FORT WORTH, Texas – Cal sophomore Colin Morikawa, the top amateur in the world according to the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking, was named a semifinalist for the 2017 Ben Hogan Award on Wednesday. The Ben Hogan Award presented by Konica Minolta is issued annually to the top men's Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer talking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period beginning with the 2016 NCAA Championships and running through the 2017 NCAA Regionals.

"To get the recognition of being a Ben Hogan Award semifinalist is an amazing accomplishment and I will always be proud to be able to call myself a semifinalist for this prestigious award," Morikawa said. "The names on this list are astounding and to have my name alongside them is an honor. I look forward to seeing what the rest of this season brings and to keep improving as I work to strengthen all parts of my game."

"Being named a semifinalist for The Ben Hogan Award is richly deserved for Collin," Alex and Marie Shipman Director of Men's Golf Walter Chun said. "His body work in amateur golf this past year has been one of the best in the country, and the Cal golf community is very proud of his accomplishments."

Morikawa started the period by becoming the first Cal player to earn GCAA Freshman All-American honors during his 2015-16 rookie collegiate season that ended with a tied for 10th place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships that equaled the best by a freshman at the event. His long list of 2015-16 accomplishments also included Division I PING All-West Region, Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12.

Morikawa's 2016 summer was highlighted by a victory at the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur, tying for second after reaching a playoff while playing as an amateur at his first professional event at the Web.com Tour's Air Capital Classic presented by Aetna and a Round of 16 showing at the U.S. Amateur.

Morikawa is in the midst of putting together one of the top single seasons in Cal history as a 2016-17 sophomore. He earned Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Month for March of 2017 after picking up his first collegiate victory at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational. The win followed his first-ever playoff in a collegiate tournament at the prestigious Southern Highlands Collegiate. Between the two tournaments, he was selected as one of 10 players to represent the United States at the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup in June. Morikawa has been in the top-10 in seven of his nine stroke-play events in 2016-17 and has a 69.78 stroke average that ranks fourth in the country.

Morikawa is the fourth Cal player to earn semifinalist honors for the award with the others Peter Tomasulo (2004), Michael Kim (2013) and Brandon Hagy (2014). Kim was also Cal's lone finalist in 2013.

This year's three finalists, who will be announced Wednesday, May 3, will attend a black-tie banquet where the winner will be crowned at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday, May 22, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR's Dean & DeLuca Invitational.

The award's selection committee, which votes during each stage of the process, is comprised of 24 leaders and experts in professional, amateur and collegiate golf.

To find the latest information on The Ben Hogan Award, its candidates and its previous winners, visit TheBenHoganAward.org and follow @BenHoganAward on Twitter.