Air Force Academy

May 4, 2010

NORMAN, Okla. - Air Force senior Tom Whitney has been named a finalist for the 2010 Byron Nelson Award, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The award is presented by Cleveland Golf/Srixon, in cooperation with the Four Seasons Resort and Club Las Colinas and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.

Candidates for the Nelson Award must be a graduating senior. The selection committee considers equally a nominee's entire collegiate academic and golf career and his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration will be given to a nominee's good citizenship, as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and golf career.

Other finalists for the award include Seth Fair of Indianapolis, Wake Forest's Brendan Gielow, Adam Long of Duke, Charlotte's Corey Nagy and Jack Newman of Michigan State. The recipient of the Nelson Award will be named May 28.

Whitney, a native of La Quinta, Calif., is preparing to wrap up a decorated golf career at the Air Force Academy. Already the school record holder for lowest 18-hole, 36-hole and 54-hole scores in a single tournament, Whitney has posted more top-three tournament finishes than any other golfer in school history. Currently holding a season stroke average of 71.11, Whitney is on pace to break his own school record in that category, a mark of 72.0 set in 2008-09.

Whitney is the second Air Force golfer to be named a finalist for the Byron Nelson Award. Former Falcon Ben Leestma was one of three finalists for the honor during the award's inaugural season in 2002.

The Falcons, led by Whitney, will head to Tucson, Ariz., this week, May 6-8, for the 11th-annual Mountain West Conference Men's Golf Championship, being held at Tucson National.