College of Charleston golfer Kieron van Wyk continues to write his name into the history books after being named the inaugural recipient of the Adrian Stills Award presented to the Black College Golfer of the Year. The Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA), in partnership with the Golf Coaches Association of American, honored van Wyk as part of the first-ever BCGCA Awards announced on July 20, 2022.
van Wyk took the collegiate golf world by storm during the 2021-22 season, becoming the first Black golfer in Colonial Athletic Association history to win individual medalist honors at the conference tournament in April. The South African native’s performance helped lead CofC’s men’s golf team to also claim victory at the 2022 CAA Championship tournament – the team’s sixth league title since 2014 – and aided in the team making its first NCAA National Championship appearance after finishing tied for fourth at the NCAA Regional.
The award honors Adrian Stills, a Black golfer who gained prominence playing for South Carolina State University before competing on the PGA Tour starting in the 1980s.
“The Adrian Stills Award again shows what a tremendous freshmen year Kieron had,” says CofC head men’s golf coach Mitch Krywulcyz. “As a program, we were delighted with not only Kieron’s play on the course but his dedication to academics and his growing role as a team leader. In the years to come, I believe Kieron will prove to be a tremendous inaugural recipient, championing both the award and the equality it represents.”
Van Wyk was also recognized as the BCGCA Outstanding Freshman while earning a spot on both the BCGCA All-America and All-Freshman teams. He was also named the CAA Golfer of the Year and selected to the All-CAA First Team after firing a 71.1 scoring average.
