David Ford put together one of the greatest seasons ever by a UNC men's golf member, a year that has him standing alone atop the country's best golfers.
Ford has earned the 2025 Fred Haskins Award, presented annually to the National Men's Golf Player of the Year. Since its inception in 1971, only two Tar Heels have ever won the award, as Ford joins John Inman (1984) on this exclusive list of recipients. Only 11 ACC players have won this award, as North Carolina joins the likes of Wake Forest and Georgia Tech among the conference programs with multiple Haskins Award winners.
Even if you don't follow golf very closely, you've likely heard of some of the previous Haskins Award winners. Players such as Curtis Strange, Phil Mickelson. Stewart Cink and, oh yeah, Tiger Woods, all earned this honor during their collegiate careers.
The award holds even more significance, given that it is voted on by those who are heavily invested in the world of college golf. Coaches, players, sports information directors, and members of the college golf media have a say in the voting, as all those involved in the voting process saw just how remarkable of a season Ford put together for the UNC men's golf program.
A Peachtree Corners, Georgia native, Ford led the country in scoring average (68.78) and wins (5). He set the UNC men's golf single-season records for scoring, combined score to par (-89), average score to par per round (-2.47), and rounds in the 60s (25).
Ford is the only Tar Heel ever to win three consecutive tournaments, and will become the first UNC men's golfer to be named a first-team All-American on multiple occasions.
What a career it's been for David Ford as a member of the UNC men's golf program, as his senior season is simply one for the record books. With former Tar Heel Ben Griffin recently winning his first PGA Tour individual event, maybe it won't be long before Ford starts to rack up victories at the PGA level as well!