NORMAN, Okla. – Finalists have been named for the 2025 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America on Tuesday afternoon. The award is given to five outstanding collegiate golfers from outside the United States, one each for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA. Georgia Southwestern State University senior Felipe Gomez was named one of the five finalists for the NCAA Division II award.
Gomez, the 2024-25 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, earned his first All-Region and All-American awards earlier this spring. He joined the GSW golf team for the spring semester and made an immediate impact, winning the Lincoln Memorial University Spring Kickoff in his first tournament with three rounds in the 60s. Gomez played in all eight events this spring on the regular season schedule for the Hurricanes, finishing in the top five on five occasions with a PBC-best 70.58 stroke average. A native of Santander, Spain, Gomez entered the NCAA National Championships as the top-ranked golfer in the southeast region and No. 4 in the nation according to the NCAA Division II computer rankings by Scoreboard. He finished the year having played 18 of his 27 rounds at or under par.
Gomez is the first Hurricane golfer to be a finalist for the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award. He was the 12th Hurricane golfer to earn All-American accolades since GSW joined the NCAA in 2006-07. The program has produced 18 All-Americans overall during that time with five golfers earning multiple awards.
The finalists by division for the 2025 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award are:
Division I:
Josele Ballester, Arizona State (Spain)
Daniel Bennett, Texas (South Africa)
Algot Kleen, LSU (Sweden)
Phichaksn Maichon, Texas A&M (Thailand)
Christiaan Maas, Texas (South Africa)
Division II:
Sungyeop Cho, Colorado Christian (South Korea)
Felipe Gomez, Georgia Southwestern (Spain)
Leandro Mihaich, Oklahoma Christian (Argentina)
Oskari Nikku, Oklahoma Christian (Finland)
Sangha Park, Colorado Christian (South Korea)
Division III:
Elias Becker, Sewanee (Mexico)
Justin Chan, Carnegie Mellon (England)
Watcharakan Chankarn, Greensboro (Thailand)
NAIA:
Adam Buchanan, Keiser (Northern Ireland)
Grant Ferreira, Southwestern Christian (South Africa)
Rio Saigal, Lindsey Wilson (England)
Vedant Sirohi, Webber International (India)
Jack Whaley, Dalton State (England)
NJCAA:
Charlie Box, Hutchinson (England)
Gabriele Bravin, Heartland (Italy)
Adam Bresnu, Odessa (Morocco)
Stanley Campbell, Mississippi Gulf Coast (England)
Jorge Parada, South Mountain (Mexico)
Scott Spark, Midland (Scotland)
Considered one of golf's "Big Three" with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player has left an everlasting impact on the game of golf by being a worldwide ambassador, philanthropist, and golf course designer. One of only six golfers to win the career grand slam, Player has continuously used his position to improve the lives of others in a positive way as a humanitarian and has focused strongly on education for the underprivileged. He is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which celebrates sport's ability to create positive change in the world. Player's outstanding career has included 165 professional wins on six continents over seven decades and was acknowledged with being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, the PGA TOUR's Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to Golf in 2012, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.
The Gary Player Award is selected by GCAA International member coaches with representation from around the world.
About FlightScope
FlightScope is the industry leader and pioneer in tracking and analyzing sports performance data. The company was founded in 1989 when its proprietary technology was originally used to track projectiles for the defense industry. Turning its attention to the world of sports, FlightScope has introduced a variety of innovations to help improve athletic performance in multiple sports categories, including golf, baseball, softball, tennis, athletics, and cricket. For the accuracy you demand, FlightScope technology gives you performance data you can trust.
For more information, please visit www.flightscope.com.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men's collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA's mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic, and civic endeavors.