Mar. 11-12)
2012 Bill Cullum Invitational (Oct. 21-22)
PAST JACK NICKLAUS AWARD WINNERS
2015: Maverick McNealy, Stanford
2014: Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
2013: Michael Kim, California
2012: Justin Thomas, Alabama
2011: Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
2010: Eugen Wong, Oregon
2009: Matt Hill, North Carolina State
2008: Kevin Chappell, UCLA
2007: Jamie Lovemark, USC
2006: Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State
2005: Ryan Moore, UNLV
2004: Bill Haas, Wake Forest
2003: Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State
2002: D.J. Trahan, Clemson
2001: Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech
2000: Charles Howell III, Oklahoma State
1999: Luke Donald, Northwestern
1998: Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech
1997: Brad Elder, Texas
1996: Tiger Woods, Stanford
1995: Stewart Cink, Georgia Tech
1994: Alan Bratton, Oklahoma State and Justin Leonard, Texas
1993: David Duval, Georgia Tech
1992: Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1991: Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1990: Phil Mickelson, Arizona State
1989: Robert Gamez, Arizona
1988: Bob Estes, Texas