Van Paris Named Byron Nelson Award Finalist

NORMAN, Okla. – The GCAA, in cooperation with the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, announced on Tuesday that Vanderbilt men’s golf senior Jackson Van Paris was named one of five finalists for the 2025 Bryon Nelson Award.

Van Paris is joined by Cameron Adam (Northwestern), Jackson Buchanan (Illinois), Matt Buckley (RPI) and Andrew Swanson (Clemson) as finalists for the 2025 Bryon Nelson Award. The purpose of the Byron Nelson Award is to select annually the outstanding Division I, II, III, or NAIA scholar-athlete of the year. The recipient, a graduating senior, is recognized for their achievement in the classroom, on the course, and in their community.

The winner will be announced on April 29 at the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Dinner at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

The senior has enjoyed a spectacular 2024-25 campaign, as he leads the Commodores in stroke average at 69.96 strokes per round through 27 rounds. Van Paris, currently No. 6 in the PGA TOUR University ranking and No. 9 in the most recent World Amateur Golf Ranking, has finished under par in a team-best 15 rounds this season.

Van Paris carded a season-best 5-under 66 twice, first in Round 1 of the 2025 Valspar Collegiate Invitational and more recently in Round 2 of the 2025 Mason Rudolph Championship. The All-American finished inside the top 10 five times this season and has collected a top-25 finish in all nine tournaments he has played in. His best 54-hole vs. par score of the 2024-25 campaign came at the Mason Rudolph Championship, where he finished at 7-under 207.

Graduating next month with a degree in Human and Organizational Development, Van Paris was named a GCAA All-America Scholar in 2023-24. He served on Vanderbilt’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), buying and wrapping Christmas presents for kids from local elementary schools, serving food at a local homeless shelter, and attending a middle school acting play to support Hank, a friend of the men’s golf team. He volunteered at Jones Paideia Elementary Magnet School in Nashville during his sophomore and junior years. Van Paris started organizing and hosting the Carolina Cup in 2017, raising more than $275,000 through the AJGA’s Leadership Links program. He was named a 2020 Player Representative on the AJGA Board of Directors.

The No. 17/19 Vanderbilt men’s golf team returns to competition April 23-27, when the Commodores head to St. Simons Island, Georgia, for the 2025 SEC Men’s Golf Championship at Sea Island Golf Club.

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