Alabama senior Lee Hodges and junior Davis Riley were each named as semifinalists for the Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday.
The 30-man list included seven other golfers from around the Southeastern Conference. Oklahoma State (Zach Bauchou, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff) led the charge with three honorees, while Illinois (Nick Hardy and Dylan Meyer) and Vanderbilt (Will Gordon and Theo Humphrey) tied Alabama with two selections each.
Hodges has claimed two medalist honors (Puerto Rico Classic and Linger Longer Invitational) and owns four top-10 finishes and five top-15 results in the Tide’s six tournaments in 2018. The SEC Men’s Golfer of the Week for the week of March 21, Hodges is ranked No. 12 in the nation and tops the squad in stroke average (70.63), average vs. par (-0.57) and rounds of par or better (20) this year.
Riley is ranked No. 20 in the nation in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings heading into NCAA Regional play. The Hattiesburg, Miss., native ranks just behind Hodges in both stroke average (70.90) and average vs. par (-0.30). Riley, who claimed the medalist honor at the Olympia Fields/Illini Invitational last fall, leads the Tide with four top-five finishes, while his six top-10 results are tied with Hodges for the team lead.
Division I finalists will be named May 24, with the announcement of the five golfers who receive the award coming on May 31.
