The collegiate golf system provides a competitive and structured environment where players can hone their skills, compete at a high level, and receive top-notch coaching. The system offers exposure to diverse courses, conditions, and opponents, fostering adaptability. Additionally, the NCAA tournaments attract attention from scouts and sponsors, increasing visibility for promising talents. The emphasis on academics ensures a well-rounded education, enhancing players’ long-term prospects. Overall, collegiate golf not only refines golfing prowess but also instills discipline, resilience, and valuable experiences, preparing athletes for the challenges of professional golf.
SwingU College Player of the Month
The SwingU College Player of the Month are decided by a voting committee made up of coaches from their respective divisions. There are seven divisions—NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, HBCU, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA Division I, and NJCAA Division II.
The players below are the October 2023 SwingU College Player of the Month recipients (announced in partnership by SwingU and the Golf Coaches Association of America).
October Players of the Month
- Omar Morales, UCLA (Division I)
- Sam Tandy, Harding (Division II),
- Gonzalo Moreno, Alabama State (HBCU)
- Cameron Cappuzzo, Methodist (Division III)
- Tom Scullion, Cumberland (TN) (NAIA)
- Gaspar Glaudas, Indian Hills (NJCAA Division I)
- Will Thompson, East Central (NJCAA Division II)
Playing as an individual, Omar Morales recorded 12 birdies, including 10 during the final two rounds, and a five-under 211 (69-69-73) for a T5 finish at the Hamptons Intercollegiate October 2-3. The junior from Puebla, Mexico followed with 15 birdies and an 11-under 205 (68-68-69) for his second career collegiate medal at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate October 13-15, earning him Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Week honors. With 16 birdies, including 12 during the first two rounds, and a nine-under 207 (70-68-69), Morales finished one shot back at the Cal Poly Invitational October 30-31 and with a 69.22 monthly scoring average.
Sam Tandy recorded 15 birdies, including eight during his second-round 66, and one eagle in his nine-under 207 (71-66-70), third-place finish at the Battle for the Belt October 2-3. The senior from Fayetteville, Ark., then used 16 birdies, including five during his bogey-free opening-round 65, and an 11-under 199 (65-66-68) for a one-stroke victory at the NCAA Regional Preview October 16-17, his third career individual win. After receiving Great American Conference (GAC) Men’s Golfer of the Week honors on October 19, Tandy closed the month with 13 birdies, one eagle, and a three-under 207 (70-68-69) for a T4 finish at the DBU Fall Classic October 23-24, bringing his monthly scoring average to 68.11.
Gonzalo Moreno began his October with six birdies and an even-par 140 (70-70) to finish T5 at the SAS DI HBCU Invitational October 14-15, helping the Hornets to a second-place finish. The graduate student from Seville, Spain concluded the month with 13 birdies, including six in his opening-round 69, and a four-under 212 (69-72-71) for a three-stroke victory at the Alabama A&M Invitational October 23-24 that led Alabama State to a 19-stroke team win. The performance earned Moreno Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men’s Golfer of the Week honors and allowed him to finish October with a 70.40 monthly scoring average.
At the Tartan Invitational October 9-10 against a field with 14 teams ranked or receiving votes in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll, Cameron Cappuzzo used seven birdies that aided his five-over 221 (72-72-77) to finish one shot back and earn USA South Men’s Golfer of the Week recognition. The senior from Fort Mill, S.C., then recorded 18 birdies, including eight during his opening-round 66, for a 10-under 203 (66-71-66) at the Golfweek October Classic October 15-17 to claim the two-stroke individual victory and his second straight USA South Men’s Golfer of the Week honor while leading the top-ranked Monarchs to their 17-stroke team win. Lastly, against 16 teams ranked or receiving votes, Cappuzzo carded 18 birdies, including 14 during the last two rounds, to record a six-under 210 (71-71-68) that was good for second place at the NCAA Division III Fall Preview October 29-31. Methodist won the tournament by 26 strokes after a program-record 22-under par final round and Cappuzzo finished the month with a 70.44 scoring average.
Tom Scullion recorded three wins in three tournaments, a 71.25 monthly scoring average, and three Mid-South Conference (MSC) Men’s Golfer of the Week honors in October. The sophomore from Wiltshire, England began the month carding 13 birdies, including eight during his final-round 66, the tournament’s lowest round, for a one-over 217 (73-78-66) and playoff victory at the NAIA National Preview October 2-3 that included a field with 14 teams ranked in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll. He then used 12 birdies and a four-under 212 (73-70-69) to win by one stroke at the Gibson Bay Invite October 23-24 and concluded the month with six birdies, a three-under 141 (73-68), and another one-stroke victory at the MSC Fall Preview October 30-31.
In a tournament hosted by NCAA Division I’s Omaha, Gaspar Glaudas carded 13 birdies and a six-under 210 (68-74-68) at the Big O Classic October 2-3 for a five-stroke victory, the third win of his career and first of the season. The sophomore from Sainte-Tulle, France, who also earned NJCAA Division I SwingU College Player of the Month honors in April, then recorded 11 birdies, including five and one eagle during his final-round 66, to finish fourth with a six-under 213 (74-73-66) at the Throw Down Up Top October 10-11 against a field entirely of NCAA Division I teams. His month closed with 10 birdies and a one-under 212 (69-74-69) to finish T8 at the Thunderbird National Preview October 23-24, good enough for a 70.55 monthly scoring average and three straight Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) DI Men’s Golfer of the Week recognitions.
Will Thompson used 11 birdies and a nine-under 135 (68-67) at the ECCC Invitational (MACCC #2) October 2-3 to win by six strokes for his first collegiate victory. The freshman from Shucktown, Miss., then recorded eight birdies in his nine-over 153 (78-75) to finish T5 at the Jones College Invitational October 16-17 before carding 12 birdies and an even-par 216 (74-70-72) for a three-stroke win at the Gulf Coast Invitational October 30-31. In all, Thompson concluded the month with a 72.00 scoring average to lead the Warriors.
Previous 2023 SwingU College Player of the Month Recipients
September 2023
- NCAA Division I: Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech
- NCAA Division II: Sangha Park, UT Permian Basin
- HBCU: Micah Stangebye, Kentucky State
- NCAA Division III: Jackson Klutznick, Emory
- NAIA: Jack Whaley, Dalton State
- NJCAA Division I: Oscar Holm Bredkjaer, Midland
- NJCAA Division II: Lucas Park, Parkland
April 2023
- NCAA Division I: Caleb Surratt, Tennessee
- NCAA Division II: Charles DeLong, Grand Valley State
- HBCU: Patrick Mwendapole, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- NCAA Division III: J.F. Aber, Wittenberg
- NAIA: Jakob Stavang Stubhaug, Keiser
- NJCAA Division I: Gaspar Glaudas, Indian Hills
- NJCAA Division II: Kolby Shackelford, Kirkwood
March 2023
- NCAA Division I: Ben Carr, Georgia Southern
- NCAA Division II: Beck Burnette, Lee
- HBCU: Caden Hodges, Fayetteville State
- NCAA Division III: Alex Price, Christopher Newport
- NAIA: Kade Cannon, St. Thomas (FL)
- NJCAA Division I: Matthis Lefèvre, New Mexico JC
- NJCAA Division II: Chase Kaiser, Mississippi Gulf Coast
February 2023
- NCAA Division I: Gordon Sargent, Vanderbilt
- NCAA Division II: Reece Coleman, Anderson (SC)
- HBCU: Gregory Odom Jr., Howard
- NCAA Division III: Vikram Chatterjee, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
- NAIA: Isac Wallin, Keiser
- NJCAA Division I: Matthis Lefèvre, New Mexico JC
- NJCAA Division II: Chase Kaiser, Mississippi Gulf Coast
Joint sponsor SwingU is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, SwingU is a sports technology and media company focused on golf game improvement. The company owns and operates the top-rated golf game-improvement app across GPS, scorecard, statistics, and instruction. SwingU Clubhouse publishes an email newsletter reaching hundreds of thousands of golfers daily. Lastly, SwingU Coach offers the ultimate coaching & statistics platform for both golf teams and academies.
Joint sponsor Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) became established in 1958, The GCAA is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic, and civic endeavors.
This was first published in Essential Golf – you can read the complete magazine here.