Greg Hansen's top 10 men's golfers in Arizona Wildcats history
- Updated
Robert Gamez, the 1989 Nicklaus Award winner as college golf's top player, tops the list.
- Greg Hansen
Editor's note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today's list: The top 10 UA men's golfers of all time.
Arizona had modest success as a golf school in the 1960s and 1970s. Drue Johnson in 1969 and Dah Pohl in 1976 were first-team All-Americans.
The dam burst in the '80s when coach Rick LaRose assembled so many national-championship contenders that Arizona was ranked No. 1 during the 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2002 and 2003 seasons. The UA won the ’92 NCAA championship.
LaRose began to recruit Manny Zerman, the No. 2 player at University of San Diego High School, which is rare because the highest level of college golf rarely has a spot for those who didn’t dominate in high school golf.
But the No. 1 player at for the Dons was Phil Mickelson, who had committed to Arizona State. Zerman, too, seemed bound for ASU, but because of his upbringing in South Africa – Zerman moved to San Diego and lived with a sponsoring/host family when he turned 16 – Zerman required longer to become familiar with America’s academic system and pass his college entrance exams.
After five attempts at the SAT, Zerman passed. By then, LaRose had successfully persuaded Zerman to be a Wildcat, not a Sun Devil.
Zerman was an immediate success, as LaRose predicted when he said, in 1990, “Manny’s going to be an All-American; he’s as good as anybody.’’
Zerman reached the finals of the 1991 and 1992 U.S. Amateur, losing to his old high school buddy, Mickelson, in the finals both years. Zerman was the low amateur at the 1992 Masters and along the way became a first-team All-American in 1992 and 1993, winning four individual championships and the ’91 Pac-10 championship.
His pro career was a modest success; Zerman has since been a golf instructor and teacher in South Florida. He easily made our rankings of the 10 leading golfers in UA history; the list is based solely on the college careers of the ex-Wildcats and thus does not include PGA Tour winners like Jim Furyk, Jason Gore and Don Pooley.
- Greg Hansen
He won seven tournaments, a UA school record, was the 1989 Nicklaus Award winner as college golf’s top player, and had a scoring average of 71.02 as a UA senior, which remains No. 2 in school history. He won two PGA Tour events, including the 1990 Northern Telecom Tucson Open at StarrPass.
- Greg Hansen
The 2003 NCAA Player of the Year, Barnes won the 2002 U.S. Amateur, five tournament championships as a Wildcat and was a two-time Pac-10 player of the year.
- Greg Hansen
The top three on this list are virtually interchangeable. Nallen holds the UA career record with a 71.19 scoring average and the season total of 69.79, the only Wildcat golfer to break 70 with a season average. He won six championships and was the 2004 Pac-10 player of the year.
- Greg Hansen
During his UA career he also won the Italian Amateur and played for the Italian National team; his father grew up in Italy.
- Greg Hansen
LaRose’s first All-American, Silveira was a 1987 and 1988 first-team selection who won five tournaments and was the 1988 Pac-10 player of the year.
- Greg Hansen
Another South African, Sabbatini was a two-time All-American, 1997 and 1998, and the 1998 Pac-10 player of the year.
- Greg Hansen
Winner of the 1991 and 1992 U.S. Public Links Amateurs, Berganio played in two Masters while at the UA, won three tournaments and was a first-team All-American in 1993.
- Greg Hansen
The All-American from Phoenix won two tournaments as a Wildcat and was twice an All-Pac-10 player before going on to win the PGA Tour’s 2005 Byron Nelson Invitational.
- Greg Hansen
A two-time WAC player of the year and a 1969 first-team All-American, Johnson was Arizona’s first dominating golfer.
- Greg Hansen
Harry Rudolph, the low scorer on Arizona’s 1992 NCAA championship team, was a first-team All-American that season.
More like this...
- Greg Hansen
Editor's note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Today's list: The top 10 UA men's golfers of all time.
Arizona had modest success as a golf school in the 1960s and 1970s. Drue Johnson in 1969 and Dah Pohl in 1976 were first-team All-Americans.
The dam burst in the '80s when coach Rick LaRose assembled so many national-championship contenders that Arizona was ranked No. 1 during the 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2002 and 2003 seasons. The UA won the ’92 NCAA championship.
LaRose began to recruit Manny Zerman, the No. 2 player at University of San Diego High School, which is rare because the highest level of college golf rarely has a spot for those who didn’t dominate in high school golf.
But the No. 1 player at for the Dons was Phil Mickelson, who had committed to Arizona State. Zerman, too, seemed bound for ASU, but because of his upbringing in South Africa – Zerman moved to San Diego and lived with a sponsoring/host family when he turned 16 – Zerman required longer to become familiar with America’s academic system and pass his college entrance exams.
After five attempts at the SAT, Zerman passed. By then, LaRose had successfully persuaded Zerman to be a Wildcat, not a Sun Devil.
Zerman was an immediate success, as LaRose predicted when he said, in 1990, “Manny’s going to be an All-American; he’s as good as anybody.’’
Zerman reached the finals of the 1991 and 1992 U.S. Amateur, losing to his old high school buddy, Mickelson, in the finals both years. Zerman was the low amateur at the 1992 Masters and along the way became a first-team All-American in 1992 and 1993, winning four individual championships and the ’91 Pac-10 championship.
His pro career was a modest success; Zerman has since been a golf instructor and teacher in South Florida. He easily made our rankings of the 10 leading golfers in UA history; the list is based solely on the college careers of the ex-Wildcats and thus does not include PGA Tour winners like Jim Furyk, Jason Gore and Don Pooley.
- Greg Hansen
He won seven tournaments, a UA school record, was the 1989 Nicklaus Award winner as college golf’s top player, and had a scoring average of 71.02 as a UA senior, which remains No. 2 in school history. He won two PGA Tour events, including the 1990 Northern Telecom Tucson Open at StarrPass.
- Greg Hansen
The top three on this list are virtually interchangeable. Nallen holds the UA career record with a 71.19 scoring average and the season total of 69.79, the only Wildcat golfer to break 70 with a season average. He won six championships and was the 2004 Pac-10 player of the year.
Bennett hires U of A blood to help coach at ASU | Greg Hansen
