May 2, 2003
NORMAN, Okla. - The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) has announced that Northwestern's Bjorn Widerstedt (Vasteras, Sweden/Carlforsska Gymnasiet) is one of five finalists for the 2003 Byron Nelson Award presented by Cleveland Golf, in cooperation with the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.
The other four finalists for the 2003 Nelson include Old Dominion's Geoff Harris, Troy Matteson of Georgia Tech, NC State's Justin Walters and Brant Wanner of Wake Forest. Candidates for the Nelson must be a graduating senior and the selection committee will consider equally a nominee's entire collegiate academic career, entire collegiate golf career and his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration will be given to a nominee's good citizenship, as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and golf career.
Widerstedt has posted three top-10 and three top-20 finishes in 10 tournaments this season. A transfer in his second season at Northwestern, Widerstedt tied for first at the 2000 NAIA National Championships and earned NAIA All-America honors while competing at Flagler College. A 2002 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar, Widerstedt was the recipient of the 2003 Anderson Scholarship, which is awarded annually to one female and one male student-athlete at Northwestern. He is also active in Northwestern community service events, including Field Day.
Harris helped lead Old Dominion to the 2003 Colonial Athletic Association championship and claimed medallist honors. The 2002 CAA Player of the Year, Harris is a three-time ODU team MVP and holds the lowest scoring average in school history. He has three career tournament wins and has represented Britain in the Palmer Cup. A two-time CAA Scholar Athlete, Harris was named the 2003 Old Dominion Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and a 2002 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar. A member of ODU's Student Athlete Mentor Program, CAA First Tee program and ODU Reach, Harris is majoring in sports management.
The 2003 Palmer Award winner, Matteson became the first Georgia Tech golfer to win the NCAA individual title since the event changed to a team format. A two-time PING All-American and two-time All-ACC selection, Matteson has earned medallist honors five times in his career and has five top-10 finishes this season. A Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar last season, Matteson is majoring civil engineering and has been named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll three times.
Walters is in his second season at after transferring from Huntingdon College in Alabama. While at Huntingdon, Walters won the 2001 NAIA National Championship and earned All-America honors twice. At NC State, he has earned All-ACC honors and was named a PING Third-Team All-American last season. Walters' career stroke average currently ranks first in NC State history and he owns the school tournament scoring record. Walters has won medallist honors three times at NC State and has finished in the top five in five events this season. A 2002 Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar and ACC Honor Roll selection, Walters is majoring in business management.
A three-time All-ACC selection, Wanner is one of just four Deacon golfers in school history to achieve such a feat. Wanner Has won three career collegiate events - The Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational in March with a career-best 207 (-9), the 2001 Preview and 2000 Duke Classic. He was named GolfWorld's College Player of the Week on April 4 and owns 10 top-20 finishes and eight top-10 showings this season. A mathematical economics major, Wanner has consistently been named to the WFU Dean's List and ACC Honor Roll and was Wake Forest's Student-Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002.
The recipient of the 2003 Nelson Award will be named at the GCAA Division I National Awards Banquet on the evening of May 30. Jason Allred of Pepperdine was the inaugural Nelson recipient last year.