Arizona State golfer Jon Rahm collects second consecutive Hogan Award

Arizona State golfer Jon Rahm began Monday with a trip to the doctor to deal with an apparent virus. He capped it with an unprecedented accomplishment.

Rahm, a senior, became the first player selected as winner of the Ben Hogan Award in consecutive seasons to kick off tournament week activities at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational. Rahm, winner of four college events this year, received the nod from selection committee voters over fellow finalists Beau Hossler (Texas) and Maverick McNealy (Stanford) in a live awards ceremony Monday night at Colonial Country Club. The Hogan Award is presented annually to the nation’s top college golfer.

Rahm, a native of Barrika, Spain, tops three of the four primary ranking systems used to gauge college golfers and has won his past two tournaments: the Pac-12 Men’s Championship (May 1) and the NCAA Albuquerque Regional (May 18). Rahm is the top-ranked player in the Golfweek/Sagarin college rankings and also holds the top spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.

Rahm also posted the lowest season scoring average among the finalists (69.51), although Hossler led the nation in victories at college tournaments (5) and owns the top head-to-head match record against fellow top-25 college golfers, at 22-1.

“Obviously, to be the first guy to repeat makes it a magical night,” said Rahm, who also won the 2015 Hogan Award. “Just to know there has never been a two-time winner and for it to turn out to be someone like me, from a small town in Spain, to be the first one to do such a thing is definitely very important and very special. I’m very proud of myself.”

Rahm said this year’s honor, which includes a sponsor’s exemption into the 2017 tournament at Colonial, holds extra significance because he chose to return for his senior season after promising his parents that he would complete his college degree before pursuing a career in professional golf. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications earlier this month.

“To be able to get my degree, and make good on that promise to my parents, is just a huge accomplishment,” said Rahm, who plans to begin his professional career after competing as an amateur in next month’s U.S. Open. A student of golf history, Rahm said he embraces his place in the lore of the Ben Hogan Award and his connection with the late Fort Worth golf legend who is the award’s namesake.

“I’m a golf history fanatic,” Rahm said. “To be linked with such an important person in the world of golf, it kind of gives me the shakes. It gives me goosebumps. It’s very, very special.”

The Hogan Award has been presented at Colonial as part of tournament week activities since 2002, with several recipients still active on the 2016 PGA Tour. The list includes defending Colonial champ Chris Kirk, winner of the 2007 Hogan Award.

Golfers crowned in Fort Worth as Hogan Award recipients include D.J. Trahan (Clemson, 2002); co-winners Ricky Barnes (Arizona, 2003) and Hunter Mahan (Oklahoma State, 2003); Bill Haas (Wake Forest, 2004); Ryan Moore (UNLV, 2005); Matt Every (Florida, 2006); Kirk (Georgia, 2007); Rickie Fowler (Oklahoma State, 2008); Kyle Stanley (Clemson, 2009); Nick Taylor (Washington, 2010); Peter Uihlein (Oklahoma State, 2011); Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, 2012); Chris Williams (Washington, 2013); Patrick Rodgers (Stanford, 2014) and Rahm (Arizona State, 2015-16).

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Arizona State golfer Jon Rahm collects second consecutive Hogan Award."