Oklahoma State University Athletics
Howell Earns Nicklaus Award as Player of the Year
April 15, 2003 | Cowboy Golf
In addition to first-team All-America honors, Howell won the Jack Nicklaus Award recognizing the national player of the year. He set an NCAA record with his 23-under-par effort at the national tournament last week, winning the title by an astounding eight strokes.
He was joined in receiving All-America plaudits by three teammates. Senior Edward Loar, named to the second team in 1996-97 and 1998-99 and the third team in 1997-98, became OSU's 11th four-time All-American by again receiving second-team status. Sophomore Anders Hultman (third team) and senior Landry Mahan (honorable mention) were named All-Americans for the first times in their careers.
Already OSU's seventh NCAA medalist, Howell becomes the school's second Nicklaus Award winner; Alan Bratton shared the award with Justin Leonard in 1994. The last Cowboy to earn outright player-of-the-year honors was Scott Verplank, who won the Fred Haskins Award in 1986.
The Cowboys placed four players on the All-America teams for the first time since 1997 and the 18th time in the school's history. OSU's national championship was its ninth overall and the third in the past 10 years; during that time, no other school has won the NCAA Tournament twice. This year, Oklahoma State, Georgia and Georgia Tech were the only schools with four All-Americans.
1999-2000 Ping/GCAA All-America teams
FIRST TEAM Jeremy Anderson, Senior, UNLV Paul Casey, Junior, Arizona State Jess Daley, Senior, Northwestern Luke Donald, Junior, Northwestern Lucas Glover, Junior, Clemson David Gossett, Sophomore, Texas Charles Howell, Junior, Oklahoma State Matt Kuchar, Senior, Georgia Tech Bryce Molder, Junior, Georgia Tech Alex Rocha, Senior, Mississippi State
SECOND TEAM Ricky Barnes, Freshman, Arizona Nick Cassini, Junior, Georgia Ben Curtis, Senior, Kent State John Engler, Junior, Clemson Max Harris, Senior, North Carolina Edward Loar, Senior, Oklahoma State Martin Maritz, Senior, Tulsa Andy Miller, Senior, BYU Andy Sanders, Junior, Houston Roland Thatcher, Senior, Auburn
THIRD TEAM Jonathan Byrd, Senior, Clemson Erik Compton, Freshman, Georgia Jamie Elson, Sophomore, Augusta State Derek Gillespie, Senior, Arizona Anders Hultman, Sophomore, Oklahoma State Ryan King, Senior, Fresno State Michael Kirk, Senior, UNLV Jon Mills, Junior, Kent State Aaron Pellegrom, Senior, Baylor Ryan Vermeer, Senior, Kansas
HONORABLE MENTION Jon Bartlett, Senior, Ole Miss; Michael Beard, Sophomore, Pepperdine; David Bennett, Junior, North Florida; Matt Brost, Sophomore, Texas; Brandon Ditullio, Senior, UCLA; James Driscoll, Senior, Virginia; Carlton Forrester, Senior, Georgia Tech; Kevin Haefner, Sophomore, Auburn; Michael Harris, Senior, Michigan; Reid Hatley, Freshman, Arizona; Brad Hyler, Senior, North Carolina; Matt Jones, Sophomore, Arizona State; Troy Kelly, Sophomore, Washington; Matt Krauss, Sophomore, Duke; Han Lee, Senior, California; Craig Lile, Junior, Arkansas; Landry Mahan, Senior, Oklahoma State; Manuel Merizalde, Sophomore, BYU; Chris Morris, Senior, Houston; Michael Morrison, Senior, Georgia; Carl Petterson, Senior, North Carolina State; Todd Rose, Senior, Fresno State; B.J. Staten, Senior, Houston; Kyle Thompson, Junior, South Carolina; D.J. Trahan, Freshman, Clemson; Bubba Watson, Junior, Georgia; Matt Weibring, Sophomore, Georgia Tech; Chris Wisler, Junior, East Tennessee State.
