Photo by: Todd Drexler
Willy Walsh Named to Haskins Award Preseason Watch List
8/27/2026 7:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Haskins Foundation announced this morning the 2026-27 Fred Haskins Preseason Watch List, presented by Stifel, in conjunction with media partners Golfweek, Golf Channel, and The Back of The Range.
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The Watch List is one of many that will be announced throughout the golf season, which begins in just over two weeks at the Sahalee Players Championship in Washington.
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Pepperdine's Willy Walsh, one of two seniors alongside Carson Kim, was tabbed to the Watch List. It's the first for Walsh, who placed in a four-way tie for 10th individually at the NCAA Championships in June. He was the eighth Wave ever to finish top-10, joining the likes of seven other Pepperdine greats, including recent grad Mahanth Chirravuri.
The full preseason watch list is below.
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2026-2027 Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel Preseason Watch List (listed alphabetically):
Kihei Akina, BYU
Nguyen Anh Minh, Arizona State
Daniel Bennett, Texas
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
Adam Bresnu, Texas Tech
Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Max Herendeen, Illinois
William Jennings, Alabama
Eric Lee, Oklahoma State
Jay Leng Jr., Stanford
Tyler Mawhinney, Vanderbilt
Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame
Luke Poulter, Florida
Logan Reilly, Auburn
Niall Shiels Donegan, North Carolina
Preston Stout, Oklahoma State
Zachary Swanwick, Florida
Harry Takis, San Diego State
Jack Turner, Florida
William Walsh, Pepperdine
Tyler Watts, Tennessee
Tyler Weaver, Florida State
Tim Wiedemeyer, Texas Tech
Connor Williams, Arizona State
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About the Fred Haskins Award
Beginning in 1971, the Fred Haskins Award is annually given to the top male U.S. collegiate D1 golfer as voted on by players, coaches, members of the college golf media, and past Haskins Award winners. Past winners of the Haskins Award have captured 33 major championships and more than 400 professional tournaments around the world. Named in honor of Fred Haskins, the award is managed by the Haskins Foundation to acknowledge the top male golfer at the end of the season and to match the ANNIKA Award, which acknowledges the top female Division I collegiate golfer.
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About Stifel Financial Corp.
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a diversified financial services firm providing wealth management, commercial and investment banking, trading, and research services to individuals, institutions, and municipalities. Founded in 1890 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the firm operates more than 400 offices across the United States and in major global financial centers. As a firm where success meets success, Stifel works closely with retail and institutional clients aiming to transform opportunities into achievement. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company's website at Stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.
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About Fred Haskins and the Haskins Foundation
From the seaside town of Liverpool to a quaint Donald Ross course in Georgia, Fred Haskins built a reputation for mentoring young golfers. Haskins was head professional at the Country Club of Columbus for 34 years, recommended for the position by the legendary Bobby Jones. His proteges learned the game in Saturday morning classes that cost a nickel. They went on to win more than 150 collegiate and amateur tournaments. Since its formation in 1971, the Haskins Foundation has been devoted to amateur golf and the presentation of the Haskins Award. This coveted trophy honors the year's outstanding college golfer and the memory of Fred Haskins, a club professional that spent his life nurturing and mentoring amateur golfers. The foundation, based in Columbus, Ga., oversees the voting for the Haskins and ANNIKA Awards conducted among college golfers, coaches, past winners, and college golf media. For more information on the Haskins Foundation, visit www.HaskinsFoundation.org.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S GOLF
Pepperdine men's golf has ranked among the elite collegiate golf programs in the nation, having won the NCAA Championship in 1997 and 2021. The program has won 23 WCC championships while reaching 28 NCAA Regionals and 14 NCAA Championships. With 30 All-American selections, the Waves currently have four active members of the PGA TOUR in 2026.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's golf news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineMGOLF on Twitter/X, @pepperdinemgolf on Instagram, and Pepperdine Men's Golf on Facebook.
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The Watch List is one of many that will be announced throughout the golf season, which begins in just over two weeks at the Sahalee Players Championship in Washington.
Â
Pepperdine's Willy Walsh, one of two seniors alongside Carson Kim, was tabbed to the Watch List. It's the first for Walsh, who placed in a four-way tie for 10th individually at the NCAA Championships in June. He was the eighth Wave ever to finish top-10, joining the likes of seven other Pepperdine greats, including recent grad Mahanth Chirravuri.
The award is named after Fred Haskins, a club professional that spent his life nurturing and mentoring amateur golfers. The foundation, based in Columbus, Ga., oversees the voting for the Haskins Award conducted among college golfers, coaches and college golf media. Past winners of the Haskins Award presented by Stifel have captured over 33 major championships and more than 400 professional tournaments around the world. Beginning in 1971, the Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel is annually given to the top male U.S. collegiate D1 golfer as voted on by players, coaches, members of the college golf media, and past Haskins Award winners.Here's what's on the docket 👇#MakeWaves | @PepperdineWaves https://t.co/Duq3EIQ9nG pic.twitter.com/HMUJJHldpt
— Pepperdine Men's Golf (@PepperdineMGOLF) August 18, 2026
The full preseason watch list is below.
Â
2026-2027 Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel Preseason Watch List (listed alphabetically):
Kihei Akina, BYU
Nguyen Anh Minh, Arizona State
Daniel Bennett, Texas
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
Adam Bresnu, Texas Tech
Ryder Cowan, Oklahoma
Josiah Gilbert, Auburn
Max Herendeen, Illinois
William Jennings, Alabama
Eric Lee, Oklahoma State
Jay Leng Jr., Stanford
Tyler Mawhinney, Vanderbilt
Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame
Luke Poulter, Florida
Logan Reilly, Auburn
Niall Shiels Donegan, North Carolina
Preston Stout, Oklahoma State
Zachary Swanwick, Florida
Harry Takis, San Diego State
Jack Turner, Florida
William Walsh, Pepperdine
Tyler Watts, Tennessee
Tyler Weaver, Florida State
Tim Wiedemeyer, Texas Tech
Connor Williams, Arizona State
Â
About the Fred Haskins Award
Beginning in 1971, the Fred Haskins Award is annually given to the top male U.S. collegiate D1 golfer as voted on by players, coaches, members of the college golf media, and past Haskins Award winners. Past winners of the Haskins Award have captured 33 major championships and more than 400 professional tournaments around the world. Named in honor of Fred Haskins, the award is managed by the Haskins Foundation to acknowledge the top male golfer at the end of the season and to match the ANNIKA Award, which acknowledges the top female Division I collegiate golfer.
Â
About Stifel Financial Corp.
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a diversified financial services firm providing wealth management, commercial and investment banking, trading, and research services to individuals, institutions, and municipalities. Founded in 1890 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the firm operates more than 400 offices across the United States and in major global financial centers. As a firm where success meets success, Stifel works closely with retail and institutional clients aiming to transform opportunities into achievement. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company's website at Stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.
Â
About Fred Haskins and the Haskins Foundation
From the seaside town of Liverpool to a quaint Donald Ross course in Georgia, Fred Haskins built a reputation for mentoring young golfers. Haskins was head professional at the Country Club of Columbus for 34 years, recommended for the position by the legendary Bobby Jones. His proteges learned the game in Saturday morning classes that cost a nickel. They went on to win more than 150 collegiate and amateur tournaments. Since its formation in 1971, the Haskins Foundation has been devoted to amateur golf and the presentation of the Haskins Award. This coveted trophy honors the year's outstanding college golfer and the memory of Fred Haskins, a club professional that spent his life nurturing and mentoring amateur golfers. The foundation, based in Columbus, Ga., oversees the voting for the Haskins and ANNIKA Awards conducted among college golfers, coaches, past winners, and college golf media. For more information on the Haskins Foundation, visit www.HaskinsFoundation.org.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S GOLF
Pepperdine men's golf has ranked among the elite collegiate golf programs in the nation, having won the NCAA Championship in 1997 and 2021. The program has won 23 WCC championships while reaching 28 NCAA Regionals and 14 NCAA Championships. With 30 All-American selections, the Waves currently have four active members of the PGA TOUR in 2026.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's golf news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineMGOLF on Twitter/X, @pepperdinemgolf on Instagram, and Pepperdine Men's Golf on Facebook.
