Alva Review-Courier -

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern's Zach James has been named one of five finalists for the Division II Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol.

The winner will be announced May 31 at an award presentation held at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, and presented by award namesake Jack Nicklaus during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.

In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR's Barbasol Championship, held July 16-22, at the Champions at Keene Trace in Lexington, Ky.

The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 2 at the storied Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio - the same club where Jack Nicklaus first learned the game of golf as a young boy.

James, a junior from Whitesboro, Texas, was named Southeastern's Most Outstanding Male Athlete on the heels of an individual Great American Conference title, a GAC Golfer of the Year nod and a first team all-conference selection.

His 2017-18 honors continue to add to a resume that already features a GAC Newcomer of the Year award as well as two previous all-conference honors.

He was a five-time GAC Golfer of the Week during the 2017-18 season and boasts a 70.72 average score over 32 rounds in 12 tournament played this season. He has turned in 21 rounds at par of better, 10 of them in the 60s with three tournament victories, including a GAC crown, a Regional Runner-Up, and a finish of sixth of better in every event of the season.

James and the Savage Storm golf team will open play at the NCAA National Championship May 21-25 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals, Fighting Joe Course in Muscle Shoals, Ala.