Staff WriterThe 2025 Gary Player Award, presented by FlightScope, has been handed out with all the grace and grit befitting the man whose name it bears—and the five young international talents receiving it have the golfing world taking notice.
Recognising the top collegiate golfers from outside the United States across NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and NJCAA, this award is no cheap plaque or ceremonial handshake.
It’s a badge of honour for those rewriting record books before they’ve even ordered their first tour caddie.
And this year’s recipients? Let’s just say they’ve swung, scored, and, in some cases, absolutely smoked their competition.
The Standouts: Meet the 2025 Gary Player Award Winners
Leading the Division I charge is Josele Ballester, the Spanish sensation from Arizona State University.
If you’re thinking “Oh, another solid season,” think again. Ballester clocked five top-five finishes and took home the Fighting Illini Invitational like it was a Sunday stroll.
He also won the 2024 U.S. Amateur, making history as the first Spaniard to do so.
With a 70.52 scoring average and a spot as 2025 Big 12 Golfer of the Year, Ballester now exits the college stage as a four-time PING All-American and a walking, talking scoreboard nightmare for his peers.
In Division II, Sungyeop Cho of Colorado Christian University is turning heads—and fairways—thanks to a laser-focused 69.45 scoring average.
Hailing from Yeoju-si, South Korea, Cho piled up six top-five finishes, two outright wins, and did so while looking like he barely needed a warm-up bucket.
Already decorated at the NJCAA level, Cho’s rapid rise has him firmly on the radar of anyone paying attention to the next generation of tour stars.
Over in Division III, Justin Chan of Carnegie Mellon is no stranger to first-team accolades, but it’s his consistency that sets him apart.
The Surrey, England native posted six top-five finishes and shared medalist honours at the Golfweek October Classic.
Chan caps off a collegiate run as a three-time PING All-American and the inaugural Division III recipient of the Gary Player Award in 2024. Apparently, history likes repeating itself.
The NAIA’s contribution to this all-star lineup comes in the form of Jack Whaley, the Doncaster dynamo from Dalton State College. Five wins. Nine top-three finishes.
One jaw-dropping opening-round 61 at the NAIA Championship. Oh, and he’s also your 2025 Jack Nicklaus Award winner for NAIA. With a 69.52 scoring average and 14 rounds in the 60s, Whaley isn’t just winning—he’s rewriting what’s possible.
Last but not least, the NJCAA torch is held high by Adam Bresnu of Odessa College. Morocco’s own golf prodigy played 14 tournaments and didn’t place lower than ninth—winning five of them.
He kicked off the season with three consecutive wins and wrapped it with three runner-ups, including at the NJCAA Division I National Championship.
With a sub-70 scoring average (69.525, to be exact) and 18 rounds in the 60s, Bresnu has earned every accolade—and then some.
A Legacy Worn in Black and Gold
Let’s not forget the man behind the Gary Player Award. Known for his relentless work ethic, global ambassadorial reach, and the kind of swing tempo that could soothe a lion, Gary Player is golf’s ironman.
He’s one of only six to complete the career grand slam and has 165 wins to his name over seven decades and six continents—proving that neither time zones nor age have ever stood a chance against him.
Player’s off-course impact is just as profound: education for the underprivileged, the Laureus World Sports Academy, humanitarian missions—you name it.
Recognised with the World Golf Hall of Fame, the PGA TOUR Lifetime Achievement Award, and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, Gary Player’s contribution to the game is, frankly, hard to put into words. But if we must: it’s legacy with a backswing.
The Global Vote
Each Gary Player Award winner is chosen by international coaches from the Golf Coaches Association of America—people who know what it takes to succeed beyond borders, bunkers, and bad days with the putter.
That global representation reflects exactly what this award is about: honouring excellence no matter where it tees off from.
So, as these five rising stars hoist their trophies and eye the pro circuit, remember their names—and remember the Gary Player Award.
Because greatness might start in college fairways, but with a bit of grit, guidance, and maybe a 61 now and then, it doesn’t stop there.
