RIPLEY, Miss. — Jake Moffitt, a Ripley native and freshman standout at the University of Southern Mississippi, has earned national recognition after being named the Ben Hogan Award’s November/December Golfer of the Month.
Moffitt claimed the honor following a vote by the award’s selection committee combined with a nationwide fan vote on social media. He swept the fan voting on Facebook, Instagram and X, securing bonus support from the committee and emerging as the overall selection.
The Ripley product delivered a dominant performance in December by winning The International Amateur at Innisbrook by seven shots — the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s 15-year history. He finished the four-round event at 17-under-par 268, posting rounds of 68, 69, 65 and 66.
Moffitt also placed second at the St. Augustine Amateur, finishing one shot back at 6-under-par 207. Across seven rounds during the November–December period, he recorded a 67.86 scoring average and earned 21.3 World Amateur Golf Ranking points.
Other finalists for the monthly honor included Connor Williams of Arizona State and Grayson Wood of Georgia.
The Ben Hogan Award Golfer of the Month is determined by a 12-member selection committee made up of representatives from the Ben Hogan Award and Friends of Golf, along with selected partners. Fan voting plays a role by awarding an additional committee vote to the top finisher on each social media platform.
Presented annually by Baird, the Ben Hogan Award recognizes the top men’s collegiate golfer in the nation, factoring in collegiate, amateur and professional competition over a 12-month period. The 2026 award season runs from the 2025 NCAA Championships through the 2026 NCAA Regionals.
Since 2002, the Ben Hogan Award has been presented at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The foundation has donated more than $1.3 million to charitable causes, including scholarships and support for golf programs nationwide.
