Lumsden becomes first GB & I player to receive Byron Nelson Award

S cottish international Ryan Lumsden has won the 2019 Byron Nelson Award – the first Great Britain & Ireland player to receive the coveted prize from the Golf Coaches Asso - ciation of America.

Lumsden, who is at Northwestern University in Illinois, was selected on the strength o f hi s e n t i r e c o l l e g i a t e a c a - demic and golf career as this year’s recipient of an award that bears the name of one of the legends of the game.

The selection panel also cons i d e r e d “g o o d c i t i z e n s h i p”, for which Nelson, a five-time major winner and sixth on the all-time PGA Tour list with 52 triumphs, was renowned over the course of his life and golf career.

“I a m n o t b o l d e n o u g h t o believe I will ever match Mr Nelson’s achievements on, or off, the course,” said Lumsden, pictured, who was born in London and is a member at Royal Wimbledon but jumped at the chance to represent Scotland through his Edinburgh-born grandparents.

“Indeed, in combining the t wo , I a m n o t s u r e a nyo n e ever has. But to be viewed as an individual wor thy of the award that carries his name is the greatest honour I could think of as I finish my college career.”

Lumsden has chalked up two victories on the highly- comp e t i t i ve U S c o l l e g e c i r c u i t , both coming in the Marquette Intercollegiate, while he holds the third-b est career stroke average in the Northwestern programme’s history, former world No 1 Luke Donald being one of those to have p erformed better.

Off the golf course d u r i n g h i s s p e l l a t N o r t h w e s t e r n , h e w a s i n v o l v e d i n a project in which vars i t y t e a m s c o l l e c t e d more than 15,000 food items f o r l o c a l c h a r i t y w h i l e h e also helped raise more than $53,000 for Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

In addition, Lumsden and the Nor thwestern golf team also volunteered at a local golf course in Evanston, helping with course restoration.

“I am so proud of Ryan and the way he represents Northwestern Golf,” said fellow Scot David Inglis, who, in his role as the team’s coach, has become Lumsden’s mentor over the past four years.

“He h a s r e a l l y d e ve l - oped into a great golfer but also an outstanding young man. He’s wo r ke d h a r d i n u n i - versity to be an academi c A l l -A me r i c a n , o n e o f the top-ranked players in the world and will leave Nor thwestern with one of the best careers we’ve ever had.”

O n t o p o f h i s p e r f o r m - ances on the college circuit, Lumsden qualified for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills last year, when he also represented Scotland in the Eisenhower Trophy at Carton House in Ireland.

B eaten finalist in the 2017 S cottish Amateur Championship at Prestwick, where he lost to Sam Locke in the title showdown, he has also been named among six Scots in an initial GB & Ireland squad for this year’s Walker Cup.

Lumsden beat fellow seniors Braden Bailey (Baylor), Nick Ludka (Kalamazo o), Collin Morikawa (Cal) and Brandon Wu (Stanford) to claim the award. It is believed that he is the first international player to earn the honour since South African Dylan Frittelli, who has gone on to become a twotime winner on the European Tour, picked it up in 2012.