And to close out the decade ...: Campus Insider: Golf Digest

And to close out the decade ...

Thursday, December 31, 2009 Comments

Or for you folks who don't believe the decade is actually over, how about to close out the 2000s. Either way, with less than a day remaining, I thought I'd get my thoughts for the best D-I college players of the decade out before the ball drops.

One ground rule: a player has to have played the majority of his/her career in the 2000s for me to make them eligible. That's why Georgia Tech's Bryce Molder isn't on my list ... only played 1 1/2 seasons in the 2000s.

As always, disagree if you like but let me know who you'd pick instead.

MEN
Rhys Davies, East Tennessee State, 2003-07
    3x 1st-team AA, 71.23 avg., 10 wins, three-time conference POY
Matt Every, Florida, 2002-06
    3x 1st-team AA, 06 Hogan Award, 72.04 avg., 4 wins
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State, 2007-09
    1st-team AA both seasons before turning pro, 08 Hogan Award
Bill Haas, Wake Forest, 2000-04
    3x 1st-team AA, 04 Nicklaus Award, 9 wins, 70.94 avg. (69.0 as senior)
Billy Horschel, Florida, 2005-09
    3x 1st-team AA, 2x SEC POY, 71.73 avg., 5 wins
Dustin Johnson, Coastal Carolina, 2003-07
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 3rd-team), 3x Big South POY, 72.11 avg.
Brock Mackenzie, Washington, 2000-04
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 71.65 avg., 4 wins
Hunter Mahan, USC/Oklahoma State, 2000-03
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 03 Nicklaus Award, 2x Big 12 POY
Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech, 1998-2003
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 3rd-team), 02 NCAA medalist, 71.91 avg., 5 wins
Ryan Moore, UNLV, 2001-05
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 04 NCAA medalist, 05 Nicklaus Award
D.J. Trahan, Clemson, 1999-2003
    2x 1st-team AA (2x HM), 71.4 avg., 5 wins 02 Hogan Award, 02 ACC POY
Camilo Villegas, Florida, 2000-04
    3x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 2x SEC POY, 71.21 avg., 8 wins

WOMEN
Amanda Blumenherst, Duke, 2005-09
    3x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 3x Nat'l POY, 71.67 avg., 12 wins
Maria Hernandez, Purdue, 2005-09
    3x 1st-team AA (1x HM), 09 NCAA medalist, 3x Big Ten POY, 13 wins
Katherine Hull, Pepperdine, 1999-2003
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team), 03 Nat'l POY, 73.52 avg., 7 wins
Liz Janangelo, Duke, 2002-06
    4x 1st-team AA, 03 Nat'l POY, 7 wins
Tiffany Joh, UCLA, 2005-09
    2x 1st-team AA (1x 2nd-team & HM), 07 Pac-10 medalist, 08 Pac-10 POY
Stacy Lewis, Arkansas, 2004-08
    3x 1st-team AA, 07 NCAA medalist, 2x SEC medalist, 10 wins
Charlotte Mayorkas, UCLA, 2001-05
    3x 1st-team AA, 04 Pac-10 POY, 5 wins
Azahara Munoz, Arizona State, 2005-09
    2x 1st-team AA (2x 2nd-team), 08 NCAA medalist, 2x Cummings Award
Virada Nirapathpongporn, Duke, 2000-04
    4x 1st-team AA, 02 NCAA medalist, 02 ACC POY, 5 wins
Stacy Prammanasudh, Tulsa, 1998-2002
     4x 1st-team AA, 3x WAC POY, 10 wins
Lorena Ochoa, Arizona, 2000-02
    2x 1st-team AA, 02 Nat'l POY, 12 wins in 20 college starts
Alison Walshe, Boston College/Tulane/Arizona, 2004-08
    2x 1st-team AA, Conf. medalist in 3 conferences