One day he may be putting on the green jacket at the Masters, but Friday afternoon, sophomore Patrick Cantlay was content with lifting the Fred Haskins Award for Most Outstanding Collegiate Golfer of the Year.
Even the uncharacteristic pouring rain could not put a damper on the celebration of Cantlay’s accomplishment.
The presentation in Bruin Plaza was met with fanfare, including television crews, fans and the UCLA band.
With the achievement, Cantlay adds his name to a list of Haskins Award winners that boasts golfers such as Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
“It’s an honor to put your name on the same trophy as those guys,” Cantlay said.
“I think it shows how impressive college golfers can be and what they eventually become if they go pro.”
Cantlay receives this honor after leading the No. 8 UCLA men’s golf team to four tournament wins last season as well as winning numerous national awards, and claiming the title of No. 1 amateur golfer in the world.
Friday marked the second time in four years that a UCLA golfer has received the Haskins Award under coach Derek Freeman. The other was in 2008 when Kevin Chappell won.
“Each and every time we’re looking for these guys to have great years,” Freeman said.
“It continues to show that our program does it the right way and continues to build by getting the players that fit into what we do here at UCLA.”
Although the Haskins Award belongs solely to Cantlay, playing on an elite team has certainly been a contributor to his success.
“Of course golf is an individual sport and you play your own ball,” said junior Pedro Figueiredo, a teammate of Cantlay.
“But being on a team helps: We try to support him every time and I think we create a good environment to play well.”
Cantlay contributes to the team atmosphere as well, leading by example with his work ethic and attitude on and off the golf course.
“(Cantlay) is a very mature person and handles himself extremely well on the course,” Freeman said.
“Patrick wants to be on the PGA Tour someday, so he’s out there every single day working hard and doing what he needs to do to be successful and reach his goals.”
Despite experiencing a multitude of individual success, Cantlay still hasn’t lost sight of his team’s ultimate goal: finishing the season as the No. 1 team in the country, a goal that the Bruins fell short of accomplishing last season after losing in the NCAA Championship.
“It all goes toward (the NCAA Championship),” Cantlay said.
“That’s really what we work toward all year as a team, and hopefully we’re peaking by then.”