ARLINGTON, Tex. - Kevin Li of Seattle University's men's golf has been named Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Freshman of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday afternoon. Li becomes just the third Redhawk to receive the prestigious award, joining Zach Overstreet (2016-17) and Joe Harvie (2014-15).
Li became the first freshman to win the WAC Individual title since 2015 as well as just the second Redhawk to snatch the award and punch his ticket to an NCAA Regional. The freshman currently holds the second best scoring average in Redhawks' history, logging a 72.3 (adjusted) heading into the NCAA Regional. In addition to being named WAC Freshman of the Year, Li also takes home First Team All-WAC honors.
The native of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, was one of the top golfers from the very beginning of this event, opening the tournament with a three-under 69 round that placed him second overall. After an even round of 72 on day two saw him hold his place in second, Li claimed the individual title by just one stroke with another three-under 69 round on Sunday. The freshman finished in the top-five on the par four and par five scoring as well as made birdies (14).
Player awards and the all-conference teams were tabulated using a formula that included pre-championship Clippd national player rankings as the leading metric, with equal parts adjusted regular season player scoring average and the final individual leaderboard at the 2024 WAC Men's Golf Championship at Chaparral Pines in Payson, Arizona, also being factored in.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air Wednesday, May 1, at 11 a.m. Pacific on the Golf Channel. Li will be one of 15 total individuals vying for one of the six spots in the National Finals.
2024 WAC Men's Golf Major Awards and All-Conference
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Li became the first freshman to win the WAC Individual title since 2015 as well as just the second Redhawk to snatch the award and punch his ticket to an NCAA Regional. The freshman currently holds the second best scoring average in Redhawks' history, logging a 72.3 (adjusted) heading into the NCAA Regional. In addition to being named WAC Freshman of the Year, Li also takes home First Team All-WAC honors.
The native of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, was one of the top golfers from the very beginning of this event, opening the tournament with a three-under 69 round that placed him second overall. After an even round of 72 on day two saw him hold his place in second, Li claimed the individual title by just one stroke with another three-under 69 round on Sunday. The freshman finished in the top-five on the par four and par five scoring as well as made birdies (14).
Player awards and the all-conference teams were tabulated using a formula that included pre-championship Clippd national player rankings as the leading metric, with equal parts adjusted regular season player scoring average and the final individual leaderboard at the 2024 WAC Men's Golf Championship at Chaparral Pines in Payson, Arizona, also being factored in.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air Wednesday, May 1, at 11 a.m. Pacific on the Golf Channel. Li will be one of 15 total individuals vying for one of the six spots in the National Finals.
2024 WAC Men's Golf Major Awards and All-Conference
Player of the Year: Nicky Kling, Sr., Grand Canyon
Freshman of the Year: Kevin Li, Seattle U
Coach of the Year: Mark Mueller, Grand Canyon
All-Conference First Team
Nicky Kling, Sr., Grand Canyon
Tommaso Zorzetto, Sr., Grand Canyon
Kevin Li, Fr., Seattle U
Javier Neira Garcia, Sr., UTRGV
Dane Huddleston, Fr., Utah Valley
All-Conference Second Team
Zane Heusel, Grad, Abilene Christian
Fred Tindale, Grad, California Baptist
Matthew Pennington, Sr., Grand Canyon
Max Bengtsson, So., Tarleton State
Daniel Cronje, Grad, UT Arlington
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts 350 Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U women's golf and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.