NORMAN, Okla. –Two Penn State men's golf student-athletes, Alec Bard and Ryan Davis, were named 2019 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars. Presented annually by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the Nittany Lion juniors are among the 266 NCAA Division I honorees for their efforts in the classroom and on the golf course. In all, it was a record setting year for the award as 540 student-athletes earned the title of All-America Scholar, the most since the awards inception in 1982.
"We admire what both Ryan and Alec have done in their three years with our program," said Penn State men's golf coach Greg Nye. "They are both outstanding students within the Smeal College of Business, all the while traveling extensively and competing at a high level. As freshmen, both were instrumental in helping our team advance through Seattle NCAA Regional to the 2017 NCAA Finals, and have been big contributors to our successes on and off the golf course since."
Bard and Davis bring Penn State's total number of All-America Scholars to 31, 28 of whom have earned these accolades under Nye. The GCAA instituted the award in 1984. This is the fifth time two or more Nittany Lions have been honored in the same season.
To earn All-America Scholar status, students must be a junior or senior in academic standing and have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2. On the course, the honorees must have competed at the collegiate level for at least three full seasons and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competitive rounds and have a stroke average under 76.0.
In addition to the academic and competitive requirements, recipients must also be of high moral character and in good collegiate standing.
Both Bard and Davis are two-time Academic All-Big Ten selections and are pursuing degrees in Penn State's Smeal College of Business. Bard is a marketing major and Davis is studying finance.
Bard, from New Hartford, N.Y., recorded two top-10 finishes and recorded his best season stroke average playing in all nine events in 2018-19. The Nittany Lions' top finisher at the 2019 Big Ten Conference Championships, Bard tied his career low 69 in the final round. Bard was recognized as the Penn State Men's Golf 2019 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner.
A three-time all-Northeast region performer, Davis led Penn State to its fifth-straight Rutherford Intercollegiate title, finishing third among individuals. His career low 66 (6-under) at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate in fall 2018 gave him a share of the Nittany Lions' second-best round score in 2018-19 (vs. par). Davis hails from Berkeley Heights, N.J.
To view the complete list of the 2018-19 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars, click here.
For the latest updates on the team follow @PennStateMGolf on Twitter, "like" the Penn State Men's Golf page on Facebook, and follow head coach Greg Nye on Instagram @CoachNyePSU.
