Tom Johnson, a former PGA Tour professional and Big Ten Freshman of the Year who was a two-time All-American honorable mention at Northwestern, was named assistant coach with the UC Davis men[apos]s golf team in November. Johnson replaces 10-year assistant Todd Hammond who moved into a new role as administrative assistant.
Johnson, whose brother Will was a four-year starter for the Aggies and a Div. II All-American in 2000, brings an extensive golf resumè as both an amateur and professional. Johnson was a two-time Northern California Golf Association Junior champion, won the 1998 California State Junior Championship in 1998 and was runner-up a year later.
He played collegiately at Northwestern alongside Luke Donald, one of the world[apos]s top golfers, posting five top-10 finishes in 2000-01 to earn the Big Ten[apos]s top freshman honor. He went on to compile a 72.79 stroke average, earn two All-America nods and three All-Big Ten awards. Johnson[apos]s stroke average is currently fourth all-time at Northwestern
Johnson also had three top-10 showings, including a third-place, at The Prestige at PGA WEST, the annual tournament co-hosted by UC Davis and Stanford in La Quinta. His coach, Pat Goss, said Johnson [quote]was as talented a player we[apos]ve had at Northwestern.[quote]
Johnson has played in eight USGA championships as well as the British Amateur Championship. He played on the PGA Tour in 2007, competing in 27 events and has nearly $200,000 in career winnings as a pro. Johnson[apos]s also played four seasons on the Nationwide Tour.
