Haskins Award Winner 1979 & 1980
Golf's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy is the Fred Haskins Award, and BYU's Bobby Clampett won it twice in 1979 and 1980 while competing for the Cougars.
In college golf circles, you name it and Clampett won it—and often set a new course record while doing so. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that he was selected to the Walker Cup Team, the World Cup Team, and the NCAA All-Stars vs. Japan squad. Against the Japanese, the three-time All-American was voted MVP. He was also named the 1978 U.S. Amateur of the Year,
His victory at the 1978 World Amateur Team Championship in Fiji led team USA to the Eisenhower Cup and helped establish Clampett's ranking as the No. 1 amateur golfer in the world in 1978-79. That same year USGA-Golf Digest named Clampett U.S. Amateur of the Year. He was also Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year three times.
The wavy-haired wonder from Carmel, California, was the low amateur in both the U.S. Open and the Masters in 1978. At age 17 he was the youngest player to win a major college tournament at BYU.
Clampett turned professional in 1980, a year before his collegiate eligibility was complete. In three seasons, he led the Cougars to three top-four finishes at the NCAA Championships — second, fourth and fourth. Clampett left BYU having won 32 individual titles. In competitive rounds during his three years as a Cougar his stroke average was 71.1.
Since its formation in 1971, the Haskins Commission has presented the Fred Haskins Award annually to the outstanding college golfer in the nation. It was named in honor of Fred Haskins, a club pro that spent his life nurturing and mentoring amateur golfers. The commission, based in Columbus, Ga., oversees the voting conducted among college golfers, coaches and golf media.
Previous winners include some of the most recognized names in golf including Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell and many others.