CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –
Chattanooga Mocs senior Steven Fox is one of 27 student-athletes named to the
Ben Hogan Award Watch List for 2013. The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually
to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer,
taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past
12-month period.
Fox follows in the footsteps of former teammate and 2012
PING First Team All-American Stephan Jaeger, who made the list a year ago.
Fox is the 19th-ranked player in the world, according the
R&A World Amateur Rankings. Out of the top 20, 13 are student-athletes
playing collegiate golf.
It has been quite a whirlwind tour for the 2012 United
States Amateur Champion. He has represented the United States in two amateur
competitions and made his PGA Tour debut last weekend at the Farmers Insurance
Open at historic Torrey Pines Golf Club outside San Diego, Calif.
Fox and national teammates Chris Williams (Washington) and
Justin Thomas (Alabama) captured the Eisenhower Trophy at the World Amateur
Team Championship in Turkey in October. Williams and Fox combined with ladies
Erynne Lee (UCLA) and Lindy Duncan (Duke) to finish third at the Copa de las
Americas in January at Doral Golf Resort and Spa.
He is also one of the leaders of the UTC golf team. Fox is
second only to junior Chris Robb. Fox’s 72.33 stroke average is just behind
Robb’s 71.73.
“It has been quite a year for Steven,” said Chattanooga coach
Mark Guhne. “With a spectacular spring, he has a real shot at winning this
award, but that is too far to look ahead. He’ll do what he does best, live in
the moment. It’s what allowed him to make his comeback at the U.S. Amateur and
serves him well today.
“He has a long way to go to get there,” Guhne continued. “We
have a full spring schedule and postseason, and he has a little tournament in
April he’s entered at Augusta National. He’ll play it out and see where we end
up.”
The award, which was first issued in 1990 and also included
academic achievement in its original list of standards, revised its criteria
for the 2001-02 collegiate season to its current standard of honoring the
outstanding amateur collegiate golfer.
Since that time, the winners have been: D.J. Trahan
(Clemson, 2002), Ricky Barnes (Arizona, 2003), Hunter Mahan (Oklahoma State,
2003), Bill Haas (Wake Forest, 2004), Ryan Moore (UNLV, 2005), Matt Every
(Florida, 2006), Chris Kirk (Georgia, 2007), Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State,
2008), Kyle Stanley (Clemson, 2009), Nick Taylor (Washington, 2010), Peter
Uihlein (Oklahoma State, 2011) and Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, 2012).
To find the latest information on The Ben Hogan Award, its
candidates and its previous winners, visit www.Facebook.com/BenHoganAward and
@BenHoganAward on Twitter.
Fox and sophomore Liam Johnston are in Sea Island, Ga., this
weekend for the Jones Cup Invitational. The 54-hole event is played Friday
through Sunday at Ocean Forest Golf Club.