Alva Review-Courier -

DURANT, Okla. – For a second-straight season Southeastern's Zach James has been named one of five finalists for the 2019 Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award presented by Barbasol.

Nicklaus Award recipients will be announced May 30 with the honor presented by Jack Nicklaus at a ceremony during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club

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 18-21, at the Champions at Keene Trace in Lexington, Ky. The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 1 at The Ohio State University Golf Club's Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio - the same club where Jack Nicklaus played collegiate golf for the Buckeyes.

James, a senior from Whitesboro, Texas, was a finalist for the award a season ago while also earning All-American honors and is a two-time Great American Conference Golfer of the Year and has twice been named Southeastern's Most Outstanding Male Athlete.

Through the 2018-19 season he earned seven GAC Player of the Week awards this season and is ranked fourth nationally heading into the Central/Midwest Super Regional.

He has picked up five individual titles in his 12 tournaments this season and has finished in the top two in nine of them.

His 70.13 average score over 32 rounds is bolstered by 16 scores in the 60's and 23 rounds at par or better.

He most recently made his case with a huge final-round rally at the Central/Midwest Super Regional, firing a 68 over the final 18 holes to finish tied for fourth and earn an individual bid to the NCAA Division II National Finals.

James and his teammate Hayden Foster will be in action at the National Finals May 20-22 at The Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, W.V.