Gomez Earns Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award

Nova Southeastern junior men’s golfer Santiago Gomez has earned another postseason accolade, this time Division II’s top individual honor as the recipient of the 2015 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol, honoring the best at each collegiate level.

Gomez (Armenia, Colombia) finished the Sharks’ National Championship season as the No. 1-ranked player in all of DII, and as both the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year and a member of the PING All-American First Team. He placed fifth or better In 10 out of 11 events this season, and won each of his match play rounds at nationals, including draining the clinching birdie putt to give NSU the title. He and the other Nicklaus National POY winners will be honored by Jack Nicklaus himself on June 7 at 10 a.m., during the final round of the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin.

“It is an amazing feeling to be the recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Award,” said Gomez. “I feel very proud because I have accomplished the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the season. Getting an award from one of the biggest legends in the game is something every golfer desires, and something my family and I feel very proud of.

“I want to first thank God, who always guides me and helps me make the best decisions on and off the golf course. I also would like to thank my family, coach, and teammates, all of whom supported me throughout the year. Without their support, it would have been impossible to get such an important award.”

Gomez is the second golfer in NSU men’s history to earn this award, and is being honored this weekend along with fellow 2015 winners Maverick McNealy (DI, Stanford), Anthony Maccaglia (DIII, Oglethorpe), Sean Elliott (NAIA, Dalton State) and Kerry Sweeney (NJCAA, Eastern Florida State).

In addition to receiving this prestigious prize, this group of five will compete against one another on Saturday at the Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, and the player with the lowest score will earn exemption into an upcoming PGA Tour event. The 18-hole playoff begins at 12:10 p.m., with the winner granted entry into the Barbasol Championship, to be held July 16-19 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Opelika, Alabama.

“I am very happy for Santiago,” said men’s golf head coach Ryan Jamison. “All season he has been the most consistent player in college golf. He has been an exceptional leader, and I was so excited to see the season come to an end with a National Championship. He’s such a team player, and deserves all the recognition he has received because of his leadership and play.”

About Barbasol:
Barbasol, America’s #1 Men’s Shaving Cream brand was introduced as the first “brushless” tube of shaving cream in 1919. Currently offered in 7 varieties, Original, Soothing Aloe, Pacific Rush, Sensitive Skin, Skin Conditioner, Arctic Chill and Mountain Blast, Barbasol continues to be made in America and is available at major retailers nationwide. Barbasol is owned by Dublin, Ohio based Perio Inc. For more information about Barbasol, please visit barbasol.com.