March 22, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn Men's Golf senior Matt Gilchrest has been named one of five finalists for the 2017 Byron Nelson Award the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Friday.
Candidates for the award must be a graduating senior and the selection committee considers equally a nominee's entire collegiate academic and golf career as well as his character and integrity while in college.
"Matt is an excellent candidate for this prestigious award and I am extremely proud of him," Auburn head coach Nick Clinard said. "He's an outstanding young man that is very deserving of this honor. Matt is the epitome of a true student-athlete based on his performance as a student, golfer and in the community."
Gilchrest, a native of Southlake, Texas, has three top-20 finishes in eight events this season while averaging 72.42 strokes. He tied for fourth at the Inverness Intercollegiate at 64-72-75-211 where his opening round 64 tied both his career-low and the second-lowest round in school history, just one shy of Kyle Kopsick's 63 at the 2009 Gary Koch Invitational.
A two-time All-SEC selection, Gilchrest has two individual wins, 12 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in his career. As a sophomore, he was named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list and NCAA All-Southeast Region in addition to First Team All-SEC honors. He was also a member of the 2015 SEC Men's Golf Community Service Team that season.
Gilchrest was named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar prior to the start of his senior year.
The other finalists for the Nelson Award are Arizona State's Jared du Toit, Saint John's (MN) Mack Farley, Stanford's Maverick McNealy and Jimmy Stranger of Virginia.
The Byron Nelson Award is presented by Srixon/Cleveland Golf, in cooperation with the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
Auburn returns to action Sunday, March 26 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay held at the Bulls Bay Golf Course in Awendaw, S.C.