Women's Golf | 6/22/2021 2:03:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  The Methodist University Department of Athletics on Tuesday announced junior women's golfer Jillian Drinkard as its 2021 Sykes Cup winner.

The award, named for former MU soccer coach Mason Sykes, has been presented annually to the University's top student-athlete since 1986. Elected in a vote of the department's coaches, the winner must display outstanding athletic achievement and possess a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Drinkard is the sixth repeat winner of the award, having previously been voted its recipient in 2019. Eight Sykes Cup award winners have come from the Monarch women's golf program, including three-time winner Susan Martin (2008, 2009, 2010), Tracy Gage (1998, 1999) and Charlotte Williams (2005, 2006). Martin is the only three-time honoree in the award's 36-year history.

Tuesday's second Sykes Cup honor adds to a hefty postseason haul this spring.

Drinkard has already been named the Women's Golf Coaches Association 2021 Division III Player of the Year and a WGCA 2021 All-American and All-South Region golfer.

At the conference level, she captured individual medalist honors at the inaugural USA South Athletic Conference women's golf championship in April, and also earned Player of the Year and first-team all-conference honors.

The USA South team champion, Methodist and Drinkard advanced to the NCAA 2021 Division III Women's Golf Championship where they captured the program's 26th national title with a five-shot cushion over runner-up Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) University.

Drinkard finished in a tie for third place on the individual leaderboard with a four-day total of 19-over par 307.