Sept. 12, 2003
TUCSON, Ariz. - University of Arizona men's golfer Chris Nallen was among 10 players selected to Golfweek magazine's first team Preseason All-America team.
Nallen, a senior from Blairstown, N.J., earned his spot on the team following another impressive collegiate campaign in 2002-03 that saw him earn All-America honors for the third straight season. He posted a 71.74 stroke average and led the Wildcats to four team victories while collecting a team-best nine top-10 finishes. A semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award in each of the last two seasons, Nallen is also a three-time all-Pacific-10 Conference honoree. He is ranked as the No. 4 returning player in the nation by Golfweek magazine.
His stellar play continued during the summer, as Nallen won the 2003 Northeast Amateur in a sudden death playoff and finished fifth at the 2003 Dogwood Invitational. He also participated in both the 2003 Palmer and Walker Cup competitions.
Arizona also debuts at No. 11 in the
Golfweek Preseason Top 30, as selected by senior writer Ron Balicki. The Wildcats are scheduled to meet 26 of the 29 other teams in the preseason poll during the regular season. UA's inclusion in the Golfweek rankings has the team nationally ranked in all three major college golf polls to start the season.
Arizona returns six letterwinners from last season's Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional runner-up that advanced to the NCAA Championships for the 17th consecutive season. However, just two players, Nallen and sophomore Blaine Peffley saw action in more than five varsity events last season.
The Wildcats open the 2003-04 today, at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate in Albuquerque, N.M.
Golfweek Preseason All-Americans
First Team
Bill Haas, senior, Wake Forest
Casey Wittenberg, freshman, Oklahoma St.
Matt Hendrix, senior, Clemson
Camilo Villegas, senior, Florida
Chris Nallen, senior, Arizona
Brock Mackenzie, senior, Washington
Alejandro Canizares, sophomore, Arizona St.
Peter Tomasulo, senior, California
Jason Hartwick, senior, Texas
Dustin Bray, senior, North Carolina
Golfweek Magazine Preseason Top 30 (Sept. 11, 2003)
Rnk School Final 2003 rank
1. Clemson 1
2. UCLA 8
3. Florida 2
4. Oklahoma State 4
5. Georgia 13
6. Arizona State 15
7. Texas 5
8. UNLV 9
9. Augusta State 6
10. Georgia Tech 12
11. ARIZONA 7
12. TCU 11
13. North Carolina 10
14. Washington 19
15. Arkansas 24
16. USC 23
17. Pepperdine 26
18. North Carolina State 17
19. Wake Forest 3
20 New Mexico 18
21. Auburn 14
22. East Tennessee State 42
23. South Carolina 28
24 Minnesota 16
25. Tennessee 21
26. Oklahoma 27
27. Tulsa 39
28. California 44
29. Illinois 22
30. Duke 25
