NORMAN, Okla. – The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced its annual list of Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars on Friday and three Notre Dame student-athletes picked up the prestigious honor: Palmer Jackson, Taichi Kho and Andrew O’Leary. The three tie the most GCAA All-America selections in a single season in the history of the program, happening in 2014 and 1999.
To be eligible for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically. In addition, they must participate in 40-percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
Palmer Jackson adds this to his many other accolades collected in the 2021 season including Ping D1 All-Region and All-ACC Academic Team. The rising junior averaged 71.67 strokes per round, which checked in as the sixth-lowest in program history. In fact, Jackson currently boasts the lowest career stroke average in program history at 71.25.
Kho too was a Ping D1 and All-ACC Academic Team member. The Hong Kong native averaged 72.14 strokes per round, which not only marked a career best for Kho, but also ranked eighth all-time in program history. Kho produced four top-25 finishes, including one in the top-10.
O’Leary averaged 73.33 strokes per round and produced three top-25 finishes, which included a career-best fourth-place showing at the Spartan Collegiate. The Norfolk native recorded career lows in both tournament score and round at the Stitch Intercollegiate, carding a 67 (-5) in round two and 209 (-7) overall.
All three golfers were mainstays in the five-person lineup that spearheaded Notre Dame to its first team NCAA Regional appearance since 2012.
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