Jackson Koivun, Ben James, Preston Stout Named Finalists for 2026 Ben Hogan Award

Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, Virginia’s Ben James and Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout were named finalists for the 2026 Ben Hogan Award presented by Baird, recognizing the top player in college golf across NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA competition.

The winner will be announced May 25 at the TCU Legends Club in Fort Worth, Texas during the award’s annual presentation dinner.

Koivun became just the second golfer in Ben Hogan Award history to earn finalist status three times. The Auburn junior enters NCAA Regionals after a dominant spring that included six collegiate victories and three straight wins. He also captured his third consecutive SEC individual championship, becoming the first golfer since 1967 to accomplish the feat. Koivun owns a 67.88 scoring average across 33 rounds with 24 rounds in the 60s.

The Chapel Hill native also impressed outside collegiate competition. Koivun posted four top 12 finishes in five PGA TOUR appearances, highlighted by top five finishes at the Procore Championship and Wyndham Championship.

James became the first player from Virginia to reach Ben Hogan Award finalist status. The Cavaliers standout recorded top five finishes in all nine regular season starts and shared medalist honors at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational during the fall season. He finished the regular season with a 69.11 scoring average and 16 rounds under 70.

James also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Western Amateur and reached the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur after finishing fifth in stroke play qualifying.

Stout earned finalist recognition for the first time following a standout season at Oklahoma State. The Big 12 Player of the Year won four collegiate events, including a third straight Big 12 Championship title, becoming the first golfer in conference history to win the event three consecutive times.

The Richardson, Texas native carries a 69.00 scoring average over 34 rounds and has won three of his last four starts entering postseason competition.

The Ben Hogan Award is presented annually by Fort Worth Colonial Charities, the Friends of Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America. Past recipients include Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Rickie Fowler, Ludvig Aberg and Luke Clanton.

Source: Ben Hogan Award Release