NORMAN, Okla. — Lee’s Drew Zielinski and West Florida’s Cooper Tendick were among the five finalists for the 2026 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, as announced Thursday by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
The other nominees included Florida Southern’s Max Barile, Wingate’s Lewis Beeden and Western Washington’s Conrad Brown.
The Gulf South Conference is the only league in DII to be represented by two student-athletes for the coveted award and if the first time since 2022. This is also the second straight year a GSC student-athlete was selected and the fifth time in last six seasons.
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Tendick is a finalist in back-to-back years after seven top-six finishes for the top-ranked and defending national champion Argonauts. Currently on a six-tournament top-six finish streak, the senior from Kennesaw, Ga., set the Valdosta Country Club record with a seven-under 65 during the second round of his eventual one-stroke victory at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional May 7-9. Ranked third via Scoreboard Powered by Clippd and sporting a 70.0 adjusted scoring average, Tendick was named First Team All-GSC for the second straight season to lead West Florida to their 22nd and final GSC Championship before the university transitions to NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference in Fall 2026. A two-time PING All-American, Tendick is looking to join a list of Nicklaus Award recipients from West Florida that includes Chandler Blanchet (2017).
Ranked No. 1 via Scoreboard Powered by Clippd for much of the season, Zielinski has compiled five top-two finishes, including in each of his last three tournaments before the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championship. The senior from Ocean Springs, Miss., won the Gulf South Conference Championship by one stroke on April 22, becoming the program’s first-ever GSC Champion, and the Fripp Island to Bermuda Invite by two strokes on October 21 to secure NCAA Division II’s first-ever exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship October 22-25. Zielinski earned GSC Golfer of the Year and First Team All-GSC honors with a 69.5 adjusted scoring average. A three-time PING All-Region and two-time PING All-America honoree, Zielinski is looking to become Lee’s first Nicklaus Award recipient.
The winner will be announced and presented by Nicklaus himself on Sunday, June 7 during his annual the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday press conference.
The Jack Nicklaus Award has been presented annually since 1988 with previous winners including Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm among others. Since expanding to Division II in 2003, the a Gulf South Conference student-athlete has won the award four times.