Adam Buchanan Named Finalist for 2025 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope

Finalists have been named for the 2025 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America in partnership with FlightScope. Freshman Adam Buchanan has been named one of five NAIA finalist for the award.

Buchanan joins Grant Ferreira, Southwestern Christian (South Africa), Rio Saigal, Lindsey Wilson (England), Vedant Sirohi, Webber International (India), and Jack Whaley, Dalton State (England) as the five NAIA finalist up for this year’s honor.

The award is given to five outstanding collegiate golfers from outside the United States, one each for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.

Buchanan becomes the second Seahawk to be a finalist for the award. Isac Wallin won the inaugural honor last season. 

 

Adam Buchanan, First Year, Ballyclare, Northern Ireland

• Is the second Seahawk to be named a finalist for the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope (Isac Wallin 2023-24)
• Honored as the 2025 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award recipient presented by StrackaLine
• Becomes the fifth Seahawks to be named the top freshman in the nation
• Named a First-Team NAIA PING All-American for the first time in his career
• Garnered NAIA PING All-South Region honors for the first time
• Became the fifth Seahawk to win the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors
• Marked the first Freshman of the Year honor since the  2022 season (Jack Maxey)
• Named to the All-Sun Conference Team for the first time
• Appeared in 10 events for the Seahawks for a total of 30 rounds
• Had five top-10 finishes with four in the top five
• Won the Sun Conference Championship, posting an 8-under, 208 (70-67-71)
• Shot a low-round, 54-hole, 196 at this year’s Seahawk Shootout (Sept. 16-17)
• Notched a top-5 finish at the Roadrunner Classic (April 7-8), tying for fourth with a 1-over, 217
• Carded another top-5 finish, tying for fifth with a 4-over, 220, at the Battle at Laughlin Ranch (March 24-25)
• Entered the NAIA National Championship with an adjusted scoring average of  70.8
• Named the Sun Conference Golfer of the Week (April 14)
• Ranked No. 12 by clippd, entering the NAIA National Championship

Considered one of golf’s “Big Three” with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player has left an everlasting impact on the game of golf by being a worldwide ambassador, philanthropist, and golf course designer. One of only six golfers to win the career grand slam, Player has continuously used his position to improve the lives of others in a positive way as a humanitarian and has focused strongly on education for the underprivileged. He is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, which celebrates sport’s ability to create positive change in the world. Player’s outstanding career has included 165 professional wins on six continents over seven decades and was acknowledged with being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, the PGA TOUR’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Services to Golf in 2012, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.

The Gary Player Award is selected by GCAA International member coaches with representation from around the world.

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