Sam Burns of LSU, West Florida's Chandler Blanchet, Logan Lanier of LaGrange, Dalton State's SM Lee, and Tyler JC's Marco Maldonado have been named the 2017 recipients of the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol. The Nicklaus Award recognizes the top players at the Division I, II, III, NAIA and NJCAA levels.
In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR's Barbasol Championship, held July 20-23, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika, Ala.
The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 3 and tee off at 1:30 pm at the storied Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio - the same club where Jack Nicklaus first learned the game of golf as a young boy.
Mr. Nicklaus will recognize the Nicklaus Award recipients the following day at 10 amduring the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
"We are honored to sponsor the Jack Nicklaus Award and to offer the Barbasol Shootout winner an exemption into the Barbasol Championship." said Tom Murray, CEO of Perio Inc., the parent company of Barbasol. "To earn the exemption, regardless of Division, offers a unique and life-changing opportunity to play in a PGA TOUR event."
Burns, the Division I Nicklaus Award recipient, will also receive an exemption to the following year's Memorial Tournament.
A native of Buford, Ga., Lee won four tournaments in his freshman campaign, including his first career event.. His worst finish in 10 events was tied for sixth. The Southern States Athletics Conference Player and Freshman of the Year, Lee was also recipient of the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award for NAIA.
Adding to his list of accomplishments this year, Lee qualified for the prestigious Jones Cup Invitational where he placed 12th to earn an exemption into the 2018 tournament. He also won his qualifier for the United States Amateur.
He was the best ranked NAIA player in the Golfstat Cup rankings and earned PING First-Team All-America honors. He is currently ranked as the #243 amateur golfer in the world according to World Amateur Golf Rankings.