Alabama Men’s Golfer Robby Shelton Named to 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List

Alabama men's golfer Robby Shelton is one of 25 collegiate golfers named to the 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List, which was announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America on Wednesday. Shelton extends the Tide’s streak to nine straight years with at least one player on the watch list.

The most prestigious award in men's college golf, 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. The Ben Hogan Award Selection Committee, which votes during each stage of the process, is comprised of leaders in professional, amateur and collegiate golf.

This marks the third consecutive year that Shelton has been named to the watch list, as he earned a spot among the award’s 10 semifinalist in each of the previous two seasons (2014 and 2015). He joins Bud Cauley (2009, 2010 and 2011) and Bobby Wyatt (2011, 2013 and 2014) as the only Alabama golfers be named to the list three times. Cauley is the only member of the Crimson Tide to have been named a semifinalist three times.

Shelton enters the 2016 spring season ranked No. 4 in the nation according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Player Rankings following a stellar fall season that saw him win two of the four tournaments he played in for the Crimson Tide. He leads 16^th-ranked Alabama with a 68.83 per round stroke average.

Last summer, Shelton competed for the United States Walker Cup team, becoming the sixth UA golfer to receive the honor since 2009. Furthermore, he helped the United States win the Palmer Cup, as he became one of 16 golfers to ever go undefeated during the event, winning all four of his rounds in the match play event. He also finished third in his first PGA event, competing as an amateur at the Barbasol Championship.

For his career, the Wilmer, Ala., native has played in 27 tournaments and has five victories, 16 top-five finishes and has not placed lower than 17^th in any tournament he has played for the Tide.

The other 24 members of the 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List, as determined by the award's subcommittee, includes: Dawson Armstrong (Lipscomb), Derek Bard (Virginia), Sean Crocker (Southern California), Charlie Danielson (Illinois), Thomas Detry (Illinois), Jonathan Garrick (UCLA), Nick Hardy (Illinois), Rico Hoey (Southern California), Sam Horsfield (Florida), Beau Hossler (Texas), Michael Johnson (Auburn), Hank Lebioda (Florida State), Lee McCoy (Georgia), Maverick McNealy (Stanford), Matthew NeSmith (South Carolina), Jordan Niebrugge (Oklahoma State), Corey Pereira (Washington), Jon Rahm (Arizona State), Antoine Rozner (UMKC), Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt), Aaron Wise (Oregon), Adam Wood (Duke), Cameron Young (Wake Forest) and Will Zalatoris (Wake Forest).

The list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the watch list, will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 13. On Tuesday, May 3, that group will be pared down to three finalists. The finalists will attend a black-tie banquet at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday, May 23, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR’s Colonial National Invitation Tournament, where the winner will be crowned.