Suh is No. 1 collegiate golfer


By
 in ,

Senior Justin Suh reached what is arguably the peak of his young career so far, as he became the No. 1 ranked golfer on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, ousting previously top-ranked Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss. Suh entered the season ranked second behind Thornberry, but took over the top spot after top-10 finishes in both of the Trojans’ matches this season.

In the Fighting Illini Invitational in mid-September, Suh finished in fourth place at 2-under-par while leading the Trojans to a second place finish in the tournament. Just a couple weeks later, Suh placed 10th overall at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational to lead the team to a ninth-place finish. Suh’s efforts have helped USC move up 13 places in the Division I rankings from No. 20 as they currently sit in seventh.  

In his past 12 tournaments, Suh has performed consistently at a competitive level, securing 11 top-10 finishes. Suh was named an All-American last year and was also the 2018 Pac-12 Player of the Year. In the process, Suh broke USC records for lowest stroke average and most rounds under 70. He looks to be a finalist for prestigious collegiate awards such as the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Fred Haskins Award, all of which he contended for last year.

Outside of his contributions to USC, Suh has gained attention in the WAGR due to his impressive performances on the amateur scene. Just before the start of the college golf season, Suh placed third at the Eisenhower Trophy tournament in Ireland, finishing under 70 in all four days of the tournament. Suh also placed first in the Northeast Amateur Invitational in June, finishing under 68 in all four rounds of play.  

Suh is inching closer to qualification into the PGA tour and earning the No. 1 ranking for the WAGR has helped his case even more.