Hope College Golfer Josh Gibson Named Finalist For Jack Nicklaus Player Of Year Award
Hope College’s Josh Gibson is one of five finalists for the 2018 NCAA Division III Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol.
The junior from Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS) joins Sam Hill of Texas-Tyler, Ryan Isaacson of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Conner O’Neil of Illinois Wesleyan, and Cade Osgood of Southwestern (Texas) as finalists for the award. The winner will be announced May 31.
The Award presentation will be held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, and presented by award namesake Jack Nicklaus during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.
In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship, held July 16-22, at the Champions at Keene Trace in Lexington, Ky.
The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 2 at the storied Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio — the same club where Jack Nicklaus first learned the game of golf as a young boy.
Nicklaus, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion at The Ohio State University, helped inspire and create the Jack Nicklaus Award in 1988 and it is now presented to the National Player of the year in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.
The defending NCAA Champion, Gibson has posted four victories this season for the Flying Dutchmen and helped them qualify for this week’s NCAA Championships. He was runner-up three times and placed third twice. Gibson’s worst finish in 12 events was tied for seventh.
A senior, Hill was named the American Southwest Conference Co-Player of the Year. He posted six top 10 finishes in eight tournaments.
Isaacson claimed one tournament victory on the season. He posted six additional top-five finishes. Isaacson placed outside the top 20 only once in 10 events.
O’Neil won outright or shared medalist honors twice during his senior campaign. He tallied seven top 10 finishes in nine events. O’Neil only placed outside the top 20 once.
Osgood posted one victory on the season, winning the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title. He posted three additional top five finishes and placed outside the top eight only once in nine events. Osgood’s worst finish was tied for 14th.