Vincent shortlisted for top golf award

Takudzwa Chitsiga
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN top amateur golfer, Kieran Vincent of Liberty University, was yesterday nominated for the 2021 Fred Haskins Award.

Vincent is one of 15 golfers, who have been nominated, by the Golf Channel and Golfweek.

The Fred Haskins Award, presented by Stifel, is handed annually, to the outstanding men’s college golfer in the United States, as voted on by players, coaches and media members.

Past winners of the award includes 15-time Major winner, Tiger Woods.

Vincent is the first Liberty player, in the programme’s history, to be nominated for the Fred Haskins Award watch list.

Vincent is having the best season of his career at Liberty, leading the Flames with a 69.75 season stroke average, following the team’s four spring tournaments.

The redshirt junior has posted a top-10 finish, in all four events, this spring.

He is currently ranked number 20, in the latest Golfstat national individual rankings, and number 22, by Golfweek.

Vincent has played 10-of-12 rounds at par, or better this spring, including six sub-70 rounds.

He opened the season with a fourth-place finish at the Timuquana Collegiate, his sixth career top-five finish, where he carded an eight-under par 208 (72-67-69).

Vincent also finished tied for eighth place, at the Gator Invitational, carding a seven-under par 203 (70-66-67), which was the second-lowest 54-hole total of his collegiate career.

He is a two-time all-conference selection (Big South Conference in 2017 and the ASUN Conference in 2020).

He was also an honourable mention during the GCAA/Ping All-America selection for the shortened 2019-20 season.

Vincent’s strong play this spring has helped the Flames receive some of their highest national rankings in the programme’s history.

Liberty are ranked in 18th place, in both the Golfstat and Golfweek national rankings, and they have been ranked as high as number 15, this season.

Celebrating their 50th year, the Fred Haskins Award, presented by Stifel, has been given to players who have captured 31 major championships, and more than 400 professional tournaments, around the world.

Past recipients include Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, and Justin Thomas.

Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine) won the 50th Haskins Award in 2020.

The Fred Haskins Award is the oldest individual college golf award and the only one where players, coaches and a selected group of the journalists, who cover golf, take part in the voting process.

Fred Haskins Award Watch List presented by Stifel:

Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech

Jacob Bridgeman, Clemson

Michael Brennan, Wake Forest

Michael Feagles, Illinois

Nick Gabrelcik, North Florida

Ryan Hall, South Carolina

Dylan Menante, Pepperdine

William Moll, Vanderbilt

Vincent Norrman, Florida State

John Pak, Florida State

Trent Phillips, Georgia