Nathaniel James ’08, ’11L is, simply put, one of the greatest golfers to ever compete for Washington and Lee University.
James played every round in which the Generals competed across his four seasons, winning nine collegiate tournaments and earning All-America honors three times. He posted a 73.8 career scoring average over his 94 competitive rounds played.
James burst onto the scene as a first-year in the fall of 2004, shooting even-par and tying for third overall in his first career tournament. He completed the season by tying for second at the ODAC Championship en route to earning First Team All-ODAC and ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels. James’ 74.9 average led the team and ranked second in the conference. He went on to receive the W&L Outstanding First-Year Male Athlete Award.
He opened his sophomore campaign with his first collegiate win, shooting -3 to take the Ted Keller Invitational. James posted two more wins that season and tied for seventh at the ODAC Championship to earn First Team All-ODAC honors and the ODAC Golfer of the Year Award. He was selected to compete in the 2006 NCAA Division III Championship, shooting 80-78-72-78—308 (+24) to place in a tie for 34th overall. He posted a 73.9 scoring average and was named First Team All-South Region and Third Team All-America, W&L’s first All-American in 14 years.
James’ junior season began with another win at the Ted Keller Invitational. He won two more times that season and tied for third at the ODAC Championship. He once again earned First Team All-ODAC honors and was named the ODAC Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year. James earned his second straight invitation to the NCAA Championship, placing in a tie for 19th with scores of 75-75-78-79—307 (+19). Following the season, he earned First Team All-South Region and First Team All-America honors after recording a 74.0 stroke average. He was also named to the Scholar All-America team.
As a senior, James produced one of the best seasons ever by a Division III golfer. He claimed three more event victories, including the 2008 ODAC individual title while leading the Generals to the team championship for the first time in nine years. W&L went on to finish 16th at NCAA’s, while James tied for third overall with scores of 73-74-72-73—292 (+8). He earned his fourth straight First Team All-ODAC citation and was honored as the ODAC Golfer of the Year and ODAC Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year for a second time. James led Division III with a 72.6 stroke average and repeated as a First Team All-South Region, First Team All-American and Scholar All-American.
Additionally, James became the first Division III golfer to win the prestigious Byron Nelson Award, which is based on the entire academic and golf career, along with character and integrity while in college. He added CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America honors and received the 2008 Doc Jopson Award as the top male scholar-athlete in the ODAC.
Shortly following the completion of his intercollegiate career, James was selected to the Golf Coaches Association of America’s inaugural All-Nicklaus Team, honoring the 20 best collegiate male golfers. The group also included future PGA professionals Jonas Blixt, Ricky Fowler, Kevin Chappell and Webb Simpson.
