Eastern Florida State’s Kerry Sweeney Finishes Fourth In Jack Nicklaus Award Playoff
By Mark DeCotis // June 4, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Eastern Florida golfer Kerry Sweeney finished five strokes back from the lead on Saturday in the five-golfer playoff that was part of the Jack Nicklaus Award weekend.
Sweeney, who won the Nicklaus Award as the best golfer at the NJCAA level, competed in the 18-hole playoff with the other Nicklaus recipients.
The winner earned entry into the PGA Tour Barbasol Championship to be played July 15-19 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Auburn/Opelika, Alabama.
The playoff was held at the Scioto Country Club in North Arlington, Ohio, where Nicklaus learned to play golf.
NCAA Division I golfer Maverick McNealy of Stanford won with a 33-34=67. Sean Elliott of NAIA Dalton State (35-36=71) and Santiago Gomez of NCAA Division II Nova Southeastern (33-38=71) tied for second.
Sweeney shot 36-36=72 and Anthony Maccaglia of Division III Oglethorpe shot 39-41=80.
Hall of Famer Nicklaus annually recognizes the recipients during Sunday’s final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, just outside of Nicklaus’ hometown of Columbus.
Earlier this spring Sweeney was awarded first team PING and first team NJCAA All-American status, won the Phil Mickelson Award Presented by the Phil and Amy Mickelson Foundation as the most outstanding freshman in NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf and finished tied for second with teammate Mickey DeMorat at the NJCAA Men’s Division I National Championship.
Eastern Florida finished second nationally as a team.
