Finalists Announced for 2025 NAIA Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday
NORMAN, Okla. - Five finalists have been named for the 2025 NAIA Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Workday. They are Sam Dykema of Indiana Wesleyan, Tres Hill of Oklahoma City, Jonathan Larson of The Master’s, Colin Price of Texas Wesleyan, and Jack Whaley of Dalton State. The winner will be announced by Nicklaus on Sunday, June 1 during his annual the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday press conference with awards presented to each of the recipients by Nicklaus and Workday.
Dykema has three wins and five other top-five finishes, including three as runner-up, this season for the Wildcats. The sophomore from West Chicago, Ill., is ranked sixth via Scoreboard powered by Clippd with a 72.92 scoring average and a low round of 65 at the Southeastern University Invitational during his five-shot victory. Dykema is a two-time PING All-Midwest Region honoree.
Hill won three consecutive tournaments between October 15 and March 18 and has two other top-three finishes for the top-ranked Stars. Ranked second via Scoreboard powered by Clippd with a scoring average of 71.34, the senior from Elk City, Okla., has carded seven rounds of 68 or better, including two rounds of 64, and recorded eight total top-10 finishes this season en route to being named Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Golfer of the Year. Hill is a three-time PING All-West Region honoree and 2024 PING Third Team All-American.
The Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) Player of the Year, Larson has won each of his nation’s-leading six victories this season by at least one stroke. The senior from Bellingham, Wash., is ranked fourth via Scoreboard powered by Clippd with eight top-six finishes, nine rounds in the 60s, and a 70.96 scoring average in nine tournaments for the Mustangs. Larson earned All-GSAC Team honors for the second straight year last month before becoming a PING All-West Region member for the first time on Tuesday.
Price has compiled 10 top-10 finishes, including six inside the top five, in 12 tournaments for the Rams this season. With 10 rounds in the 60s and a 71.78 scoring average, the sophomore from Benbrook, Texas was named to the five-player All-SAC team for the first time last month. Price received PING All-West Region honors for the second consecutive year and was a 2024 PING Second Team All-American and GCAA All-Freshman Team member.
Ranked No. 1 via Scoreboard powered by Clippd since at least October 16, Whaley has won four times this season and finished inside the top seven in all eight tournaments for the Roadrunners. The sophomore from Doncaster, England, has a 69.67 scoring average with 13 rounds in the 60s, earning PING All-South Region and Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Player of the Year honors for the second straight year. Whaley was the 2024 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by StrackaLine recipient and a PING First Team All-American after helping lead Dalton State to the national championship.
All five finalists are competing at the 2025 NAIA Championship May 20-23 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
Nicklaus, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion at Ohio State, helped inspire and create the Jack Nicklaus Award in 1988. The award is now presented to the National Player of the Year in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.
About the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The Tournament, founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, is conducted each year with three goals in mind: to honor the memory of individuals living and deceased who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf; to showcase the world’s best golfers competing on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators; and to benefit many Greater Columbus Charities in alliance with the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations. For more information, visit www.thememorialtournament.com or call 614-889-6700.
About Workday
Workday is the AI platform for managing people, money, and agents. The Workday platform is built with AI at the core to help customers elevate people, supercharge work, and move their business forever forward. Workday is used by more than 11,000 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 60% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com.