Initially given to a player exhibiting excellence in
academics, as well as college golf, the inaugural The
Ben Hogan Award was presented April 23, 1990, to
Kevin Wentworth of Oklahoma State University. The
Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches
Association of America (GCAA) selected the winner
just a few weeks after the creator of the award, 1940
Heisman Trophy winner and golf enthusiast, Tom
Harmon, passed away.
In the summer of 2001, FOG and the GCAA were
approached by representatives of Colonial Country
Club in Fort Worth, Texas, wanting to expand the
award named for Hogan to make the presentation
during the week of the PGA TOUR’s annual
tournament stop at Colonial.
While the three parties collaborated on the award,
the decision was made to revise the criteria to more
accurately reflect Harmon’s original idea for The Ben
Hogan Award. Although the criteria for selection
changed to recognize the outstanding male amateur
and collegiate golfer of the year, the first 12
recipients will remain as part of the Hogan Award’s
history. Additionally, FOG continues to present the
honoree with a replica of the Waterford crystal
trophy displayed at Bel-Air Country Club in Los
Angeles.
In 2002, Colonial Country Club commissioned a new
Hogan sculpture on permanent display in the Hogan
Room at Colonial. A replica of this sculpture is
presented to the honoree.
“I think that Colonial joining FOG and the Golf
Coaches Association in The Ben Hogan Award has
been very positive,” said FOG Executive Director
Eddie Merrins. “The award is now truly the Heisman
of college golf.”
Since 2005, the Charles Schwab Challenge has
invited The Ben Hogan Award recipient to compete in
the next year’s championship. Also beginning in 2005
the Hogan Award invited the three finalists to The
Ben Hogan Award Banquet with the recipient named
that evening.
Winners of The Ben Hogan Award include Hunter
Mahan, Ricky Barnes, Bill Haas, Ryan Moore, Matt
Every, Chris Kirk, Rickie Fowler, Kyle Stanley and
Nick Taylor. Recent winners include young stars Peter
Uihlein, Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Rodgers, Jon Rahm,
Maverick McNealy, Doug Ghim and Viktor Hovland.
PAST CHAMPIONS
2024 – Jackson Koivun, Auburn
2023 – Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
2022 – Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech
2021 – John Pak, Florida State
2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine
2019 – Viktor Hovland, Oklahoma State
2018 – Doug Ghim, Texas
2017 – Maverick McNealy, Stanford
2016 – Jon Rahm, Arizona State
2015 – Jon Rahm, Arizona State
2014 – Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
2013 – Chris Williams, Washington
2012 – Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
2011 – Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State
2010 – Nick Taylor, Washington
2009 – Kyle Stanley, Clemson
2008 – Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
2007 – Chris Kirk, Georgia
2006 – Matt Every, Florida
2005 – Ryan Moore, UNLV
2004 – Bill Haas, Wake Forest
2003 – Ricky Barnes, Arizona & Hunter Mahan,
Oklahoma State
2002 – D.J. Trahan, Clemson
2001 – Wil Collins, New Mexico
2000 – Chris James, Oklahoma
1999 – Steve Friesen, Nebraska
1998 – Jamie Broce, Ball State
1997 – Jeff Fahrenbruch, Texas
1996 – Mark Wilson, North Carolina
1995 – Trip Kuehne, Oklahoma State
1994 – William Blackmon, Auburn
1993 – Marten Olander, Alabama
1992 – Jon Lindquist, Gustavus Adolphus
College
1991 – Brian Bridges, Kent State
1990 – Kevin Wentworth, Oklahoma State
Note: Current criteria began in 2002. Prior to that,
academic performance was included in the criteria.