NORMAN, Okla. – San Diego State junior Zihao Jin (Beijing, China/Rancho Bernardo HS) has been named a 2019-20 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar, the Golf Coaches Association of America recently announced.
To be eligible for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status, a Division I golfer must be a sophomore, junior or senior academically, own at least 3.20 GPA, and have a stroke average under 76.0 while playing in at least 40 percent of the team's competitive rounds.
This past season, Jin played in six tournaments for the Aztecs before the season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He posted a stroke average of 72.29, which ranked fifth on the team (min. 10 rounds). Jin also tied for the most even-par rounds (3) on the team, and ranked fourth in rounds in the 60s (3) and rounds below par (7). Jin had his best showing at the Bill Cullum Invitational on Oct. 14-15, 2019, when he fired a collegiate-best 9-under 207, highlighted by a collegiate career-low 9-under 63 in the second round.
A Malik Award winner, which goes out to the SDSU student-athlete who posted the highest GPA in the fall and/or spring semester, Jin is a two-time Mountain West All-Academic selection (2018-19) and a 2019 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete. He's expected to earn both league honors when once again when they come out in July.
San Diego State was in the midst of another solid season in 2019-20 until it was abruptly cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aztecs won the Bill Cullum Invitational in October and had three individual winners on the season.