Two Alabama Golfers Earn National Honors

For the first time in school history, The University of Alabama has produced both the male and female national golfers of the week, for the same week. The honors came after the Crimson Tide teams won tournaments just a few days apart in Puerto Rico.

Montgomery’s Matthew Swan was selected as the Golf World College Male Player of the Week. Sarah Sturm, a senior from Spartanburg, S.C., was chosen as the Golf World College Female Player of the Week.

Both nods came compliments of Alabama’s performances at the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The Alabama women won the tournament on February 26, placing three golfers, among them Sturm, in the top 10. A week later, on March 2, the Alabama men won the men’s Puerto Rico Classic, led by Swan’s 12-under par finish that gave him his first individual collegiate victory.

In its announcement of the winners on its website, www.golfworld.com , it writes of Swan, “The junior became the third Crimson Tide player to earn an individual win this season with a final-round 67 and 12-under 204 at the Puerto Rico Classic. His five-shot victory helped U of A claim its fourth team title by three strokes over Oklahoma State.”

And of Sturm the magazine said, “A final-round 71 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic for the senior was the team’s best all week and helped the Crimson Tide come back from fourth to claim the title (16-over 880) by three strokes over LSU. Sturm finished T-10 with a four-over 220.”

The Alabama women’s golf team, coached by Mic Potter, is ranked No. 16 in the latest Golf World Nike Coaches’ poll released Wednesday. Alabama’s men, coached by Jay Seawell, were ranked No. 3 in the last men’s coaches’ rankings.