Junior Cameron Peck (Olympia, Wash.) earned the prestigious Most Valuable Player Award in a vote of his teammates. An All-Big 12 honoree, Peck led the team with a 72.06 stroke average before his season was cut short prematurely by a back injury that will cause him to miss the postseason. He finished in the top 10 five times and recorded a team-best 18 par or better rounds. Peck recorded five of the Aggies' eight best rounds of the year.
Senior Geoff Shaw (Edmond, Okla.) was named the Most Improved Player in a vote of his teammates. Shaw has been a catalyst to A&M's strong spring, closing the semester with five straight top-15 finishes. He nailed down his first career victory at The Woodlands All-American Intercollegiate in April, shooting an 11-under 205-a score that ranks as one of the top 10 individual tournament showings in school history.
True freshman Ty Dunlap (Westlake, Texas) was named by his teammates as the Newcomer of the Year. Appearing in 10 tournaments, Dunlap recorded five top-20 finishes and carded 16 par or better rounds. He was the last man standing on the course at the Big 12 Championship, and his two-foot par putt on the 18th hole clinched A&M's first conference title since 1987.
Junior Case Cochran (Paducah, Ky.) won the B.K. and Jane Watson Academic Achievement Award for the third consecutive season. An A&M Outstanding Scholar Athlete, Cochran is pursuing a degree in sport management.
Senior Jordan Russell (College Station) received the Coach Bob Ellis Leadership Award, which is named for the long-time Aggie golf coach who oversaw the A&M program for 28 seasons. An All-Big 12 selection, Russell ranks third on the team with a 72.60 stroke average and has placed in the top 10 of tournaments five times.
A&M is wrapping up another very successful season, having finished fifth or better in 11 of 12 tournaments this season and posting victories at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate and the Big 12 Championship.
The Aggies, who have finished second in three other tournaments, earned their 10th straight NCAA Regional bid and are the No. 3 seed in this weekend's upcoming Regional in Bowling Green, Ky. Action begins on Thursday, May 17 at The Club at Olde Stone, with the top five teams in the three-round event advancing to the NCAA Championship outside Los Angeles.
2011-12 TEXAS A&M MEN'S GOLF AWARD WINNERS
Most Valuable Player Cameron Peck
Most Improved Geoff Shaw
Newcomer of the Year Ty Dunlap
B.K. & Jane Watson Academic Achievement Case Cochran
Coach Bob Ellis Leadership Jordan Russell
Statistical Category Leaders
Best Driver Greg Yates (75.9% Fairways Hit)
Toughest Player in the World Cameron Peck (-.12 Bounce Back)
Best Putter in the World Johannes Veerman (1.765 Putts/GIR)
Best Scoring Average Cameron Peck (72.06)
Best Scrambler Ty Dunlap (66.5% Up/Down)
Best Ball Striker Greg Yates (68.3% GIR)