University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Omar Morales (left) and Luke Powell (right)
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Morales, Powell Named to Hogan Award Watch List
February 09, 2024 | Men's Golf
FORT WORTH, Texas – UCLA men's golfers Omar Morales and Luke Powell were named to the 40-player 2024 Ben Hogan Award Watch List. The joint announcement was made by the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Friday morning.
The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award annually awards the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months.
UCLA is one of seven programs with multiple student-athletes selected to the Watch List. This marks UCLA's first Watch List selections since Jonathan Garrick who was honored his senior season in 2015-16. Morales and Powell look to become the second Bruin to win The Hogan Award after Patrick Cantlay earned the honor in 2012.
The selections are UCLA's first under head coach Armen Kirakossian, who is in just his second year with the program.
Morales and Powell lead the Bruins with four top-10 finishes each this season. They both won a tournament during UCLA's Fall 2023 season.
Powell won the first medal of his career in just his second collegiate event at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, finishing with a score of 17-under 199 (64-67-68). Powell's 17-under was the second lowest 54-hole score in relation to par in program history and his total score of 199 is tied for the third lowest 54-hole mark in program history. His bogey-free, 8-under 64 in the first round is tied with Cantlay, Garrick and Steve Conway for the lowest 18-hole score by a UCLA freshman. Powell is the top-ranked freshman and No. 7-ranked player in the NCAA, according to Scoreboard powered by Clippd. The freshman from Laguna Niguel, Calif. has shot under par in 10 of his 15 rounds this season and leads UCLA with a 69.8 scoring average. His other top-10 placements came at the Husky Invitational (3rd, -10), The Cal Poly Invitational (t-3rd, -8) and Southwestern Invitational (t-9th, -5).
Morales is a close second behind Powell with a 70.2 scoring average. The Puebla, Mexico native won his second collegiate medal and first of the 2023-24 season at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate where he shot 11-under 205 (68-68-69). Morales has shot under par in 11 of his last 13 rounds, and has shot under par in nine consecutive rounds. His three other top-10 finishes came at the Hamptons Intercollegiate (t-5th, -5), The Cal Poly Invitational (2nd, -9) and the Southwestern Invitational (8th, -6).
Powell and Morales' victories marked the first time the Bruins won two individual medals in the fall portion of their schedule since the 2012-13 season (Garrick and Pontus Widegren). Powell and Morales have been UCLA's top finishers in all four of UCLA's stroke play tournaments this season.
This year's list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the watch list, will be unveiled Friday, April 19. That group will be pared down to three finalists on Thursday, May 2.
The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Ben Hogan Award annually awards the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months.
UCLA is one of seven programs with multiple student-athletes selected to the Watch List. This marks UCLA's first Watch List selections since Jonathan Garrick who was honored his senior season in 2015-16. Morales and Powell look to become the second Bruin to win The Hogan Award after Patrick Cantlay earned the honor in 2012.
The selections are UCLA's first under head coach Armen Kirakossian, who is in just his second year with the program.
Morales and Powell lead the Bruins with four top-10 finishes each this season. They both won a tournament during UCLA's Fall 2023 season.
Powell won the first medal of his career in just his second collegiate event at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, finishing with a score of 17-under 199 (64-67-68). Powell's 17-under was the second lowest 54-hole score in relation to par in program history and his total score of 199 is tied for the third lowest 54-hole mark in program history. His bogey-free, 8-under 64 in the first round is tied with Cantlay, Garrick and Steve Conway for the lowest 18-hole score by a UCLA freshman. Powell is the top-ranked freshman and No. 7-ranked player in the NCAA, according to Scoreboard powered by Clippd. The freshman from Laguna Niguel, Calif. has shot under par in 10 of his 15 rounds this season and leads UCLA with a 69.8 scoring average. His other top-10 placements came at the Husky Invitational (3rd, -10), The Cal Poly Invitational (t-3rd, -8) and Southwestern Invitational (t-9th, -5).
Morales is a close second behind Powell with a 70.2 scoring average. The Puebla, Mexico native won his second collegiate medal and first of the 2023-24 season at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate where he shot 11-under 205 (68-68-69). Morales has shot under par in 11 of his last 13 rounds, and has shot under par in nine consecutive rounds. His three other top-10 finishes came at the Hamptons Intercollegiate (t-5th, -5), The Cal Poly Invitational (2nd, -9) and the Southwestern Invitational (8th, -6).
Powell and Morales' victories marked the first time the Bruins won two individual medals in the fall portion of their schedule since the 2012-13 season (Garrick and Pontus Widegren). Powell and Morales have been UCLA's top finishers in all four of UCLA's stroke play tournaments this season.
This year's list of 10 semifinalists, which could include individuals not on the watch list, will be unveiled Friday, April 19. That group will be pared down to three finalists on Thursday, May 2.
Players Mentioned
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