Scullion named finalist for Jack Nicklaus NAIA Player of the Year award
May 22—Cumberland's Tom Scullion has been named to a short list of five finalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday.
Named after golf legend Jack Nicklaus, the Nicklaus award serves as one of the National Player of the Year awards in college golf, and is awarded to the top golfer at the Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA levels. The winner will be announced by Nicklaus on June 4 during his annual Memorial press conference with awards presented to each of the recipients by Nicklaus and Workday.
Scullion is joined by Kolby Shackelford from OUAZ, Jackson Stone from Truett McConnell, Isac Wallin from Keiser and Jack Whaley from Dalton State.
All five players are on display at the NAIA National Championships this week. Scullion and Shackelford were paired together yesterday and possibly today.
Scullion has put together one of the most decorated seasons in men's golf history thus far with hopes of adding a few more honors to his name and the team this week. The sophomore has finished inside the top 15 in all 10 tournaments Cumberland has played in.
The Englishman has won three events and finished in the top 5 at seven tournaments. Scullion went on a run this fall winning the medalist honor in a playoff at the NAIA National Preview at Dalton Country Club. Shackelford and Stone finished tied for third at this tournament and Whaley was tied for eighth. He then won the Gibson Bay Invite at four-under through three rounds and capped the fall by winning the Mid-South Conference Fall Preview. The run helped him be named the Swing U Player of the Fall honor.
This spring, Scullion is averaging an even 72.0 strokes per round. He has been the top Cumberland finisher at four events with a seventh place finish at the Carey Collegiate. He tied for 14th at the Oldfield Classic, tied for fourth at the Roadrunner Classic, and finished fourth at the Mid-South Conference Championships.
Scullion earned Mid-South Conference Golfer of the Year honors to become the first Cumberland golfer to earn the award in program history. He was also named the Mid-South Conference Golfer of the Week three times this season. He was a first team all-conference selection this season and a Second Team All-Conference honoree last season.
Scullion and the Phoenix were set to tee off yesterday to open the 72nd NAIA National Championships at Dalton (Ga.) Country Club.
