Senior Among Five Finalists from All Divisions
NORMAN, Okla. --- The Golf Coaches Association
of America has named Washington and Lee senior Nathaniel James
(Keller, Texas/Keller) as a finalist for the 2008 Byron Nelson
Award, which is presented by Cleveland Golf in cooperation with the
Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas and the Salesmanship Club
of Dallas.
James is one of five finalists for the award that is presented to a
graduating senior and is judged on the entire academic and golf
career, along with character and integrity while in college.
Particular consideration is given to a nominee's good citizenship,
as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and
golf career.
Other finalists for the award include Bruno Buccolo of Oklahoma
Christian, Jonas Enander Hedin of UNC Charlotte, Rob Grube of
Stanford and Joseph Sykora of Alabama.
James is a four-year letterwinner and a team captain for the
Generals. He is a four-time First Team All-ODAC honoree and a
two-time winner of the ODAC Golfer of the Year and ODAC Golf
Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards. The ODAC Rookie of the
Year in 2005, James won the ODAC Individual Championship this
spring in leading the Generals to their first conference title
since 1999.
A Third Team All-American as a sophomore and a First Team
All-America choice last spring, James ranked No. 1 in Division III
this year with a 72.5 stroke average over 21 rounds played. A
politics major with a GPA in excess of 3.5, James has a 73.8 career
scoring average and he has never posted a score higher than 81 over
90 career rounds. Also on the watch list for the Jack
Nicklaus Award for the top collegiate golfer, James received the
Cleveland Golf Scholar All-America award following his junior
season and he has been inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa
National Leadership Honor Society.
Washington and Lee will compete at the 2008 NCAA Division III Golf
Championship on May 13-16 at the Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton,
Ga.
This release is courtesy of the Washington and Lee
sports information department