Ben Cooper

Photo by: Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography

Weight:
null
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Richmond, Va.
High School:
St. Christopher's

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Ended his career with a stroke average of 74.32, 10th lowest in program history
• Seven career top-20 finishes, one career top-10 tournament finish (2022 VCU Shootout)
• 23 career rounds under par, the most by any Spider since Matt Lowe (26 from 2014-18)
• Two-time selection to the Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars Team

SENIOR (2022-23)
• Second on the team with seven rounds under par
• Three top-20 finishes were tied for second most on the team
• Tied for 24th at Atlantic 10 Championship ... Shot 75-79-73/227 (+11) ... 73 in gusty winds in Round 3 was three shots better than any other Spider and moved him 15 spots up the individual leaderboard
• Shot 76-73-72/221 (+5) to tie for 12th at Cutter Creek Intercollegiate
• Led Richmond with a 215 (-1) at Auburn's Tiger Invitational ... Tied for 20th in the field
• Shot a career-best 206 (-10) at the VCU Shootout, tied for the second-lowest tournament score in program history ... Matched a career best with a 67 (-5) in the final round ... Shot 69 (-3) in 2nd round, helping UR to a team score of 277 (-11), the fifth-best single-round score in program history ... Finished tied for 10th for his first career top-10 result

JUNIOR (2021-22)
• Ended the season in ninth on Richmond's career scoring list with a stroke average of 74.34
• One of four Spiders to play in every event ... Posted a stroke average of 74.30 over 30 rounds
• Played eight rounds under par, second most on the team
• Led Richmond with a 216 (E) at Atlantic 10 Championship, finishing in a tie for 14th to record his second straight top-20 finish at the A-10 Championship
• Tied for 58th at Rutherford Intercollegiate, shooting 78-72-78/228 (+15)
• Closed with rounds of 69 and 71 after opening with a 79 at Irish Creek Collegiate .. Tied for 59th at 218 (+5)
• Shot 75 in first two rounds and 77 in final round at Seahawk Intercollegiate, tying for 50th at 227 (+11)
• Tied for 33rd at Forest Creek Collegiate, shooting 76-75/151 (+7)
• Shot 71 (-1) in the final round at Ross Collegiate Classic to finish tied for 72nd at 233 (+17)
• Shot 68 (-4) to help Richmond to a win in its match vs Columbia, second best of any golfer
• Tied for 54th at the Grandover Collegiate ... Shot 78-73-75/226 (+10)
• Followed an opening-round 71 (-1) with rounds of 73 (+1) and 77 (+5) at the Georgia State Invitational ... Finished at 221 (+5) and placed 47th in the field of 87
• Tied for 43rd at River Run Collegiate ... Shot 76-76-78/230 (+14)
• Shot 68-69-74/211 (-5) in season-opening VCU Shootout, helping Richmond to its first tournament win since the 2017 Atlantic 10 Championship ... 211 (-5) was lowest career score in a 54-hole tournament and tied for 15th best in program history ... 68 (-4) in Round 1 led the Spiders and contributed to team score of 276 (-12), tied for the second-lowest round in program history ... Shot 137 (-7) over the first 36 holes, tied for the seventh-best 36-hole score in program history ... Finished tied for 11th, recording his third career top-20 finish
• Named a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar for the second straight season

SOPHOMORE (2020-21)
• One of three Spiders to appear in every event ... Stroke average of 73.85 was second-lowest on the team
• Registered his best finish of the season at the Atlantic 10 Championship, shooting 222 (+6) to tie for 18th
• Tied for 33rd at Irish Creek Collegiate, shooting 221 (+8)
• Tied for 25th at the Golden Horseshoe Intercollegiate ... Shot 221 (+11) ... Led the Spiders with a 68 (-2) in Round 2
• Shot 69 (-3) in Richmond's home match vs Longwood, winning his head-to-head match to help UR to an 8.5 to 0.5 win ... Registered best score among 18 golfers in the event
• Tied for 30th at Ross Collegiate Classic, shooting 227 (+11)
• One of a program-record six Spiders named a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar

FRESHMAN (2019-20)
• 5 rounds under par were tied for second-most on team
• 74.78 stroke average was third on the team
• Played final two rounds in seven under par at the Mobile Sports Authority Collegiate, finishing tied for 27th at 214 (-2)
• Placed 69th at the Steelwood Collegiate, shooting 234 (+18)
• Tied for 21st at the Autotrader Collegiate Classic (217, +11) ... Finished as the top Spider on the leaderboard for the first time in his career ... Shot 71 (-1) in the third round as Richmond recorded a team score of 280 (-8), tied for the seventh-best 18-hole team score in program history
• Tied for 26th at the Hamptons Intercollegiate (238, +22)
• Tied for 55th at the River Run Collegiate with a score of 230 (+14)
• Shot 213 (-3) and finished tied for 19th in his collegiate debut at VCU Invitational ... Shot 138 (-6) over first two rounds, tied for the ninth-lowest 36-hole score in program history ... Shot 68 (-4) in second round and contributed to team score of 276 (-12), tied for the second-lowest single round team score in program history

BEFORE RICHMOND
• Five-year varsity golf letterman who captained his team as a senior
• Led St. Christopher's to team VISAA state championships in 2015 & 2017
• 2019 VISAA All-State selection
• 2018 Prep League champion, 2019 Prep League Player of the Year
• Richmond City Amateur champion
• Advanced to quarterfinals of 2019 Virginia Amateur
• Qualified for U.S. Junior Amateur
• Also played soccer in high school, earning three varsity letters
• Achieved honors or high honors in each semester of high school

PERSONAL
• Son of Tom and Alice and has a sister, Lilli
• Attended St. Christopher's School, which is located less than one mile northeast of Richmond's campus
• Co-head of St. Christopher's Peer Advising Program
• Volunteer experience at animal shelters and innercity schools ... also completed a service trip to Costa Rica