Interview with Alex Carpenter |
Interview with ACU head golf coach Mike Campbell
DUBLIN, Ohio – Abilene Christian graduate Alex Carpenter Sunday added a final line to his exceptional collegiate résumé after being announced as this year's winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award as the Golf Coaches' Association of America Player of the Year.
Carpenter is a two-time Nicklaus Award winner, a distinction he shares with several others, including Phil Mickelson. He received his first Player of the Year honor in 2011 after winning seven of 14 tournaments as a sophomore.
ACU head golf coach Mike Campbell accepted the award on Carpenter's behalf, since the four-year all-America will be in Dallas Monday competing at a U.S. Open sectional qualifying tournament hosted by the Lakewood Country Club. Carpenter will then take off to Wilmington, Del., for his second appearance at the Palmer Cup.
Carpenter was one of five players from around the country honored with the award, which goes to the top player at each level of collegiate golf. Michael Kim of California won the NCAA Division I award, while Carpenter won the NCAA Division II award. Brad Shigezawa of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) is the NCAA Division III winner, Oklahoma City's Sondre Ronold won the NAIA award, and Jake Argento of South Mountain Community College won the NJCAA honor as the GCAA Collegiate Players of the Year. T
Carpenter won five tournaments in his final season as a collegian, including four straight at spring tournaments hosted in Austin, Mission Viejo, Calif., Little Rock and Dallas. His final triumph – attained April 9 at the Dallas Baptist Classic – served as the 20th of his distinguished career and is believed to be the NCAA record for all divisions.
Carpenter received his fourth consecutive Lone Star Conference Player of the Year award earlier this spring, and in May he became the first Wildcat golfer to win ACU's Paul Goad Award, which is presented annually to the school's top student-athlete.
For his career, Carpenter carded 33 rounds in the 60s and won two Lone Star Conference championships. He's also qualified for two Palmer Cup teams during his ACU tenure and won the Southern Amateur in July of 2010.
After winning four tournaments as a freshman Carpenter was given the Phil Mickelson Award as the Most Outstanding Freshman in NCAA D-II men's golf.
Nicklaus, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion at The Ohio State University, helped inspire and create the Jack Nicklaus Award in 1988. Nicklaus recognized the recipients during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Nicklaus' hometown of Columbus.
