Ancer Named Men's Golf All-American

June 23, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma sophomore golfer Abraham Ancer was named to the 2011 Division I PING All-America team Thursday as an honorable mention selection. The announcement was made by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

In his first season as a Sooner, Ancer played a vital role in the program's breakout success. He led the team with a 72.03 scoring average (sixth best in school history), helping OU to its first NCAA Championships appearance in five years. He recorded nine top-20 and four top-10 finishes in his 13 events, including victories at the Desert Shootout in Goodyear, Ariz., and NCAA East Regional in Radford, Va.

At the Desert Shootout in March, Ancer led the Sooners to an easy team title by shooting a school-record three-round 195 (-21). The performance shattered the school's previous 54-hole standard, held by former All-American Anthony Kim, by eight strokes. Ancer's three-round 210 (-6) at the NCAA East Regional in May fueled the Sooners' third-place finish and NCAA Championships berth.

"This is exciting news," said second-year OU head coach Ryan Hybl of the All-America honor. "Abe had a really good year and had two impressive wins. But being named (to the) honorable mention (group) also shows how much better he can be.”

The award for Ancer is far from his first. A product of Odessa (Texas) Junior College, Ancer and senior teammate Ryan Sirman were named to the PING All-Central Region team earlier this month. Last year as a freshman at Odessa, Ancer was a first-team All-American and received the Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson awards as the nation's top junior college golfer and top junior college freshman, respectively.

"Abe's a really good story," said Hybl. "He wasn't recruited very highly coming out of high school because he didn't play in a lot of golf tournaments. But the guy can play. He had a tough fall because of the transition from junior college, but when he stepped foot on campus in the spring he was a whole different person. We're really happy for him. He has a bright future.”

In his 2011-12 junior campaign, Ancer will look to add to his already impressive list of accomplishments and help continue with the reconstruction of the OU program.

“We've already talked with him about his goals for the next couple of years,” said Hybl. “We're excited about his future, and hopefully we can get some other guys to be on the All-America team with him.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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