Alabama junior Justin Thomas and former Washington standout Chris Williams are set to play in this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on unrestricted sponsor exemptions.

Thomas, who recently won an NCAA Championship with the Crimson Tide before failing to qualify for the 2013 U.S. Open in a sectional qualifier the following day, will be making his third career PGA Tour start. He finished T-46 at the 2012 Greenbrier Classic and T-78 as a junior at the Wyndham Championship. Thomas, who will make a decision about turning pro after the Walker Cup in September, will play as an amateur.

On the other hand, the Travelers will be Williams' first tournament as a professional. The world's top-ranked amateur missed the cut at last week's U.S. Open at Merion in his final tournament as an amateur. It will be his first PGA Tour start, too – he's also played in two U.S. Opens.

Across the pond, Brandon Stone and Pontus Widegren will make their professional debuts this week on the European Tour.

Stone, who turned pro following his freshman season at Texas, and Widegren, who recently completed his senior year at UCLA, both earned invites ...

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Hey everybody,

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. It has been pretty hectic the last couple of weeks. But what a couple of weeks it has been!

Two weeks ago we were fortunate enough to play for the National Championship in Atlanta. We were all very excited and confident going into the week. Everybody had made a big deal with last year and us losing to Texas in the finals, and how we were going to come back or use that to help us. We completely put that in the past, and fought to get a chance to win a national title.

In the stroke-play portion of the tournament, we just didn't play our best golf. We played solid though, to finish T-3 and place third for match play. This year with nationals being in Atlanta, we had so many fans out there. Last year at Riviera, we were so out numbered in fans and it's hard to get momentum with the other teams fans so loud. This year, we had that advantage.

Our first round match up was against New Mexico, one of three teams that could say: they beat California in a ...

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The Golf Coaches Association of America has named its list of second- and third-team Ping All-Americans. Eight players already were named to the first team.

The complete list of Division III All-Americans is listed below:

First Team

• Cory Howard, LaGrange
• Brian Jaeger, Christopher Newport
• Alex Kolquist, Gustavus Adolphus
• Anthony Maccaglia, Oglethorpe
• Noah Ratner, Guilford
• Brad Shigezawa, CMS
• Casey Vangsness, Saint John’s
• Mike Wesko, Methodist

Second Team

• Alex Andrews, Wittenberg
• Andrew Bateman, Methodist
• Bobby Holden, Redlands
• Stefan Johnson, Illinois Wesleyan
• Alex Kapraun, St. Thomas
• Mikey McGinn, California Lutheran
• Eric Quinn, Oglethorpe
• Oliver Rudnicki, Whitworth

Third Team

• Ian Bangor, Carnegie Mellon
• Chris Blyth, St. John Fisher
• Cameron Button, Southwestern
• James Charles, Southwestern
• Johnathan Chen, Emory
• Anthony DiLisio, Skidmore
• John Dukes, UT Tyler
• Bobby Erhardt, Wesley
• Ben Fister, Transylvania
• Dennis Granath, Saint John’s
• Josh Grisa, UW-Stout
• Buddy Hallman, UT Tyler
• Wes Hillen, Millikin
• Clay Hinton, Transylvania
• Onni Hurri, Averett
• Hayden Jones, Oglethorpe
• Jantzen Latham, Transylvania
• Drew Lynch, Saint John’s
• John McCord, Redlands
• Tyler McMorrow, Gustavus Adolphus
• Nick Palladino, Rochester
• Andrew Peter, Luther
• Joe Radulski, St. John Fisher
• Andrew Thompson, Guilford
• Jeff Wells, Methodist
• Jake Whelan, St. Lawrence
• Oliver White, Allegheny
• Kenny Wienckowski, Illinois Wesleyan
• Alex Wunderlich, Emory
• Derek Zachman, La ...

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Following her title-clinching victory last Saturday at the French Open tennis championship in Paris, Serena Williams said: “I’m still a little bit upset about that loss last year, but it’s all about, for me, how you recover. I think I’ve always said a champion isn’t about how much they win, but its about how they recover from their downs, whether it’s an injury or a loss.”

Williams was referring to her only first-round loss in a Grand Slam event at last year’s French Open – and a 10-month stretch in 2011 that included two foot operations and treatment for blood clots in her lungs.

Upon reading her comments, I thought of the Alabama men’s golf program and what its players and head coach Jay Seawell have gone through the last couple years – before reaching the pinnacle of college golf with their NCAA Championship earlier this month at Capital City Golf Club’s Crabapple course just outside Atlanta.

Consider:

• It’s the 2011 NCAA Championship finals with the 54-hole, stroke-play portion of the event winding down. A little ways away from the 18th green at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., the Alabama team ...

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Here is Golfweek's list of Division I All-Americans for the 2012-13 season.

Haskins Award winner Michael Kim of Cal leads the men's first-team selections while women's national champion USC boasts five All-America selections.

Kim is one of five Cal players chosen as All-Americans, but the only one on the first team. Men's national champion Alabama claims four All-Americans, including juniors Bobby Wyatt and Cory Whitsett, and sophomore Justin Thomas on the first team.

Texas freshman Brandon Stone, who recently turned professional, and Ben Hogan Award winner Chris Williams, a Washington senior, also made the first-team list.

USC's Annie Park and Trojan teammate Sophia Popov are among the women's first-team selections. Duke’s Lindy Duncan, runner-up at the national championship, also earned first-team honors, as did Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow, a strong candidate for Player of the Year entering the national championship.

After Park, Stanford’s Mariah Stackhouse is the only other freshman on the first-team list.

Golfweek's All-America teams are determined by players’ order in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

• • •

Men

First team

• Michael Kim, California
• Brandon Stone, Texas
• Bobby Wyatt, Alabama
• Cory Whitsett, Alabama
• Julien Brun, TCU
• Justin Thomas, Alabama
• Daniel Berger ...

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You can add Haskins Award winner to the list of accomplishments for Michael Kim this season.

The sophomore became the first Cal player in 43 years to win the award, which is given to the national player of the year in men’s college golf and selected by voting from players, coaches and members of the national media.

“I’m really honored and excited to be the winner of the Haskins Award,” Kim said. “It’s unbelievable to think my name will be on the same trophy as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and many others.”

Although the award was announced Tuesday by the Fred Haskins Commission, Kim will be presented with the award on July 2 at a dinner before the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic. Kim will receive a sponsor exemption into the tournament, which will take place July 4-7 at Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

Kim won a school-record four times and finished in the top 10 in 10 of 14 stroke-play events this season. He also helped the Golden Bears to 11 team victories. He previously was honored with the Jack Nicklaus Award and Golfweek Player of the Year honors, and finished the ...

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The NJCAA’s Division I Ping All-America and All-District teams have been named by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

On the first team, Ben Welle of Scottsdale CC ranks highest on Golfstat.com’s NJCAA watch list at No. 3. He’s joined by Alex Mahlik of Central Alabama CC, Felix Moesmang of Western Texas College, Michal O’Connor of Hutchinson CC and Mariano Rossi of Dodge City CC. The first team will grow if the individual medalist at this week’s national championship is not among those five.

Highlighting the All-District teams is Jamie Warman of Odessa College, No. 2 on the Golfstat watch list and earning a spot on the District II team.

• • •

NJCAA Division I Ping All-American Teams

First Team

Alex Mahlik – Central Alabama Community College

Felix Moesmang – Western Texas College

Michael O’Connor – Hutchinson Community College

Mariano Rossi – Dodge City Community College

Ben Welle – Scottsdale Community College

Second Team

Aksel Olsen – Wallace State Community College

David Ryan – Midland College

Zac Sardina – Scottsdale Community College

Mitch Tucker – Indian Hills Community College

Elliott Whitley – New Mexico Junior College

Honorable Mention

Frederik Andersen – Western Texas College

Kyle Gertner – Odessa College

John Michael O’Toole – Central Alabama Community College ...

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Vincennes (Ind.) University captured its first national title June 7 at the NJCAA Division III Men’s Championship.

Vincennes was one shot behind host Jamestown (N.Y.) Community College entering the final round. Thursday’s third round had been cancelled because of rain in Jamestown, N.Y., and the tournament was shortened to 54 holes.

Vincennes finished four shots ahead of Sandhills Community College (Pinehurst, N.C.) and five ahead of Jamestown. Vincennes was led by Shelby Stewart and Tyler Sloan, who tied for 11th at 12-over 228. All five Trailblazers golfers finished among the top 30.

Ethan Chamineak of Georgia Military College (Milledgeville, Ga.) took medalist honors with an even-par 216 at the Lake Course at Chautauqua Golf Club. Chamineak, a freshman, shot 70-73-73 and finished one shot ahead of Aaron Rondon of Southwest Wisconsin Tech.

Georgia Military, which had won the team title in 2004, finished fifth. Chamineak is the second individual champion for the school and its first since Brendan O’Connell in 2004.

• • • 

Team scores

1. Vincennes: 303-304-303—910
2. Sandhills: 308-308-298—914
3. Jamestown: 297-309-309—915
4. Minnesota-St. Fergus: 310-304-302—916
5. Georgia Military: 310-307-301—918
6. Monroe: 307-318-307—932
7. Nassau: 324-305-314—943
8. Burlington: 313-313-319—945
9. DuPage: 313-328-307—948
10. Suffolk County ...

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If moments are what define an event, then there’s been no shortage of definition for the NCAA Championship since match play was added five years ago. I must say that many more moments come to mind from the past five national championships than from the years before that.

Of course, Kevin Chappell chipping in on the 17th hole at Purdue’s Kampen Course to help the UCLA Bruins win the 2008 title by a single stroke over Stanford stands out. I also can’t forget Duke’s Michael Schachner barely missing a putt for 59. Schachner’s 60 left him in a tie for 31st place.

Other than that, since my first championship in 2001, the moments are blurry. In all of those previous championships, events stand out like more of a memory than a moment. I remember Minnesota winning the 2002 championship and California surprising us all at The Homestead in 2004, but my memories of more exact shots and moments stand out from the past few years. I attribute the difference to match play, where the team vs. team aspect brings out an excitement unlike what we have seen in past stroke-play championships.

At times, match play ...

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Michael Kim leads Golfweek’s list of All-Americans for the 2012-13 season. Kim, a California sophomore who already has won the Jack Nicklaus Award for this season, is one of five Cal players to earn All-America honors, but the only Golden Bear on the first team.

Kim is joined by Texas freshman Brandon Stone, who announced this week that he has turned professional.

Alabama claims four All-Americans, including juniors Bobby Wyatt and Cory Whitsett and sophomore Justin Thomas on the first team.

Ben Hogan Award winner Chris Williams, a Washington senior, also made the first-team list.

Golfweek’s All-America teams are determined by players’ order in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

First team

• Michael Kim, California
• Brandon Stone, Texas
• Bobby Wyatt, Alabama
• Cory Whitsett, Alabama
• Julien Brun, TCU
• Justin Thomas, Alabama
• Daniel Berger, Florida State
• Sean Dale, North Florida
• Patrick Rodgers, Stanford
• Chris Williams, Washington

Second team

• Michael Weaver, California
• Joel Stalter, California
• Max Homa, California
• Cheng-Tsung Pan, Washington
• Pontus Widegren, UCLA
• James Erkenbeck, New Mexico
• Greg Eason, Central Florida
• Scott Fernandez, Iowa State
• Brandon Hagy, California
• Pedro Figueiredo, UCLA

Third team

• Oliver Goss, Tennessee
• Brinson Paolini, Duke
• Cody Gribble, Texas
• Cameron Wilson, Stanford
• Albin Choi, N.C. State
• Sebastian ...

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California was on the wrong end of the semifinal match with Illinois on June 1 at the NCAA Championship.

It would be a long afternoon of thinking about the season that was -- but they didn’t dwell on it too much though. They thought of the good that came out of the season rather than the loss to the Illini.

Let’s recap Cal’s 2012-13 season:

• The team won 11 tournaments in 13 starts (11 is the new modern-day record)

• They lost to four teams throughout the season (New Mexico, TCU, UNLV and Illinois)

• The starting five – Max Homa, Brandon Hagy, Joel Stalter, Michael Weaver and Michael Kim – all won an individual title this season (10 in 14 events)

• Won the stroke-play portion of the NCAA Championship

• Homa became Cal’s first NCAA medalist

• Cal finished the season as the No. 1 team in the country as well as the No. 1 player in the country (Kim)

With all of that said, the 1981-82 UCLA team had a similar season. That team was lead by Hall of Fame coach Eddie Merrins, Corey Pavin, Jay Delsing, Mickey Yokoi, Steve Pate and Duffy Waldorf. The Bruins won 13 times in 20 ...

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Only four days remain to cast a ballot for the annual Haskins Award. The honor is given to the top college player, as determined by votes from his peers and from people active in the college game. Polls close June 9 at midnight.

Three days after the end of the season, California’s Michael Kim remains a favorite.

Kim, a sophomore, ended the season at the top of the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, and with four individual titles. He finished T-49 in stroke play at the national championship, his worst finish of the season, and lost both matches later in the week as Cal bowed out in the semifinals.

A day after the national championship, Kim accepted the Jack Nicklaus Award, presented by the Golf Coaches Association of America to the top player in college golf. A day after that, Kim qualified for the U.S. Open at the sectional qualifier in Ball Ground, Ga.

Brandon Stone, the Texas freshman who Tuesday announced he had turned professional and joined the IMG stable, is the only first year among the top 10 players in Golfweek’s rankings. Stone, No. 2 individually, already has been named the NCAA Freshman of the Year ...

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Brandon Stone, who recently completed his freshman season at Texas, has turned professional. Stone, the 2013 NCAA freshman of the year, has signed with IMG for management and marketing representation.

Stone, who finished the season at No. 2 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, will make his pro debut at the European Tour's BMW International Open on June 20-23 in Munich, Germany, on a sponsor exemption.

When Stone went to Texas, he was the No. 1-ranked amateur in South Africa. During his freshman year, he was named the 2013 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Stone won three times with the Longhorns. He won his first collegiate event, the Carpet Capital Collegiate, and added victories at the Bayou City Collegiate Championship and the Big 12 Championship. He leaves Texas with a 71.24 stroke average. He recorded seven top-10 finishes and placed no worse T-36 in 12 events. Stone tied for second in the stroke-play portion of the recent NCAA Championship before the Longhorns lost to Illinois in the match-play quarterfinals.

"I have had an amazing year in Texas, and I would like to thank the University of Texas golf coaches ...

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California’s Michael Kim topped the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings at the end of the year. As a sophomore in 2012-13, Kim won four individual titles as his Golden Bears won 11 times before finishing runner-up in the NCAA match-play finals. Kim, 19, of Del Mar, Calif., received the Jack Nicklaus Award at the end of the season.

The Golden Bears ended the season atop the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings after bowing out in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship. Cal won 11 times in the 2012-13 season, which included nine regular-season victories, the Pac-12 Championship and the NCAA Pullman Regional. The Golden Bears also took the No. 1 seed in the national-championship match play after finishing atop the 54-hole stroke-play leaderboard. Senior Max Homa won the individual title.