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DUBLIN, Ohio — True to its name, the Memorial Tournament revels in proud traditions that its host, the Nicklaus family, is eager to uphold. The course setup, the gray blazers worn by Muirfield honorees and, of course, the milkshakes — they’re all the touches that make the Memorial the Memorial.

On Sunday morning of tournament week, another tradition helps to distinguish the Memorial: the presentation of the Jack Nicklaus Award. Each year, the final day of tournament week serves as an official coronation for the winners of the award, given annually to the best male collegiate player in five respective divisions.

The five winners of the 2021 award are John Pak (Florida State, DI); Andrew Beckler (Washburn University, DII); James Mishoe (Guilford College, DIII); Ruan Pretorius (Point University, NAIA); and Ben Partridge (Hutchinson Community College, NJCAA).

Here’s what you need to know about each of the winners:

John Pak: The winner of the Haskins and Ben Hogan awards, Pak has been busy collecting hardware throughout the spring after an All-American senior season with Florida State. Pak is the first winner of the Nicklaus, Hastings or Hogan awards in Seminole program history, and leaves the program tied for the most wins ever. In addition to winning low amateur honors at the U.S. Open in September, Pak recorded a whopping 17-1 record vs. top-25 opponents throughout his senior season. In May, he was an integral part of the Walker Cup-winning United States squad at Seminole.

Andrew Beckler: A native of Topeka, Kan., Beckler graduates from Washburn as one of the school’s most decorated all-time golfers, owning the program’s all-time records for career scoring average, season scoring average and season win-loss percentage. He played in 10 events during his senior season at Washburn and won five of them, finishing in the top 5 in the remaining five events. He placed second at the NCAA Championships, the best finish ever for a Washburn player.

James Mishoe: From Cary, N.C., Mishoe won first-team All-American honors for his senior season at Guilford, in which he recorded six top-25 finishes and three top-5s. He was named the ODAC conference player of the year, in addition to collecting three ODAC player of the week awards.

Ruan Pretorius: Pretorius, a sophomore from Point University, represents one of two international Nicklaus Award winners in 2021. Raised in South Africa, Pretorius was the starring member of a Point University team that finished as the top-ranked team in the NAIA. Pretorius completed the season as the No. 1-ranked golfer in the conference with a comparative record of 1261-2.

Ben Partridge: The most-junior Nicklaus award winner by academic status, Partridge led Hutchinson Community College to its first-ever national championship, then won the NJCAA national individual championship in a four-hole playoff over teammate Harry Crockett — all as a freshman. In his first season over from his native London, Partridge won two tournaments, had six top-3 finishes and placed top 10 in 9 out of 10 tournaments.

The 2020 winners were Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine, DI); Zach Zediker (Delta State, DII); Rob Wuethrich (Illinois Wesleyan, DIII); Ben Rebne (Dalton State, NAIA); and Jon Hopkins (Mississippi Gulf Coast, NJCAA).

The group joined a list of former winners including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas.

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Another college golf season is officially coming to a close. After a year in which players and coaches faced unprecedented challenges, all that’s left to tie a bow on the season is to crown the champions and hand out some individual hardware.

One of the accolades that will be awarded next month is the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award Presented by True Spec Golf. (Jack Nicklaus Companies and True Spec are both affiliates of GOLF.com) The award, given annually to the nation’s top male collegiate golfers across Divisions I, II and III, plus the NAIA and NCJAA, is one of the college game’s most sought-after honors.

“When you look at the list of finalists for this year’s Jack Nicklaus Award, each and every one of them has put together an impressive collegiate resume,” Nicklaus said. “I actually had a chance to meet several of the finalists at the recent Walker Cup, and they are not only very talented golfers, but quality young men. It’s yet another example that our game’s future is in good hands. I wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

The 2020 winners were Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine, DI); Zach Zediker (Delta State, DII); Rob Wuethrich (Illinois Wesleyan, DIII); Ben Rebne (Dalton State, NAIA); and Jon Hopkins (Mississippi Gulf Coast, NJCAA); they joined a list of glittering list of former winners, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas.

This week, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced its list of finalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award. The winners will be announced on June 6 at the Memorial Tournament, in Dublin, Ohio.

Here are the finalists:

Jack Nicklaus Award Finalists

Division I:

-Pierceson Coody, Texas

-Noah Goodwin, Southern Methodist

-John Pak, Florida State

-Ryan Hall, South Carolina

-Davis Thompson, Georgia

Division II:

-Andrew Becker, Washburn

-Dan Bradbury, Lincoln Memorial

-Keegan Bronnenberg, Indianapolis

-Trevor Norby, Oklahoma Christian

-Alejandro Restrepo, West Florida

Division III:

-Andre Chi, Methodist

-Will Hocker, Webster

-Jason Li, Carnegi Mellon

-James Mishoe, Guillford

-Rob Wuethrich, Wesleyan

NAIA:

-Lucas Cena, Keiser

-Dawson Peters, South Carolina Beaufort

-Ruan Pretorius, Point

-Ben Rebne, Dalton State

-Ryan van der Klis, Point

NJCAA:

-Cecil Belisle, South Mountain

-Peyton Coursey, Tyler

-Harry Crockett, Hutchinson

-Ben Partridge, Hutchinson

-Sam McKenzie, Midland

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The final set of collegiate awards were handed out this week with five Jack Nicklaus Awards being announced Tuesday. One player from each level of college golf earned the honor, but they were also treated to a virtual banquet in which Nicklaus imparted plenty of wisdom that he gained during his career.

Highest on the list was this simple mentality from Jack: “To become a golfer, you’ve got to be responsible for your own game.” It was wisdom imparted to Nicklaus from Bobby Jones, which Jones told him back in 1959 when Nicklaus competed in the Masters for the first time as an amateur.

“You’ve got to understand who you are, what you can do, what you can’t do, and so forth,” Nicklaus said. According to Nicklaus, Jones had seven years where he was too dependent on working with his teacher, at age 14 through 21. “He said, ‘Once I stopped running to [his teacher] Stewart Maiden, and learned how to correct myself on the golf course, and learned how to manage myself, that’s when I became a golfer.’” 

We’ll gladly take his word for it. 

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Nicklaus challenged the five winners of his namesake award by saying he hoped they were not of the generation who run to their teacher every time an issue comes up in their golf swing. 

“I didn’t care if it was the 2nd hole or the 70th hole of a golf tournament,” Nicklaus said. “If I had something in my swing I did not like, I corrected it right then. 

“I hope you don’t fall into the category of running back to your teacher ever five minutes,” he continued. “A lot of guys do. A lot of guys have their teacher on the practice tee every day. I just think that’s wrong because he can’t go out on the golf course with you. You’ve got to take your own game to the golf course.”

Nicklaus pointed out how his coach, Jack Grout, was never out tinkering with Nicklaus’ swing on the practice range. Nicklaus’ range sessions would largely be spent alone, and he’d pull in Growt if he ever had a question. “Basically, I liked to be able to correct myself, manage myself, control myself — that package is what takes you to the next level and you can learn how to win.”

Nicklaus Companies and GOLF.com are affiliates of 8AM Golf.

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Jack Nicklaus offers up some wise words to the young Jack Nicklaus Award winners: Find a way to manage yourself on the course.

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Sahith Theegala looks back on his most memorable moment playing college golf.

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It’s hard to quantify all the ways in which Sahith Theegala will bring a certain freshness to the PGA Tour. But, for starters, he’s the first Sahith and the first Theegala to tee it up in golf’s big leagues. That alone is a mouthful for some people.

On the first tee at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week, Theegala had to repeatedly enunciate his name — for the starter, for the other players in his group, for one of the caddies: SAW-hith THEE-gala, always delivered with a smile.

“Even if they know how to pronounce it, they’ll ask me,” Theegala said in a phone interview earlier this week. “It’s funny how many people find ways to add letters or syllables.”

If Theegala has the same success in the professional ranks that he did in college, it won’t be long before the whole golf world knows his name. The three-time NCAA All-American at Pepperdine officially wrapped up his college career Tuesday when he was named the Division I Nicklaus Award winner, adding to the Ben Hogan and Haskins awards he claimed in the spring. In a sign of the times, Theegala accepted the honor Tuesday by way of Zoom. He called in from his parents’ house in Chino Hills, Calif., joining the session with the four other Nicklaus Award winners, plus the Golden Bear himself.

Such is life for a young player turning pro in the midst of a pandemic.

Theegala, 22, played his first two PGA Tour events as a professional this past month, at the Travelers Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic, missing the cut by four strokes and three strokes, respectively. At his side was Michael Beard, his coach at Pepperdine and temporary caddie. Beyond that, his debut was shared with his loved ones at a social distance, by way of ShotLink tracking and an iPhone.

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“More than anything I envisioned my family and friends being there supporting me,” Theegala said. “I’ve made this journey with them. To play the first couple without them kinda felt a little empty to me.”

That’s the PGA Tour right now. It’s quiet out there, especially for a newbie who just said goodbye to his Pepperdine teammates of five years (the Waves were ranked No. 1 in the country before the coronavirus shutdown). Theegala admitted that within that emptiness at the Travelers he tried too hard to “fit in,” grinding to sharpen every last edge of his game. Arrival Sunday; practice rounds Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; practice on top of more practice. The schedule wore him out. 

“On Friday I was just beat. I was like, ‘This is not how it’s supposed to feel,’” Theegala said. “It’s not that I beat a bunch of balls, but I just feel like I was out there too long because it’s just available.” It’s a common trap for young players: the endless pursuit of perfection meets the Law of Diminishing Returns. 

Truth is, Theegala has thrived by being himself: an Indian-American, a study of his idol Kobe Bryant and an exceptional “feel” player. When his flatstick wasn’t working in Detroit last week, Theegala flipped from a cross-hand grip (left hand low) to traditional style on the 6th hole — just like that, mid-tournament, during one of a precious few Tour starts he’ll make in 2020.

“I was putting terrible,” he says. “So I was like, ‘All right, let’s switch up the feel.’ I just go back and forth depending on, literally, how I’m feeling.” After making the switch, he promptly dropped an 11-footer for birdie. 

It’s an approach Theegala has taken, off and on, since high school, and it epitomizes how his parents raised him. Theegala says he was always urged to enjoy the game first, and follow it where it takes him. When wrist surgery in January 2019 left him unable to comfortably grip the putter traditionally, cross-hand putting took hold. In two weeks, at the 3M Open (his next sponsor’s exemption), he might be back to traditional. Whatever feels right in the moment.

Raised in SoCal, Theegala was a tall kid — he’s now 6-foot-3 — with a solid jump shot, so he gravitated toward Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Though golf eventually won him over, Theegala didn’t take his cues from Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, like so many other elite young players.

His mindset was and is rooted in Bryant’s legacy.

“I have always said that if I could get a little percentage of his Mamba Mentality, I would be great,” said Theegala, who won the Southwestern Invitational earlier this year donning a Bryant jersey. “I still don’t think I’ve even succeeded in getting 10 percent of that. I don’t think anyone will. The guy just had insane willpower … but I definitely keep that in the back of my mind. Especially when times are tough.”

Perhaps that’s why Theegala was grinding early in the week at the Travelers Championship, because times will get tough. They always do, even for the most gifted collegiate players. Norman Xiong was the can’t-miss prospect in 2018 coming out of the University of Oregon. He, too, won the Nicklaus Award and was unfairly compared to Tiger Woods. Xiong has notched just one top 20 in the last two years. Nothing is guaranteed for these players, no matter how many awards they win.

As Theegala competed in the first round of the Rocket Mortgage, 25 other players and caddies were on the putting green, prepping for the first round, all of them white. While the lack of diversity in pro golf isn’t something Theegala dwells on, he did recently tell The New York Times, “Hopefully there is some inspiration behind that, for people who watch me and realize that you don’t have to be the stereotypical white golfer.”

“Coming out of this year, I think [diversity] is going to change moving forward,” Theegala told GOLF.com. “It’s cool seeing guys like Harold Varner step out during a crazy time like this and just speak his mind. I think that’s inspiring so many people.”

Theegala added that he’s hopeful that he, too, can be impactful in terms of changing the demographics of golf.

“It’s not something like, ‘Oh, wow. You play golf?’” he said. “Instead it’s like, ‘Oh, nice! You play golf.’”

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Five college golfers joined a distinguished list of golf greats Tuesday when they were named the winners of the 2020 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award Presented by GOLF.com. (This is GOLF.com’s first year as presenting sponsor.)

The recipients of the award, which recognizes the top male players in the country from five different collegiate divisions, were Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine, DI); Zach Zediker (Delta State, DII); Rob Wuethrich (Illinois Wesleyan, DIII); Ben Rebne (Dalton State, NAIA); and Jon Hopkins (Mississippi Gulf Coast, NJCAA).

The 2020 winners join a group of past honorees that includes Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and the 2019 recipient, Matt Wolff.

Nicklaus historically presents the award to the five winners at the Memorial Tournament, in Dublin, Ohio. This year, because of the coronavirus, the presentation was conducted remotely. On Tuesday afternoon, the 2020 honorees joined Nicklaus on a video conference, during which the players reflected on a number of topics, ranging from the most memorable shots of their college careers to the best advice they’ve ever received. (You can watch part of the virtual roundtable above; we’ll be releasing more highlights throughout the week.)

“I have a special place in my heart for this award, and it’s always been a highlight for us at the Memorial Tournament when we have the opportunity to recognize these young men,” Nicklaus said.

Here’s what you need to know about the winners:

Sahith Theegala is the first-ever player from Pepperdine to win the Nicklaus Award. The 23-year-old won twice during his senior season and added four top-10 finishes over the course of the year. He never finished outside the top 20 during his farewell campaign, tallying a scoring average of 69.04 on his way to becoming the most outstanding golfer in Division I. Theegala made his first PGA Tour start as a professional at the Travelers Championship, in June. He also played in the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.

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Zach Zediker finished the season with four wins on the strength of a 68.67 scoring average. He kicked off the year with a runner-up finish and then went on to win his next four events in a row. He was named a first-team Ping All-American and is the first Nicklaus Award winner from Division II Delta State.

Rob Wuethrich also won four events this season, finishing the season as the top-ranked golfer in Division III. His 70.2 scoring average helped ensure Wuethrich never finished outside the top six in any of his starts as he became the first Nicklaus Award winner from Illinois Wesleyan.

Ben Rebne finished the season with four wins under his belt, posting a 70.89 scoring average during his senior campaign. He earned All-American honors at the NAIA level and was awarded the Southern States Conference Player of the Year award at season’s end. Rebne is the fourth Dalton State player to win the Nicklaus Award in the last six years.

Jon Hopkins took home three titles at NJCAA events this season and also had four other top-10 finishes. He is the first winner of the Nicklaus Award from Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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Meet the five stand out men’s collegiate golfers who won this years Jack Nicklaus Award.

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The Jack Nicklaus Award is presented annually to the best players in men’s college golf. The winners will be announced at The Memorial Tournament this July. 

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