Ben James, Virginia
Ben James is ranked No. 4 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, and for good reason. The freshman has won five times this season, more than any other Division I golfer, and shared medalist honors at the Las Vegas Regional. However, James hasn’t played as tough a schedule as others. That didn’t stop him from competing in a packed regional, and it shouldn’t be a shock to see him near the top of the leaderboard in the desert again.
Virginia’s Ben James poses with the trophy after winning the 2022 Streamsong Invitational in his first college start. (Photo: Virginia Athletics)
Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, Arkansas
The senior at Arkansas won the Latin America Amateur Championship earlier this year, and he got into the Masters because of the finish. Last year, he finished ninth at Grayhawk and was two shots out of the playoff. He finished T-11 at the Salem Regional and has had an up-and-down season, but he could find his groove and succeed again in the desert,
Drew Goodman, Oklahoma
Goodman, a sophomore, is trending. He doesn’t have a win this season in 11 starts, but he does have a 70.03 stroke average and five top-5 finishes. His best performance yet was last week at the Norman Regional, when he placed runner-up to Ludvig Aberg. He placed fifth at the Big 12 Championship and runner-up at the regional, so could he continue his upward trend?
Oklahoma’s Drew Goodman putts during the final round of the NCAA Norman Regional at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla., on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Photo: Nathan Fish, The Oklahoman)
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