Bignell named Gary Player International Golfer of the Year

McLennan Golf's Abe Bignells is Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope for the NJCAA level. The award is given to five outstanding collegiate golfers from outside the United States, one each for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.

Also the 2026 Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday recipient for NJCAA, Bignell was ranked inside the top three in every Scoreboard Powered by Clippd ranking in 2025-26, finishing first. The sophomore from Kent, England led the Highlanders with seven top-10 finishes and four victories this season, including three consecutive from September 16 to October 31. In that span, he won the Waco River Classic by five strokes on September 16, the Buccaneer Fall Invitational by two strokes on October 21, and the NJCAA Division I National Preview by one stroke on October 31. Bignell won the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship by four strokes on May 15 with a six-under 282 (72-68-73-69). The Highlanders won six times as a team in 2025-26, including all four of Bignell's victories and the program's fifth national championship. Compiling a 70.75 scoring average with 15 rounds in the 60s and 18 rounds at par or better, Bignell was named PING First Team All-America, PING All-South District, and recipient of the NJCAA Division I Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award.