Ben James

2024-25 Honors
• One of 10 semifinalists for the Ben Hogan Award for the second-straight year.
• Hogan Award Watch List
• Golf Channel Preseason All-American
• One of 25 golfers on the Haskins Award Final Fall Watch List
• Named ACC Golfer of the Month for September (2024)

2024-25 (Junior)
• Tied the UVA career record with his 23rd top-10 finish, tying for second at Lewis Chitengwa Memorial. Was also tied with teammage Josh Duangmanee for second and finished two strokes back of overall winner Luke Clanton (FSU).
• Playing as an amateur, tied for 33rd at the Valero Texas Open, his best finish in seven PGA Tour career starts. Made the cut after shooting an opening round 68 followed by a 71 in Friday’s second round. On Saturday he posted a 2-over 74 and finished on Sunday with a 76.
• Participated in the Rocket Mortgage Classic (44th) and 3M Open during 2024 PGA Tour
• Overcame a five-shot deficit entering the third and final round to win the Valero Texas Collegiate played at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course. Shot a 6-under, 66 and defeated Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert with a birdie on the first playoff hole for the overall title.
• Earned ACC Golfer of the Month for September with third place finish and team victory at the Inverness Collegiate as well as the individual title at the Valero Texas Collegiate.
• Turned in his third top-10 finish of the fall by placing ninth at the Hamptons Intercollegiate.
• Shot par or better in 11 of 12 rounds in the fall, including eight rounds in the 60s.

2023-24 Honors
• First-team PING All-American
• First-team Golfweek All-American
• PING All-East Region team
• All-ACC
• Helped Team USA to the Walker Cup victory
• Part of victorious 2023 Palmer Cup Team
• Named one of 10 Semifinalists for the 2024 Hogan Award
• Named to 2024 Palmer Cup Team
• Qualified for 2024 U.S. Open (paired with former Hoos Denny McCarthy and Ben Kohles for the first two rounds)

2023-24 (Sophomore)
• First UVA player to be a two-time first-team All-American
• One of five players to tie for second at NCAA Championships (-2, 286)
• Only player in the field to repeat a top-10 finish at NCAAs
• His finish was best-ever by a Cavalier during stroke play at NCAA Championships
• Helped UVA to its second straight appearance in match play quarterfinals at NCAAs
• Led UVA with a 70.31 stroke average
• Ranked No. 12 in final NCAA individual rankings
• Finished ninth at NCAA Baton Rouge Regional (-3, 213) to help UVA to a second-place finish, the best regional showing in program history
• Won the South Beach International Amateur during semester break by two shots at -12/271
• Ranked No. 62 in the final fall Spikemark rankings
• Posted team-best 70.44 scoring average in the fall
• Capped the fall by helping UVA to the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate title with a fifth-place finish
• Shot -8, 208 at GCGC including final round of -7, 65
• In season debut, placed eighth at Highlands Invitational, shooting -7, 209
• Helped Team USA to Walker Cup win at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland
• Tied for third at Puerto Rico Classic (-14, 202)
• Led UVA with 12th-place finish at Watersound Invitational (-5, 211)
• Placed 11th at Hayt Collegiate (+1, 217)
• Had his career 15th top-10 finish at the Linger Longer Invitational, placing sixth (-7, 209)
• Topped UVA with third-place finish (-7, 206) at Lewis Chitengwa Memorial
• Finished 12th at ACC Championships (E, 213)
• Named to the 2023-24 ACC Honor Roll

2022-23 (Freshman)

Honors
• Helped Team USA to the Walker Cup victory
• Winner of the 2023 Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award
• First-Team PING All-American
• First-Team All-Freshman by the Golf Coaches Association of America
• ACC Freshman of the Year
• One of top three finalists for the Haskins Award
• Finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Award
• Only freshman on the final Haskins and Nicklaus awards watch lists
• All-ACC selection
• All PING East-Region
• Selected for 2023 U.S. Palmer Cup team where he helped Team USA to victory
• Named to both the VaSID Men’s Golfer of the Year and VaSID Men’s Golf Rookie of the Year

2022-23 Season
• Ranked No. 3 in final Golfstat and Golfweek standings
• That is the highest final ranking every by a Cavalier
• Second player to earn first-team All-America honors (Jimmy Stanger, 2017)
• Second Cavalier to be named national freshman of the year (Jimmy Flippen, 1992)
• Was sixth at NCAA Championships (-4, 276), matching the second-best finish by a Cavalier
• Helped UVA to its best NCAA finish as Hoos advanced to quarterfinals of match play after finishing seventh in stroke play
• Set UVA record with five first-place finishes
• Finished in the top six in 11 of 13 tournaments
• Was co-medalist at NCAA Las Vegas Regional
• Matched his school record by shooting -20, 196 at NCAA Regional, which was low total by a Cavalier at a regional site
• His 65s (matched by fellow first-year Bryan Lee in the first round) at NCAA Regional were low rounds ever by a Cavalier at a regional site
• His 69.00 stroke average is lowest single-season mark in UVA history
• Tied for third at ACCs shooting -7, 209
• Helped UVA reach match play portion of championship for first time since ACC adopted that format in 2021.
• Finished the fall campaign ranked No. 5 by Golfweek and No. 26 by Golfstat
• Invited by USGA International Team Selection Committee to attend December practice session for Walker Cup
• Fantastic collegiate debut by winning the Streamsong Invitational shooting school-record -20, 196
• His score tied for third best collegiate tourney score vs. par
• Did not have a bogey over his first 54 holes
• Shot 63 in first collegiate round, one off the UVA single-round scoring record
• Was ranked No. 2 in Golfweek individual poll on Sept. 19
• Helped UVA shoot school record -56, 808 at Streamsong
• Tied for third at Inverness Intercollegiate, shooting -2, 211
• Took top honors at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, shooting -5, 211
• Tied the UVA record by winning the Hamptons by nine strokes
• Selected as the ACC Golfer of the Month for September and co-winner for March
• Shot under par in all four fall tournaments
• Opened spring with fourth-place finish at Dorado Beach Collegiate (-12, 204)
• Runner-up at the Wake Forest Invitational (E, 210)
• Co-Medalist at General Hackler Championship (-13, 203)
• Placed fourth at Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (-11, 205)
• Shared medalist honors with Florida State’s Cole Anderson at Lewis Chitengwa Memorial (-9, 202)
• Posted a final-round score of -6, 65 at Chitengwa

Amateur / High School /Personal
• Enrolled in Arts & Sciences at UVA
• Helped Team USA to 2024 Palmer Cup victory
• Advanced to quarterfinals at 2024 Western Amateur
• Was 18th at Southern Amateur Championship
• Competed in 2024 U.S. Open
• Exempt for the 2023 U.S. Amateur where he advanced to match play
• Competed in 2023 Travelers Championship under sponsor’s exemption
• Completed his junior career as the nation’s top-ranked junior player  by American Junior Golf Association and Golfweek.
• Ranked No. 41 amateur player by WAGR when he enrolled at UVA
• Received a sponsor exemption for the 2022 Travelers Championship
• Advanced to round of 32 of match play at 2022 U.S. Amateur
• Fifth at 2022 North & South Amateur
• Selected for the United States 2021 Junior Ryder Cup
• 2021 and 2020 first-team Rolex Junior All-American and a second-team selection in 2019
• Finished in the top three of his last six American Junior Golf Association events, winning four times
• Won the 2021 Junior PLAYERS Championship, 2021 PING Invitational, 2022 Dustin Johnson World Junior, 2022 Team TaylorMade Invitational on AJGA circuit
• Was third at AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions and second at Terra Cotta Invitational
• Won the 2021 New England Junior Amateur
• Second at the 2021 Boy’s Junior PGA Championship
• Won the 2021 Scott Robertson Memorial
• A member of the victorious 2021 Wyndham Cup East Team.
• Major is undecided

Ben James’ Career Statistics

Ben James Career Bests
Career Best Tournament Finish: 1st, Valero Texas Collegiate, Sept. 23, 2024, NCAA Las Vegas Regional, May 17, 2023, Lewis Chitengwa Memorial, April 11, 2023, General Hackler Championship, March 14, 2023, Hamptons Intercollegiate, Oct. 5, 2022 & Streamsong Invitational, Sept. 12, 2022
Career Top-10 Finishes: 23 (tied for most ever by UVA golfer)
Career Best 54-Hole Score:  196, NCAA Las Vegas Regional, May 17, 2023 & Streamsong Invitational, Sept. 12, 2022
Career Best 18-Hole Score: 63, Streamsong Invitational, Sept. 12, 2022