NORMAN, Okla. - Junior Jonathan McEwen of the eighth-ranked Washington and Lee University men's golf team was named a finalist for the 2026 NCAA Division III Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced on Tuesday afternoon.
McEwen, who was the recipient of the prestigious award in 2025, is a finalist for the second-straight season. He has been ranked No. 1 in every Scoreboard Powered by Clipped ranking this season and has remained on top of Division III golf for 14 consecutive months, dating back to March 2025.
The Portsmouth, Va. native has finished inside the top-12 in every tournament this season while registering three wins including his second consecutive Old Dominion Athletic Conferene (ODAC) Championship on April 21. McEwen has earned various awards this season including the ODAC Player of the Year, First Team All-ODAC, PING All-Region while being selected to play in the Arnold Palmer Cup for Team USA. He looks to become the second multi-time Division III Nicklaus Award recipient, first since Hope College's (Mich.) Josh Gibson (2018-2019).
2026 Jack Nicklaus Award Finalists
Jack Burr, Huntingdon College
Jackson Hiller, Oglethorpe University
Jonathan McEwen, Washington and Lee
Kevin Mu, Emory University
Joshua Wang, Carnegie Mellon
All five finalists are competing this week at the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship at Mission Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
Nicklaus, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion at Ohio State, helped inspire and create the Jack Nicklaus Award in 1988. The award is now presented to the National Player of the Year in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.
About the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday
The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday is held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The Tournament, founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, is conducted each year with three goals in mind: to honor the memory of individuals living and deceased who have distinguished themselves in the game of golf; to showcase the world's best golfers competing on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators; and to benefit many Greater Columbus Charities in alliance with the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and numerous other local organizations. For more information, visit www.thememorialtournament.com or call 614-889-6700.
About Workday
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workday.com.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
