Photo credit: Brandon Vallance/KLC Fotos
California men’s golfer Aaron Du was named to the 2022-23 Academic All-America Men’s At-Large third team by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) on Wednesday, becoming the third student-athlete in program history to earn the honor.
Du, a public health major with a cumulative grade point average well above the required 3.50 to be eligible, was one of 47 total individuals – and one of 11 golfers – named to the CSC first, second and third teams from a range of NCAA eligible men’s sports that included fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. He joined Scott Carlyle (2003-04) and Brandon Hagy (2012-13, 2013-14) as the only Cal golfers to be named CSC Academic All-Americans.
A two-time All-Pac-12 Team honorable mention in 2021 and 2022, Du averaged a career-low 71.74 strokes over 31 rounds played in 10 events as a junior in 2022-23. He totaled five top-25 individual finishes, including three in Cal’s final four events of the season as he helped lead the Golden Bears to their first NCAA Regional berth since 2019.
The Beijing native has amassed numerous academic accolades in his collegiate career. He was a GCAA Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar in 2022, was a two-time Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll selection in 2021 and 2022, and received the Golden Bear Achievement Award in May for maintaining the Cal men’s golf program’s highest GPA during the academic year.