Jonas Enander Hedin earned a pair of third team all-America honors. |
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Enander Hedin Cops all-America Honors from GCAA and Golfweek
June 13, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - Charlotte 49ers senior golfer Jonas Enander Hedin (Taby, Sweden) has earned a pair of all-America honors while sophomore Corey Nagy (Charlotte, N.C.) notched two honorable mention all-America honors as the post-season awards continue for the 49ers top 10 golf program. The duo led the 49ers to a tie for eighth place at the 2008 NCAA Championship and a consensus top 10 final national ranking. The 49ers were ranked sixth in the final Golf World/GCAA Coaches poll, seventh in the final Golfstat ranking and eighth in the final Golfweek ranking.
The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) tabbed Enander Hedin as a third-team PING all-America and named Nagy as an honorable mention PING all-America. GolfWeek, likewise, selected Enander Hedin to its all-America third team while landing Nagy on its honorable mention list.
Enander Hedin led the 49ers with a 71.78 stroke average, becoming the second player in school history to finish an entire season of under-par golf. A three-time all-Atlantic 10 golfer, Enander Hedin owns two of the 49ers top three single-season scoring averages as well as the school's all-time career record for scoring average (72.89). This past year, he placed in the individual top 25 in all 10 events leading up to the NCAA Tournament, including a share of first-place at the Southern Highlands Tournament in Las Vegas, a second place finish at the PING/Golfweek Preview and a third-place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships. He had six top 10 finishes, this year.
"The year Jonas completed as a junior was perhaps just as consistent, but in a stronger playing schedule, his senior year showed just how talented and driven he is," 49ers head coach Jamie Green said. "Our players have heard me say it, but I do believe Jonas is the smartest player I have ever had the privilege of coaching. That "golf intelligence" manifests itself in great scores when added to terrific hand-eye coordination and athletic ability. Jonas truly has a complete game and our team certainly benefitted from his leadership by example on the course and in practice."
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He will represent Europe in the 2008 Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event, pitting the best college layers from Europe against the top players from the US. He was one of 20 finalists for the Nicklaus and Hogan National Player of the Year Awards and one of five finalists for the Byron Nelson Award given to the senior who demonstrates excellence in athletics, academics and character.
Enander Hedin, who had a program-best final ranking of 24 by Golfweek, becomes the first golfer in school history to be named to an all-America first, second or third team. The two third-team honors are his first all-America awards.
Nagy picked up honorable mention all-America honors for the second straight season. He was named a GCAA Honorable Mention PING all-America in 2007 and was named to the five-player 2007 GCAA Freshman all-America Team. He is the first 49er to earn all-America honors in multiple years.
"Corey's last 18 months of competitive golf are amongst the best in the country," Green said. "His spring semester as a Freshman earned him a prestigious spot on the 5-player All-Freshman team and to follow that up with his first collegiate win and a strong sophomore year comparative with the nation's best shows the type of player he is -- oozing physical talent, but more importantly, coupled with determined focus to improve and excel mentally. Corey eagerly looks for every inch of improvement he can find and as a coach I couldn't be more thankful for that. Not too many players in the nation can claim two All American plaques in their freshman and sophomore years on campus."
In 2008, Nagy posted a 72.14 stroke average and was ranked in the nation's top 50 in the final Golfstat (47) and Golfweek (46) individual rankings. He was the individual runner-up as Charlotte captured its third straight A-10 title and was the 49ers top performer at the NCAA Championships, finishing tied for 16th in leading Charlotte to its second straight top 10 finish. Nagy's 16th-place finish is the second-best in school history. Teammate Andrew DiBitetto placed tied for ninth at the 2007 NCAA Championships as Charlotte placed tied for third. Nagy started the season with an individual medalist honor at the Scenic City Invitational and posted six top 11 finishes on the season, including four top five individual finishes.
"Jonas and Corey played some of their best golf in our strongest tournaments, in regard to the number of highly ranked teams and individuals present," Green said. "That would be like playing your best golf in the "majors" at the tour level, and it shows quite a bit about how competitive they both are and how capable they are of playing at the highest level in our sport. That said, you don't get highly ranked and post the types of scoring averages they have over the past two years without a level of consistency and year-round success. And that comes from focused and intelligent practice - they both "get the big picture" and how to reach the heights to which you aspire. It's probably what Jonas and Corey have most in common, and certainly was a great example for all of our players - present and future."
Enander Hedin and Nagy were joined on the GCAA/PING all-South Region team by junior Stefan Wiedergruen (Waiblingen, Germany). Wiedergruen carded a 72.43 stroke average for the 49ers and notched individual medalist honors at the PING/Golfweek Preview and the Pacific Invitational. He also placed second at the Scenic City Invitational and tied for fifth at the A-10 Championships.
"Stefan came out of the gates blazing this year and although he didn't have as consistent a spring season, it was still a great overall year," Green noted. "Having been his first full year in the traveling lineup, Stefan showed just how much ability he has after two years of patient and steady improvement."
Charlotte is one of four teams that have finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships in each of the last two years, one of six teams that were ranked in the top 10 of each national ranking system and placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championship and one of nine teams that have qualified for the 30-team NCAA Championship in each of the last three years.
2008 Charlotte 49ers Post-Season Awards:
All-America (GCAA/PING): Jonas Enander Hedin (3rd team); Corey Nagy (Honorable Mention)
All-America (Golfweek): Jonas Enander Hedin (3rd team); Corey Nagy (Honorable Mention)
All-South Region (GCAA/PING): Jonas Enander Hedin, Corey Nagy, Stefan Wiedergruen
South Region Coach of the Year (GCAA/Eaton Golf Pride): Jamie Green
Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year: Jamie Green
All-Atlantic 10: Corey Nagy (2nd), Jonas Enander Hedin (3rd), Stefan Wiedergruen (T5th)
