St. Andrews, Scotland – Patrick Cantlay will become the fifth recipient of the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) at the culmination of the 2011 amateur summer season. Cantlay’s runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills this past weekend confirmed that he would stay at the top of the WAGR, a position he has held for 13 weeks.
Cantlay, from Los Alamitos, Calif., has enjoyed a stellar year that began at last year’s U.S. Amateur where he reached the semifinals as a high school student, losing to Peter Uihlein who went on to win the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the McCormack Medal. Now in his Sophomore year at UCLA, Cantlay has enjoyed a highly successful playing year winning numerous awards and accolades. In June he finished low amateur at the US Open Championship with a level par, four round score of 284 good enough to tie for 21st place.
It’s special. Any time you’re recognized as the best in your respective sport and level, it means a lot. I’m very honored to win this award, said Cantlay.
I’ve played well, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been really my first summer of playing high-profile tournaments, so it means a lot that I’ve been able to play well and compete.
Cantlay’s 2011 successes include a tie for 24th at the Travelers Championship, two weeks after the US Open, where he posted 60 in the second round – the lowest round ever scored by an Amateur on the PGA Tour. He also finished tied 20th at the AT&T Championship and tied ninth at the Canadian Open rounding off three made cuts in three appearances on the PGA Tour, and including his US Open performance, four top-25 finishes. On the Amateur circuit he won the SCGA (Southern California Golf Association) Amateur Championship and finished runner-up in the Western Amateur as well as his runner-up finish in the U.S. Amateur this past weekend.
Patrick Cantlay will be presented with the Mark H McCormack Medal at the Walker Cup being played at Royal Aberdeen Sept. 10-11.
WAGR
The World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) were established in 2007 when the Men’s ranking was launched. The Women’s ranking went live in 2011 and WAGR, which is now administered in partnership with the United States Golf Association, has quickly become recognized as the world’s pre-eminent amateur golf ranking system, with numerous event organizers using it as an entry criterion for their events.
The Mark H McCormack Medal
The Mark H McCormack Medal is awarded to the player ranked number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after the European Amateur Championship or U.S. Amateur Championship, whichever concludes the last. The award is named after Mark H McCormack, the late founder of sports marketing company IMG and an avid supporter of amateur golf.
Previous Winners: 2010 Peter Uihlein (USA), 2009 Nick Taylor (Canada), 2008 Danny Lee (New Zealand), 2007 Colt Knost (USA).
The R&A
Based in St Andrews, The R&A organizes The Open Championship, major amateur events and international matches. Together with the United States Golf Association, The R&A governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The R&A’s working jurisdiction is global, excluding the United States and Mexico.
The R&A is committed to working for golf and supports the growth of the game internationally and the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. The R&A operates with the consent of 143 organizations from the amateur and professional game and on behalf of over thirty million golfers in 128 countries.