University of Connecticut Athletics
Jared Nelson Named BIG EAST Men's Golf Player Of The Year
5/8/2023 12:24:00 PM | Men's Golf
UConn Athletic Communications / May 8, 2023
NEW YORK – UConn grad student Jared Nelson has been named the BIG EAST men's golf Player of the Year, the league announced Monday.
Nelson (Rutland, Vt.), who led the conference in scoring per round and set a UConn record in the process at 70.88, is the first UConn player to earn the BIG EAST's highest single-season honor.
Nelson had an outstanding season in 2022-23, winning individual medalist honors in two tournaments – the Gimmler Invitational and the Golfweek/AGT Invitational – and leading UConn in scoring in eight of 11 events.
"I couldn't be more proud of Jared earning the Player of the Year award," UConn Coach Dave Pezzino said. "It's more evidence of how seriously he has taken his development. He improved his golf game every year to the point where he set the UConn single-season scoring record this year and had the lowest tournament total score in UConn history (195 at the Gimmler Invitational)."
Nelson was the only golfer in the BIG EAST to have an average under par (-0.67) this year. His 63 in the first round of the Gimmler was the lowest round of anybody in the conference this season and equaled a UConn record.
He had six Top 10 and eight Top 20 finishes this season and shot 22 rounds of par-or-better, equaling another UConn single-season record, and had 13 sub-70 rounds. He was named BIG EAST Men's Golf Player of the Week three times.
Nelson began his college career at Siena College and transferred to UConn after his freshman year. With the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to those student-athletes who went through the interrupted season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nelson was able to play four years with the Huskies and finished with a 72.52 UConn four-year career scoring average, second only to Jimmy Hervol (74.44). His career totals at UConn also include 49 rounds of par-or-better and 25 sub-70 rounds on his way to 14 Top 10 and 19 Top 20 finishes.
"I feel as if Jared's best golf is ahead of him and I'm grateful that I've had a front row seat for the last four," Coach Pezzino said. "He epitomizes everything that is great about UConn – he is hardworking, loyal, and tough. He's just a special young man."Â
Players Mentioned
