2012 All-America Classic Field Announced

Where Legends Get Started

Field Set for 2012 Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic

Field Set for 2012 Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic

Twenty-three of the nation’s top collegiate golfers will make their way to El Paso when they take part in the 2012 Sun Bowl Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic on Nov. 18-20 at the El Paso Country Club.

“Western Refining is proud to team with the Sun Bowl Association in welcoming the nation’s finest college golfers to El Paso,” said Jeff Stevens, Western Refining CEO. “It is an honor to host one of the most prestigious college golf tournaments in the country. The quality of this year’s field is a testament to the hospitality of El Paso and the reputation of this event.”

The field includes 16 of the top 100 amateur golfers in the world, according to the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings including second-ranked Justin Thomas (Alabama) and the 2012 NCAA Individual Champion, Thomas Pieters (Illinois). This year's roster includes three returning All-Americans from last year's event including the 2011 champion Cory Whitsett (Alabama).

Throughout the years, many Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic competitors have gone on to pursue successful careers in the Professional Golfers’ Association of America and on the PGA Tour. Some of the past champions include Webb Simpson (2007), Ricky Barnes (2000), Notah Begay (1994), David Duval (1991), Matt Kuchar (1999), Davis Love III (1984), Chris Nallen (2003), Jerry Pate (1974), Nicholas Thompson (2004) and Tiger Woods (1995).

Alumni of the Golf Classic have gone on to earn more than $1.5 billion and win 589 events on the PGA Tour. In all, 144 colleges and universities have participated in the tournament, raising almost $700,000 in scholarship money for the participating institutions.

Each university represented by the Western Refining College All-Americans will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

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2012 All-America Classic Field

Anders Albertson
Georgia Tech • Sophomore
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a freshman … garnered All-ACC honors … became the Jackets’ solid No. 2 player in his first year … tied for fourth at the ACC Championship … tied for second at the 2011 Brickyard Collegiate by shooting 7 under par … tied for third at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in 2011 … tied for first at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier at Duluth, Ga. … scored a double-eagle in the 2010 Junior PGA Championship, which made ESPN SportsCenter top plays that day … a two-time selection to the ACC Academic Honor Roll ... majoring in business administration … plays for head coach Bruce Heppler.

Anton Arboleda
UCLA • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a freshman … garnered Pac-12 Honorable mention … tied for first at the Pacific Coast Amateur … ended the 2011-12 season ranked 37th by GolfStat and 52nd by GolfWeek ... tied for 13^th at the NCAA Championship following a 67 (-4) in the first round … recorded three other top-10 results: tied for eighth at the U.S. Intercollegiate … tied for ninth at the Nicklaus Invitational and at the Amer Ani Invitational … named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention list and was a member of the Director's Honor Roll in the fall.

Zac Blair
BYU • Senior
Earned third team All-America honors as a junior … a three-time West Coast All-Conference honoree … tied for first at the 2011 Sunnehanna Invitational … took medalist honors at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate and at the PING Cougar Classic in 2011 … runner-up at the Arizona Invitational in the fall of 2012 … finished third at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational earlier this year … named to the Ping All-Region West team as a sophomore … earned back-to-back West Coast Conference All-Academic honors … majoring in recreational management … plays for coach Bruce Brockbank.

Dominic Bozzelli
Auburn • Senior
Earned honorable mention All-America Honors as a junior … garnered Second Team All-SEC … became the first Auburn golfer in history to win back-to-back tournaments after winning medalist honors at the U.S. Collegiate and the Gator Invitational … won back-to-back titles at the New York State Amateur … tied for 13^th at the 2012 NCAA Championship … tied for fifth at the NCAA East Regional … named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll … majoring in interdisciplinary studies … plays for head coach Nick Clinard.

Sebastian Cappelen
Arkansas • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a freshman and sophomore … tied for seventh at last year’s All-America Classic … selected to the All-SEC First Team … took medalist honors at the 2011 Cabo Collegiate … tied for second at Olympia Fields earlier this year … tied for third at The Woodlands All-American Intercollegiate with a tournament record-tying round of 65 … garnered back-to-back All-SEC Academic honors … majoring in economics … plays for head coach Brad McMakin.

John Catlin
New Mexico • Senior
Earned honorable mention All-America as a junior … a two-time All-Mountain West selection … named as one of Golf World's Top 50 Collegiate Male Players to watch in 2012-13 ... won back-to-back titles at the Memorial Amateur in 2011 and 2012 … finished in the top 10 in nine of the Lobos’ 14 tournaments including medalist honors at the Arizona Intercollegiate … top finisher at the 2010 and 2011 NCGA Matchplay … tabbed the 2012 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year … garnered All-Academic Mountain West and Mountain West Scholar-Athlete honors … majoring in business … plays for head coach Glen Millican.

Corey Conners
Kent State • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a sophomore … tied for fourth at the 2012 NCAA Championship … took medalist honors at the 2012 Mid-American Conference Championship earning him the Mid-American Player of the Year title … won the Gopher Invitational earlier this year … ranked No. 41 in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings… named as one of GolfWorld’s 50 Men’s College Players to Watch list for 2012 … finished fourth at the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur … reached match play bracket at the 2012 US Amateur … member of the Academic All-MAC team … majoring in actuarial mathematics … plays for head coach Herb Page.

Pedro Figueiredo
UCLA • Senior
Earned Second Team All-America honors as a junior … selected to the Second Team All-Pac 12 for the second time … ranked 24^th by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … ended the season ranked 11th by GolfStat and 15th by GolfWeek ... won the Cal Poly Invitational ... placed second at the NCAA Regional and tied for second at the U.S. Intercollegiate ... finished seventh at the Pac-12 Championship and tied for 13th at the NCAA Championship … earned GCAA All-Scholar Team honors and is a two-time selection to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team … helped lead Portugal to a third place finish in the 2012 European Challenge Cup Trophy … majoring in economics … plays for head coach Derek Freeman.

Steven Fox
Chattanooga • Senior
The 2012 U.S. Amateur Champion … garnered PING All-East Region honors …
a two-time All-Southern Conference selection … ranked 16^th by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … finished third at the NCAA Bowling Green Regional with a course-record 64 (-8) at the Club at Olde Stone leading the Mocs to their first NCAA Regional win … took runner-up honors at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic in 2011 … tabbed the 2010 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year … a two-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll honoree … majoring in business management … plays for head coach … Mark Guhne.

Brandon Hagy
California • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors … a Second Team All-Pac-12 and PING All-West Region selection … ranked 11^th by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings ... ranked No. 37 by Golfweek and No. 42 according to Golfstat in their final player rankings of the season ... tied for third at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational … led Cal to its first-ever conference title at Pac-12 Championship tying for fifth overall … semifinalist at the U.S. Amateur Championship … garnered First Team All-Pac-12 Academic honors … majoring in business … plays for head coach Steve Desimone.

Max Homa
California • Senior
Earned second team All-America honors … two-time second-team All-Pac-12 selection tied for ninth at the NCAA Championship and tied for 10^th at the NCAA Stanford Regional … recorded seven top-10, nine top-20 and 13 top-25 finishes … ranked 26^th in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … tied for first at the 2011 John A. Burns Invitational, finished second in 2012 … took runner-up honors at the 2011 Alister MacKenzie Invitational … tied for fourth at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters … tied for 13^th at the 2012 Pac-12 Championship … tabbed to the Division I PING All-West Region in 2011 … garnered NCAA All-Southwest Region honors as a sophomore … majoring in interdisciplinary studies … plays for head coach Steve Desimone.

Jeffrey Kang
USC • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America … garnered Division I PING All-West Region accolades … a two-time All-Pac-12 Second Team honoree … placed fifth at the 2011 Pac-12 Championship … posted a team-best five top-10 finishes … took medalist honors at the Ameri Ari Invitational … ranked 63^rd by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … tied for third at the 2012 Western Amateur… finished third at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in 2011 … majoring in psychology … plays for head coach Chris Zambri.

William Kropp
Oklahoma • Senior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a junior … finished ninth at the 2012 NCAA Championships … registered three top-five performances as a sophomore ... finished in second place at Desert Shootout in 2011 with three-round 201 that ranks as OU's second-best tournament score in history ... took third at the 2011 Mason Rudolph Championship … tied for fourth place at La Cantera Individual Classic … finished fourth at the Azalea Invitational in 2009 … majoring in communications … plays for head coach Ryan Hybl.

Keith Mitchell
Georgia • Junior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors … finished ninth at the NCAA Championships … had a team-best 10^th-place finish at the SEC Championship … took third at the Outer Bunks Classic … placed third at the 2012 Azalea Invitational … qualifier for the 2011 U.S. Amateur … took third in the 2011 Southeastern Amateur … recipient of the Robert E. Dicks III Athletic Scholarship … selected to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll … majoring in business … plays for head coach Chris Haack.

Cameron Peck
Texas A&M • Senior
Three-time honorable mention All-America selection … named to the PING All-Central Region three consecutive years … and All-Big 12 team … posted eight top-20 and five top-10 finishes … finished second at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate … placed third at the Amelia Island Intercollegiate … tied for ninth at last year’s All-American Classic … finished fourth at the Morris Williams … posted 7 top-20 and 4 top-10 finishes as a sophomore including back-to-back third-place showings at the NCAA Arizona Regional and NCAA Championships ... tied for 18^th as a freshman at the NCAA Championship … named AJGA National Player of the Year in 2008... won the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship ... majoring in agricultural leadership, education & communications … plays for head coach J.T. Higgins.

Kevin Penner
UNLV • Senior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors … two-time Mountain West All-Conference selection … named to the 2012 PING All-West Region team … took medalist honors at the Wyoming Desert Classic in 2012, tied for first in 2011 … tied for first at the Gene Miranda Classic … won the 2012 Sahalee Players Championship this summer … majoring in interdisciplinary studies … plays for head coach Dwaine Knight.

Thomas Pieters
Illinois • Junior
Earned first team All-America honors as a sophomore … 2012 NCAA Individual Champion … First-Team All-Big Ten selection … finished second at the NCAA Norman Regional … took medalist honors at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational … ranked 17^th by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … took medalist honors at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational … finished fifth at the Big Ten Championship to earn a spot in the All-Championship team … took runner-up honors at the D.A. Weibring Invitational … became the first Belgian ever selected to the 2012 Palmer Cup European team … majoring in recreation, sport and tourism … plays for head coach Mike Small.

Patrick Rodgers
Stanford • Sophomore
Earned first team All-America as a freshman … garnered first team All-Pac-12 … tabbed the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year … finalist for the Ben Hogan award … took medalist honors at the Fighting Illini Invitational and the Western Intercollegiate … was Stanford’s top finisher in 10 of the Cardinal’s 12 events … finished third at the Amer Ari Invitational … placed eighth at the Pac-12 Championships … tied for 10^th at the NCAA Stanford Regional … tied for ninth at the NCAA Championships … member of the 2011 Walker Cup team … finished fourth at the 2011 Players Amateur … won the 2011 Porter Cup … plays for head coach Conrad Ray.

Julian Suri
Duke • Senior
Earned honorable mention All-America honors as a junior … a three-time PING All-East Region selection … garnered 2012 All-ACC accolades … took medalist honors at the Rod Myers Invitational and the John A. Burns Intercollegiate … took runner-up honors at the Irish Creek Collegiate … finished fifth at the Southland Highlands Collegiate … tabbed an Academic All-American in 2012 … named to the Academic All-ACC team three times … majoring in history … plays for head coach Jamie Green.

Benjamin Taylor
Nova Southeastern • Junior
Named the Division II Player of the Year … garnered DII PING All-America First Team honors … named the 2012 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year following medalist honors at the Sunshine State Championships … took second at the NCAA DII South/S.E. Regional … finished third at the DII NCAA Championships leading Nova Southeastern to its first national title … won the 2011 Otter Invitational and Marjorie Whitney Invitational … took third at the 2011 Jones Cup Invitational ... plays for head coach Ryan Jamison.

Justin Thomas
Alabama • Sophomore
Earned first team All-America honors as a freshman … won the Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus award as the National Player of the Year … honored with the Phil Mickelson Award as the National Freshman of the Year … garnered a school-record four medalist honors and nine top-10 finishes … won the SEC Championship and the NCAA Athens Regional … selected as the SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year … earned All-SEC accolades …ranked No. 2 in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … advanced to the semifinals of the 2012 U.S. Amateur … majoring in communication studies … plays for head coach Jay Seawell.

Cory Whitsett
Alabama • Junior
Defending 2011 Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic champion …a two-time second team All-America selection … garnered back-to-back first-team All-SEC accolades … took medalist honors at the 2011 and 2012 Linger Longer Invitational … won the Inaugural Patriot All-American … a three-time U.S. Amateur participant … won the NCAA Elite 89 Award presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the NCAA Championships … earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition … named the 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year … ranked 25^th by the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings … posted five top-10 finishes as a sophomore including a third-place showing at the NCAA Athens Regional … majoring in business management … plays for head coach Jay Seawell.

Joseph Winslow
Iowa • Sophomore
Earned honorable mention All-America honors … finished 13^th at the NCAA Championship … tied for fourth at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier … placed 10^th at the Hawkeye Invitational … tied for fifth at the Trans-Miss Challenge … majoring in business … plays for head coach Mark Hankins.