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Andy Wittry | NCAA.com | September 21, 2021

The 2021 Ryder Cup players' college careers

Bryson DeChambeau highlights from his 2015 NCAA golf title

The 2021 Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Wisconsin, where Europe will try to beat the United States for the fifth time in six tries. Both teams will feature former NCAA golfers, including some of the best collegiate players in the country in their respective eras.

Here's everything you need to know about the college careers of the 2021 Ryder Cup participants.

United States

Note: Tony Finau didn't attend college.

Collin Morikawa

College: California
Years: 2015-19

Morikawa was named to the All-Nicklaus Team three years in a row from 2017 to 2019, and he's the only player to be named to the team more than once. His 2017-18 scoring average of 68.68 is the NCAA's all-time record, and he was named the Golfweek National Player of the Year. Morikawa earned AmateurGolf.com National Player of the Year honors in 2016 and 2017.

Coastal Carolina Athletics Dustin Johnson attended Coastal Carolina.

Dustin Johnson

College: Coastal Carolina
Years: 2004-07
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 64
Lowest 36-hole individual score: 133
Lowest 54-hole individual score: 198
Lowest single-season scoring average: 70.40 (2006-07)

Johnson won seven events in college, including the 2005 NCAA East Regional and 2007 Big South Championship. He's the only player in program history with more than two wins in a season, and he's twice won three events in a season. His marks of 171 birdies (2006-07) and 143 birdies (2005-06) in a season rank first and second in Coastal Carolina history.

Among Johnson's other records are rounds in a season that are par or better (33 in 2006-07), eagles in a season (nine in 2004-05 and 2006-07), season par-4 average (3.9912 in 2006-07) and season par-5 average (4.5343 in 2006-07).

SMU Athletics Bryson DeChambeau won the 2015 NCAA Championship at SMU.

Bryson DeChambeau

College: SMU
Years: 2012-15
Career scoring average: 71.15
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 64
Lowest 72-hole individual score: 280

DeChambeau was the 2014 U.S. Amateur champion, one year before he won SMU's first individual NCAA championship. DeChambeau's scoring average in 2013-14 (70.46) and 2014-15 (70.61) rank third and fifth in program history, respectively. His 23 rounds with par or better scores in the 2013-14 is the best mark in Mustangs history.

DeChambeau's 71.15 career scoring average is the best in school history.

Florida State Athletics Brooks Koepka was a two-time ACC Player of the Year.

Brooks Koepka

College: Florida State
Years: 2008-12
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 63
Lowest two-round score: 133
Lowest three-round score: 199

Koepka was named ACC Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011, as well as second-team All-American honors in 2012. His 2012 season average of 71.11 ranks 14th in program history and his 2011 average of 71.72 ranks 23rd.

Alabama Athletics Justin Thomas was the consensus national player of the year in 2012.

Justin Thomas

College: Alabama
Years: 2011-13
Lowest season scoring average: 70.44 (2012)

As a freshman, Thomas was named the recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Award and Fred Haskins Award in 2012, which are given to the best player in the country, which made him the consensus national player of the year. He also received the Phil Mickelson Award, which is awarded to the top freshman in the country, and he earned unanimous first-team All-American honors. At the 2012 NCAA Championships, Thomas finished tied for seventh in stroke play at Riviera Country Club. His freshman-year scoring average of 70.44 ranks as the second-best in Alabama history. He also has the seventh-best mark of 71.11.

Then in 2013, Thomas was named a first-team All-American by Golfweek and a second-team All-American by PING, as well as an All-SEC honoree. He won his 2013 NCAA Championships match play matches in the quarterfinals (4 and 3 over New Mexico's James Erkenbeck) and semifinals (3 and 1 over Georgia Tech's Seth Reeves), but he lost his finals match to fellow future PGA Tour player Thomas Pieters of Illinois, who won 1-up.

UCLA Athletics Patrick Cantlay attended UCLA.

Patrick Cantlay

College: UCLA
Years: 2010-12
Career scoring average: 70.80
Lowest single-season scoring average: 70.49

In 2012, Cantlay became the first UCLA golfer to win the Ben Hogan Award, which is awarded to the best collegiate and amateur golfer. He was also named Pac-12 Player of the Year, first-team All-Pac-12 and a second-team All-American.

As a freshman, he earned the Phil Mickelson Award, which is given to the best freshman in the country, and he also took home the Jack Nicklaus Award, which is given to the best player in the country.

Cantlay's four tournament wins are tied for sixth in program history and all four came in the 2010-11 season. For the season, his scoring average was 70.49, which is the second-best by a UCLA golfer. That average was aided by 17 rounds in the 60s, which is the most in a season by a Bruins player.

His career scoring average of 70.80 ranks first all-time.

Florida State Athletics Daniel Berger was a first-team All-American at Florida State in 2013.

Daniel Berger

College: Florida State
Years: 2011-13
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 65
Lowest three-round score: 203

Berger's 69.79 scoring average in 2013 is the third-best in Florida State history, as does his all-time scoring average of 71.25. He was named a first-team All-American in 2013.

Georgia Athletics Harris English attended Georgia.

Harris English

College: Georgia
Years: 2008-11
Lowest 18-hole score: 64
Lowest 18-hole score to par: -8
Career scoring average: 72.45

English's 8-under 64 in Puerto Rico in 2010 is tied for the third-best round in relation to par in Georgia history. His career scoring average of 72.45 ranks 12th all-time in Athens and his 17 career top-10 finishes are tied for 10th.

English earned All-America honors in each of his four seasons in college, including first-team All-America honors from Golfweek in 2010. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008 and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2009 and 2010, plus second-team honors in 2008 and 2011.

San Diego State Athletics Xander Schauffele was a three-time Mountain West selection at San Diego State.

Xander Schauffele

Colleges: Long Beach State, San Diego State
Years: 2011-12; 2012-15
Freshman-year scoring average: 72.52
Lowest 18-hole score: 64
Lowest 54-hole score: 199

Schauffele started his college career at Long Beach State, where he was named Big West Freshman of the Year in 2012 after posting a season scoring average of 72.52 and five top-10 finishes in the season, which is tied for the fifth-best in school history and 10th-best for a player's career. He finished 51st in his NCAA Regional that season.

At San Diego State, Schauffele was a three-time All-Mountain West selection and a 2015 third-team All-American, according to Golfweek. He holds the Aztecs' program record for the lowest score at the conference championship after shooting a 204 at the 2015 Mountain West Championship. His 54-hole score of 207 at the 2015 NCAA New Haven Regional ranks fourth in program history for an NCAA regional.

Texas Athletics Scottie Scheffler was a three-time All-American at Texas.

Scottie Scheffler

College: Texas
Years: 2014-18
Senior-year scoring average: 70.45

At Texas, Scheffler was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and the Phil Mickelson Award recipient (top freshman) in 2015, as well as being named a second-team All-American in 2015 and a third-team All-American in 2017 and 2018. Scheffler won the 2015 Big 12 Championship.

As a senior, Scheffler posted a scoring average of 70.45, which was the second-best on the team and he posted a par-or-better round in 20 of his 38 rounds that season.

Texas Athletics Jordan Spieth was a first-team All-American in 2012.

Jordan Spieth

College: Texas
Years: 2011-12

Spieth was a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2012, after becoming the U.S. Junior Amateur champion in 2009 and 2011.

Europe

Note: Padraig Harrington, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger, Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter didn't attend college in the U.S.

Arizona State Athletics Paul Casey has the sixth-best career scoring average at Arizona State since 1993-94.

Paul Casey

College: Arizona State
Years: 1997-2000
Career stroke average: 71.58
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 60

Paul Casey's 69.87 scoring average in the 1999-2000 season is the fifth-best in program history and two of the four averages that were better were set by Jon Rahm. Casey's 10-under 60 in the fourth round of the 1999 Pac-10 Championship is the lowest round in program history.

With a career scoring average of 71.58, Casey's career average ranks sixth since the 1993-94 season.

Northwestern Athletics Matt Fitzpatrick played for Northwestern in 2013.

Matt Fitzpatrick

College: Northwestern
Year: 2013

Fitzpatrick was a co-medalist along with teammate Jack Perry at the Rod Myers Invitational in 2013-14. Fitzpatrick left the team after the fall quarter in the 2013-14 season to turn pro, playing in just five events for the Wildcats, posting a team-best scoring average of 71.73 on the season. Eight of his 15 rounds were par or better.

Oklahoma State Athletics Viktor Hovland was a two-time first-team All-American at Oklahoma State.

Viktor Hovland

College: Oklahoma State
Years: 2016-19
Lowest 18-hole score: 64
Lowest season scoring average: 69.27 (2019)
Career scoring average: 70.48

Hovland earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors, and he received the Ben Hogan Award in 2019 as he and teammate Matthew Wolff each received a top national award. In 2019, Hovland was the low amateur at both The Masters and the U.S. Open.

After being an honorable mention All-American in 2017, he was named a first-team All-American as a sophomore and junior. He earned All-Big 12 honors in each season.

Arizona State Athletics Jon Rahm holds numerous program records at Arizona State.

Jon Rahm

College: Arizona State
Years: 2012-16
Career stroke average: 70.21
Lowest 18-hole individual score: 61
Lowest 54-hole individual score: 192

Rahm's name appears countless times in Arizona State's record book. He holds program records for the best scoring average in a season since 1987 (69.15 in 2014-15), the best NCAA Championship round (a nine-under 61 in 2013), the highest percentage of par-or-better rounds since 1993 (35 out of 41 in both 2014-15 and 2015-16), the lowest 54-hole tournament final score (a 21-under 192), career scoring average (70.21), career par-or-better rounds (117), career birdies (671) and career eagles (39).

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