Peter Uihlein wins prestigious Ben Hogan Award

He may not have made the cut at the Masters, but the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer Peter Uihlein didn’t let that speed bump derail his college career. The Oklahoma State University star earned the prestigious 2011 Ben Hogan Award on May 16.  The honor goes annually to the top men’s college golfer. Past recipients include fellow OSU golfer Rickie Fowler, Nick Watney, Hunger Mahan, Anthony Kim, and other members of the PGA Tour, Ryder Cup, and Presidents Cup. Uihlein, the pride of New Bedford, Mass., has said he would return to college for the 2011-2012 season rather than turn professional. Uihlein, who shot a second-round 77 that left him out of the Masters’ weekend festivities, went right back to being the best in the college ranks. Little more than a week after his MC at Augusta National, the OSU junior captured the individual title at the fifth Aggie Invitational.  Unable to win its fourth consecutive tourney, Uihlein’s team came in second.  Uihlein, however, carded a 71 for a five-stroke victory over two other golfers at the Texas tourney that leads up to next week’s Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship. As for his turn at the Masters, Uihlein was disappointed to miss the cut but the experience was even more than he imagined it would be.  “It’s obviously a thrill to be here,” Uihlein told reporters after playing two rounds with then-defending champ Phil Mickelson. “It was a lot of fun out there and obviously I didn’t play that well, but just to be around was great and everybody is very supportive and the patrons were great.” 

It’s a Masters tradition to team the top amateur with the defending champ, which is how Uihlein got to tee it up with Phil Mickelson on Thursday and Friday. Uihlein earned that spot when he captured the U.S. Amateur trophy on August 29, which happened to be his 21st birthday. It takes a lot to wow someone who grew up around the best golfers in the world, regular visitors of his father, Wally Uihlein, chief executive of Acushnet Co., maker of Titleist golf balls and gear. The Masters, however, enthralled the younger Uihlein, a member of The Bay Club at Mattapoisett, a two-time American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year, and the owner of a 4-0 record at the

2009 Walker Cup.

“I’m excited….Playing in the Masters is obviously pretty special, and to be here as the Amateur Champion, it’s even more special,” Uihlein said Tuesday before the start of the 2011 Masters. “I’m excited. I’m nervous and I’m definitely looking forward to this week.”

Uihlein held his own in the first round, carding an even-par 72. Friday not so much. He had no blow-up holes, but a string of four bogeys on the back nine plus three more on the front with only a couple of birdies did him in. Uihlein blamed poor iron play for his lackluster second round. “I didn’t hit my irons very good so it was tough to score when you’re not hitting your irons very good out here,” he said. “You got to be very precise out here with the irons and I just wasn’t quite ready for it.”

Not surprisingly, Uihlein was a bit more upbeat after his first run around the track. Indeed, he started out with a huge drive on the first hole (“I killed it,” he said), hit a recovery shot to about 18 feet, and made par. He lost his footing around Amen Corner and found the water on 13, but a terrific shot on 15 led to a birdie on the par-5. Uihlein said he would work on his iron play as he prepped for a hectic summer. In addition to his college play, Uihlein will compete at a couple of Opens (the U.S. and British), the PGA Tour’s AT&T National and Western Open, and then defend his U.S. Am title.

After all, a win at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship at Erin Hills and Blue Mound Golf and Country Club in Wisconsin would mean a return engagement to Augusta and a date with this year’s titleholder, Charl Schwartzel. “Any time you can go out in the Masters and play as an amateur,” he said, “it doesn’t get any better than that. That pretty much takes the cake.” (Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and

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