AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn sophomore J.M. Butler has been named one of 15 finalists for the Fred Haskins Award, as announced by the Golf Channel and Haskins Foundation Monday.
Created in 1971, the Haskins Award is presented annually to the most outstanding men's college golfer, as voted on by players, coaches and media members.
"This is a well-deserved honor for J.M. as he works tirelessly to improve his game and chase excellence," said Tigers head coach Nick Clinard. "He is playing exceptional golf, which comes as no surprise to Chris (Williams) or myself. He is an outstanding young man, and I know he is excited about chasing championships during the spring season."
A member of last season's SEC All-Freshman Team, Butler is one of four underclassman finalists for the award.
Butler began his fall campaign began in epic fashion, shooting 17-under-par in the Tigers' first tournament of the year, the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, to smash the record for lowest 54-hole score in program history. The previous record was shared by Michael Johnson and Trace Crowe, who both shot 16-under in 2014 and 2018, respectively.
With a 67.50 scoring average, Butler also ranks second in the Southeastern Conference for lowest tally per 54 holes.
Only a fraction of the way into his Auburn career, the Louisville, Kentucky native has already logged one tournament win, six top-20 finishes, and 19 rounds at or below bar. He has not missed a single tournament since stepping foot on The Plains in the fall of 2020.
Butler and the Tigers will return to action, beginning their spring slate Feb. 3-5, 2022, at the Amer Ari Invitational in Waikoloa, Hawaii.
Fred Haskins Award Final Watch List
Michael Brennan, Wake Forest
J.M. Butler, Auburn
Ben Carr, Georgia Southern
Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Arkansas
Ryan Gerard, North Carolina
Christopher Gotterup, Oklahoma
Austin Greaser, North Carolina
Palmer Jackson, Notre Dame
Luke Kluver, Kansas
RJ Manke, Washington
Logan McAllister, Oklahoma
David Puig, Arizona State
Cameron Sisk, Arizona State
Brian Stark, Oklahoma State
Michael Thorbjornsen, Stanford
The full list of previous Haskins Award winners can be found here.