Three Named 2021 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars
Aug 02 | Men's Golf
NORMAN, Okla. – Christopher Gotterup, Xavier Marcoux and Oliver Whatley were named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for the 2020-21 season. All three earned 2021 Academic All-Big Ten accolades this past spring, while Marcoux also collected 2021 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar recognition.
This is the second consecutive season Rutgers men's golf landed three individuals on the GCAA All-America team, as Gotterup, Whatley and Shayler Dance earned honors last year. To be eligible for Division I Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior, must participate in 40-percent of his team's competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 76.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
One of the top individuals in program history, Gotterup wrapped up his final season at Rutgers with a top-20 finish at the 2021 NCAA Kingston Springs East Regional earlier this month, the first time the program had representation at NCAA Regionals since 2005. A three-time All-Big Ten selection and 2020 All-American, Gotterup recorded a tied-for-sixth result at the 2021 Big Ten Championships in Carmel, Indiana – highlighted by his tournament-low four-under-par 68 in the final round to secure second-team all-conference recognition. Gotterup also earned first-team laurels last spring and second-team accolades as a sophomore in 2019. The Little Silver, New Jersey, native was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2020 and also collected the league's Les Bolstad Award, given to the lowest conference stroke average that season.
A 2021 Big Ten Player to Watch, Marcoux finished his sophomore season with a 74.95 scoring average across 20 rounds and seven tournaments. Marcoux registered a tied-for-16 result at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate on April 3 and opened the 2021 spring campaign with individuals wins over opponents from Maryland, Nebraska and Wisconsin at the Big Ten Match Play Championship in Palm Coast, Florida. Marcoux will compete at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship from Aug. 9-15 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
Whatley finished the 2021 season with six rounds of even or below-par golf, highlighted by back-to-back below-par rounds at the Kiawah Invitational to open the stroke play season. Whatley also added a head-to-head victory against Ohio State to help Rutgers to a 3.5-1.5 win over the Buckeyes at the 2021 Big Ten Match Play Championship in February and finished the stroke play season with a 74.33 scoring average.
Under head coach Rob Shutte, Rutgers wrapped up the season as the top ranked program in the Northeast Region – according to Golfstat – and No. 95 in the country after the 2021 spring campaign. Three RU student-athletes – Gotterup, Whatley and sophomore Luke Wells – landed on the PING All-Region team. The three all-region selections were the most in a single season in program history. In addition, seven student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
This is the second consecutive season Rutgers men's golf landed three individuals on the GCAA All-America team, as Gotterup, Whatley and Shayler Dance earned honors last year. To be eligible for Division I Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior, must participate in 40-percent of his team's competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 76.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
One of the top individuals in program history, Gotterup wrapped up his final season at Rutgers with a top-20 finish at the 2021 NCAA Kingston Springs East Regional earlier this month, the first time the program had representation at NCAA Regionals since 2005. A three-time All-Big Ten selection and 2020 All-American, Gotterup recorded a tied-for-sixth result at the 2021 Big Ten Championships in Carmel, Indiana – highlighted by his tournament-low four-under-par 68 in the final round to secure second-team all-conference recognition. Gotterup also earned first-team laurels last spring and second-team accolades as a sophomore in 2019. The Little Silver, New Jersey, native was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2020 and also collected the league's Les Bolstad Award, given to the lowest conference stroke average that season.
A 2021 Big Ten Player to Watch, Marcoux finished his sophomore season with a 74.95 scoring average across 20 rounds and seven tournaments. Marcoux registered a tied-for-16 result at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate on April 3 and opened the 2021 spring campaign with individuals wins over opponents from Maryland, Nebraska and Wisconsin at the Big Ten Match Play Championship in Palm Coast, Florida. Marcoux will compete at the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship from Aug. 9-15 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
Whatley finished the 2021 season with six rounds of even or below-par golf, highlighted by back-to-back below-par rounds at the Kiawah Invitational to open the stroke play season. Whatley also added a head-to-head victory against Ohio State to help Rutgers to a 3.5-1.5 win over the Buckeyes at the 2021 Big Ten Match Play Championship in February and finished the stroke play season with a 74.33 scoring average.
Under head coach Rob Shutte, Rutgers wrapped up the season as the top ranked program in the Northeast Region – according to Golfstat – and No. 95 in the country after the 2021 spring campaign. Three RU student-athletes – Gotterup, Whatley and sophomore Luke Wells – landed on the PING All-Region team. The three all-region selections were the most in a single season in program history. In addition, seven student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Players Mentioned
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